Studies in European ant-decapitating flies (Diptera: Phoridae): ant alarm pheromone as host finding cue inPseudacteon brevicauda, a parasite ofMyrmica rubra(Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

Current Understanding and Future Prospects of Host Selection, Acceptance, Discrimination, and Regulation of Phorid Fly Parasitoids That Attack Ants

“…Within these glands are 3-octanone, 3-nonanone, and 3-octanol [37]. The two ketones were found to attract P. brevicauda from a distance [36]. While the alcohol, 3-octanol, did not attract flies from long distances, it was found to increase the "alertness" of the flies at a closer range, possibly indicating its synergistic role in host location or a possible role in host acceptance; however, further observations are needed to confirm the role of this compound [36].…”

“…Another species of phorid fly that utilizes the alarm pheromones of its host is Pseudacteon brevicauda. Studies show that these phorid flies are attracted to mandibular gland extracts of their host, Myrmica rubra [36]. Within these glands are 3-octanone, 3-nonanone, and 3-octanol [37].…”

Interspecific Eavesdropping on Ant Chemical Communication

“…The volatility of alarm pheromones makes them reliable long-range indicators of host presence, but also makes them spatiotemporally limited. Regardless, many parasitoids and predators of ants eavesdrop on alarm pheromones (Table 3) (Feener et al, 1996;Morrison and King, 2004;Witte et al, 2010).…”

“…Phorids can often be observed hovering above disturbed ant nests (Witte et al, 2010), injured workers (Brown and Feener, 1991) and foraging trails (Tonhasca, 1996). Trail and alarm pheromones are reliable cues that likely "advertise" host presence, whereas specific ant targets are selected based on short-range chemical and visual cues (Farder-Gomes et al, 2017).…”

“…Similarly, Myrmica rubra produces 3octanone, non-anone and 3-octanol in their mandibular gland (Cammaerts et al, 1981) and these defense substances serve as attractants for Pseudacteon brevicauda. Phorid flies are most often specialists, attacking a single host ant species (Porter, 1998;Weissflog et al, 2008;Witte et al, 2010;Folgarait, 2013) but the chemical attractants of phorids may be more indiscriminate for long-range host localization. Once the fly has entered the habitat and found the nest or trail, they appear to use species-specific hydrocarbons to ensure species specificity (Mathis and Tsutsui, 2016).…”