Chen Jian, Zhang Guangmei
USDA-ARS, National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
Insect Sci. 2013 Aug;20(4):456-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2012.01553.x. Epub 2012 Sep 13.
There is evidence that ant-derived chemical stimuli are involved in regulating the digging behavior in Solenopsis invicta Buren. However, the source gland(s) and chemistry of such stimuli have never been revealed. In this study, extracts of mandibular, Dufour's, postpharyngeal, and poison glands were evaluated for their effect on ant digging and residing preferences of S. invicta workers from three colonies. In the intracolonial bioassays, workers showed significant digging preferences to mandibular gland extracts in 2 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 1 of 3 colonies; significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts in 1 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 2 of 3 colonies. No digging and residing preferences were found for postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. In intercolonial bioassays, significant digging and residing preferences were found for mandibular gland extracts in 3 of 6 colony combinations. Significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts were found in 4 of 6 colony combinations and significant residing preferences in all 6 colony combinations. For postpharyngeal gland extracts, significant digging preferences were found only in 1 of 6 colonial combinations and no significant residing preferences were found. For poison gland extracts, no significant digging preferences were found; significant residing preferences were found in 1 of 6 colony combinations. However, a significant residing deterrence (negative residing preference index) was found for 2 of 6 colony combinations. Statistical analyses using data pooled from all colonies showed that mandibular and Dufour's gland extracts caused significant digging and residing preferences in both intracolonial and intercolonial bioassays but not postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. By analyzing the data pooled from the same three colonies used for gland extract bioassays, it was found that, in no cases, workers showed significant digging and residing preferences to 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine, an alarm pheromone component from mandibular gland.
有证据表明，蚂蚁产生的化学刺激参与调节红火蚁（Solenopsis invicta Buren）的挖掘行为。然而，此类刺激的来源腺体及化学成分尚未明确。本研究评估了来自三个蚁群的红火蚁工蚁的下颌腺、杜氏腺、咽后腺和毒腺提取物对蚂蚁挖掘和栖息偏好的影响。在蚁群内生物测定中，工蚁对3个蚁群中的2个蚁群的下颌腺提取物表现出显著的挖掘偏好，对3个蚁群中的1个蚁群表现出显著的栖息偏好；对3个蚁群中的1个蚁群的杜氏腺提取物表现出显著的挖掘偏好，对3个蚁群中的2个蚁群表现出显著的栖息偏好。未发现咽后腺和毒腺提取物有挖掘和栖息偏好。在蚁群间生物测定中，在6个蚁群组合中的3个组合中，下颌腺提取物有显著的挖掘和栖息偏好。在6个蚁群组合中的4个组合中，杜氏腺提取物有显著的挖掘偏好，在所有6个蚁群组合中都有显著的栖息偏好。对于咽后腺提取物，仅在6个蚁群组合中的1个组合中发现有显著的挖掘偏好，未发现有显著的栖息偏好。对于毒腺提取物，未发现有显著的挖掘偏好；在6个蚁群组合中的1个组合中发现有显著的栖息偏好。然而，在6个蚁群组合中的2个组合中发现有显著的栖息抑制作用（负栖息偏好指数）。使用来自所有蚁群的数据进行的统计分析表明，下颌腺和杜氏腺提取物在蚁群内和蚁群间生物测定中均引起显著的挖掘和栖息偏好，但咽后腺和毒腺提取物则不然。通过分析用于腺体提取物生物测定的相同三个蚁群的数据发现，在任何情况下，工蚁对来自下颌腺的警报信息素成分2-乙基-3,6-二甲基吡嗪均未表现出显著的挖掘和栖息偏好。
