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Sexual Behaviour in the Slave‐making Ant, Harpagoxenus canadensis M. R. Smith, and Sexual Pheromone Experiments with H. canadensis, H. americanus (Emery), and H. sublaevis (Nylander) (Hymenoptera; Formicidae)
Author(s) -
Buschinger Alfred,
Alloway Thomas M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
zeitschrift für tierpsychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0044-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1979.tb00279.x
Subject(s) - mating , pheromone , sex pheromone , biology , zoology , interspecific competition , hymenoptera , ecology
Abstract The sexual behaviour of Harpagoxenus canadensis closely resembles that of European H. sublaevis. Young ♀♀ of both species exhibit a sexual‐calling behaviour (Locksterzeln) during which they attract the ♂♂ by poison gland secretion. The sexual pheromones of both species seem to be identical, but interspecific mating is prevented by various behavioural mechanisms of the ♀♀. A third species, H. americanus , seems to be less closely related to H. canadensis and H. sublaevis : Its ♂♂ are not sensitive to the pheromones of these two species.