Hydrocarbon dynamics within and between nestmates inCataglyphis niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the interrelationship between the cuticular and postpharyngeal glands' hydrocarbons, both in the individual ant and during its interaction with nestmates. In vivo radiochemical assays were employed to monitor the de novo hydrocarbon biosynthesis from acetate in the ant's body. The newly synthesized hydrocarbons appeared first internally and after 24 hr they accumulated in the postpharyngeal gland and on the cuticular surface. Blocking the possibility of external transfer of hydrocarbons between cuticle and postpharyngeal gland led to a significant decrease of labeled hydrocarbons in the postpharyngeal gland. In addition, during encounters between labeled and unlabeled ants, newly synthesized hydrocarbons were transferred, mainly via trophallaxis, but also by allo-grooming and physical contact. In view of these results, we propose as a model for their dynamics that hydrocarbons are synthesized in tissues associated with the integument. Through self-grooming, there is a constant exchange of hydrocarbons between the cuticular surface and the postpharyngeal gland. Furthermore, in encounters between nestmates, hydrocarbons are exchanged among them mostly by trophallaxis, with the mediation of the postpharyngeal gland. Thus, this gland acts as a pool for mixing colonial hydrocarbons and may serve to attain a unified colony odor.

Olfactory memory established during trophallaxis affects food search behaviour in ants

“…Most nectivorous ants take the nectar in their crop to the nest where it is unloaded through trophallaxis to receiver nestmates. In addition, trophallaxis plays an important role in nestmate recognition and in maintaining the colony integration (Soroker et al, 1995;Boulay et al, 1999). Trophallaxis also affects the subsequent behaviour of donors and receivers during recruitment, which suggests that both update information during the interaction.…”

Evolución de la sociabilidad en Hymenoptera: Rasgos conductuales vinculados a niveles sociales y precursores de sociabilidad en especies solitarias

“…Se ha planteado que en los insectos sociales, fundamentalmente del orden Hymenoptera, el reconocimiento entre parientes se basa principalmente en el mecanismo de igualación de fenotipos (Wyatt 2005), en que un individuo aprende las señales provenientes de parientes que participan en su crianza, habitualmente sus padres o hermanos (referencia de un pariente), y/o provenientes de él mismo (autorreferencia), los almacena en su memoria (patrón de reconocimiento) y luego compara el fenotipo de individuos encontrados por primera vez con el patrón de reconocimiento almacenado (Sherman et al 1997). Sin embargo, solo el mecanismo de igualación de fenotipos -aunque solo cuando está basado en referencia de parientes-ha sido demostrado inequívocamente en especies eusociales (Buckle & Greenberg 1981, Stuart 1988, Soroker et al 1995.…”

A statistical approach to identify candidate cues for nestmate recognition

“…Nestmate recognition is mainly chemical in nature and based on colony-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles (Hölldobler and Michener, 1980;Bonavita-Cougourdan et al, 1987;Clément and Bagnères, 1998;Singer, 1998;. These cuticular lipids, synthesized by the animals themselves (Howard and Blomquist, 2005;, and partly obtained from environmental sources (Obin and Vander Meer, 1988;Woodrow et al, 2000;Buczkowski et al, 2005), are typically mixed throughout the colony by means of liquid food transfer, grooming, and exchange through nest material (Soroker et al, 1995;d'Ettorre et al, 2006;Couvillon et al, 2007;Bos et al, 2011). Direct evidence for the use of hydrocarbons in nestmate recognition has been obtained in several ant and bee species, by testing the level of aggression toward NMs supplemented with synthetic hydrocarbons (Lahav et al, 1999;Dani et al, 2005;Ozaki et al, 2005;Martin et al, 2008b;Guerrieri et al, 2009), or to inert materials treated with either the hydrocarbon profile of fellow workers or synthetic mixtures of hydrocarbons (Wagner et al, 2000;Akino et al, 2004;Greene and Gordon, 2007;Martin et al, 2008b).…”