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Behavioural activity of pure chiral 3‐octanol for the ants Myrmica scabrinodis Nyl. and Myrmica rubra L.
Author(s) -
CAMMAERTS MC.,
MORI K.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1987.tb00764.x
Subject(s) - enantiomer , biology , octanol , stereochemistry , botany , chemistry , organic chemistry , partition coefficient
. The mandibular glands of Myrmica ants contain, among other substances, 3‐octanol, a chiral substance, 90% of it being the R ‐enantiomer in M. scabrinodis Nyl., ruhra L. and ruginodis Nyl. (Cammaerts et al. , 1985). Pure R and S 3‐octanol has been prepared and tested on M. rubra and scabrinodis , workers. Both species react specifically only to the R enantiomer; in M. rubra this constituent arrests foragers briefly, and in M. scahrinodis it attracts them and incites them to walk more quickly. It is shown that, in M. scahrinodis , the naturally produced mixture of R and S 3‐octanol (proportions of 9:1, v/v) is more active than the pure R enantiomer or a mixture of R and S 3‐octanol (5:5 v/v).