Department of Chemistry, Keele University Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, England.
J Chem Ecol. 1993 May;19(5):907-18. doi: 10.1007/BF00992527.
InAtta sexdens rubropilosa, a strongly polyethic and polymorphic species of myrmicine ant, the contents of the mandibular gland vary with caste. Small workers of head width 0.5-1.8 mm, those generally engaged in duties inside the nest, contain chiefly 4-methyl-3-heptanone. Larger workers, those chiefly engaged in foraging, and the soldier caste contain a mixture dominated by neral and geranial, with very little of the ketone of the smaller workers. The soldiers have massive glands containing milligram amounts of neral and geranial. Virgin and mated females contain essentially only 4-methyl-3-heptanone, the amount increasing after mating, while virgin males have 4-methyl-3-heptanone and 4-methyl-3-heptanol in approximately equal proportions. Mated males have less secretion and lose the 4-methyl-3-heptanol.
在Atta sexdens rubropilosa 中，一种强烈的多态和多态的蚁科蚂蚁，下颚腺的内容物随巢的分工而变化。头宽 0.5-1.8 毫米的小工蚁，通常从事巢内的工作，主要含有 4-甲基-3-庚酮。较大的工蚁，主要从事觅食工作，以及兵蚁，含有以橙花醛和牻牛儿醛为主的混合物，而小工蚁的酮含量很少。兵蚁的腺体巨大，含有毫克数量的橙花醛和牻牛儿醛。处女和交配后的雌性基本上只含有 4-甲基-3-庚酮，交配后数量增加，而处女雄性则含有 4-甲基-3-庚酮和 4-甲基-3-庚醇，比例大致相等。交配后的雄性分泌较少，并失去 4-甲基-3-庚醇。
