Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2011 May;37(5):514-24. doi: 10.1007/s10886-011-9947-y. Epub 2011 Apr 15.
Colony-specific cuticular hydrocarbons are used by social insects in nestmate recognition. Here, we showed that hydrocarbons found on the mound of Pogonomyrmex barbatus nests facilitate the return of foragers to the nest. Colony-specific hydrocarbons, which ants use to distinguish nestmates from non-nestmates, are found on the midden pebbles placed on the nest mound. Midden hydrocarbons occur in a concentration gradient, growing stronger near the nest entrance, which is in the center of a 1-2 m diameter nest mound. Foraging behavior was disrupted when the gradient of hydrocarbons was altered experimentally. When midden material was diluted with artificial pebbles lacking the colony-specific hydrocarbons, the speed of returning foragers decreased significantly. The chemical environment of the nest mound contributes to the regulation of foraging behavior in harvester ants.
群居昆虫会利用巢特异性的表皮碳氢化合物来识别同巢个体。在这里，我们发现了发现于铺在蚁丘上的垃圾碎石中的碳氢化合物有助于觅食者返回蚁巢。蚂蚁用来区分同巢个体和非同巢个体的巢特异性碳氢化合物存在于铺在蚁丘上的垃圾碎石中。垃圾碳氢化合物呈浓度梯度分布，在靠近蚁巢入口的地方浓度更强，而蚁巢入口位于直径为 1-2 米的蚁丘中心。当碳氢化合物梯度被实验性地改变时，觅食行为就会受到干扰。当用缺乏巢特异性碳氢化合物的人造碎石稀释垃圾材料时，返回觅食者的速度显著降低。蚁丘的化学环境有助于调节收获蚁的觅食行为。
