Brain catecholamines, spontaneous bioelectrical activity and aggressive behavior in ants (Formica rufa).

The effects of dopamine (DA), 1-DOPA, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) and haloperidol on aggressive behavior and spontaneous bioelectrical activity of the ant (Formica rufa) were studied. Drugs such as DA, 1-DOPA and DDTC increased mutual aggressivity in ants while it failed to change aggression directed towards other species of insects (e.g., the beetle Geotrupes sp.). The amplitude of EEG waves and the amplitude of neuronal discharges within the protocerebrum decreased after administration of both DA and 1-DOPA. Both DDTC and 1-DOPA increased the concentration of adrenaline as well as DA in the brain of ants. Haloperidol decreased intrageneric aggressivity but caused no evident changes in both EEG pattern and neuronal discharges. The present study indicates that catecholamines are critically involved in the organization of aggressive behavior in ants.