The contents of various exocrine glands from 8 species of bumblebees (representing 5 subgenera) and 16 species of ants (representing 5 subfamilies and 8 genera) have been examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A close correspondence between the Dufour gland secretions and cuticular hydrocarbon patterns of several bumblebee species has been discovered. However, this similarity was not found to be universal for the Bombus genus. The mandibular gland secretions of two entire colonies of the primitive queenless ant Dinoponera australis have been examined. A blend of tri- and novel tetrasubstituted pyrazines have been identified, and a link has been found between worker function and the total amount of secretion in each individual. An investigation into the chemistry of army ants of the genus Aenictus has led to the first identification of an army ant pheromone. The trail pheromone, produced by postpygidial glands, was determined to consist of a mixture of methyl nicotinate and methyl anthranilate. The short and long-range recruitment pheromones of the closely related ants Aphaenogaster albisetosus and A. cockerelli have been identified as 4-methyl-3-heptanone (80% (S)-, 20% (R)-) and (R)-l-phenylethanol, originating from their respective poison glands. The recruitment pheromones of Pogonomyrmex barbatus, P. maricopa, P. occidentalis and P. rugosus have been identified as a mixture of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:259549 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Oldham, Neil John |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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