| Title: | "Sex Attractant Pheromones of Virgin Queens of Sympatric Slave-Making Ant Species in the Genus Polyergus, and their Possible Roles in Reproductive Isolation" |
| Author(s): | Greenberg L; Johnson CA; Trager JC; McElfresh JS; Rodstein J; Millar JG; |
| Address: | "Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. Les.greenberg@ucr.edu. Division of Invertebrate Zoology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA. Shaw Nature Reserve, Missouri Botanical Garden, Gray Summit, MO, 63039, USA. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. , Woodland Hills, CA, 91365, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-018-0966-9 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Species of the ant genus Polyergus are social parasites that steal brood from colonies of their hosts in the closely related genus Formica. Upon emergence as adults in a mixed population, host Formica workers carry out all the normal worker functions within the Polyergus colony, including foraging, feeding, grooming, and rearing brood of the parasitic Polyergus ants. Some unmated Polyergus gynes (queens) run in the raiding columns of their colonies and attract males by releasing a pheromone from their mandibular glands. There are two Polyergus species groups in North America: an eastern P. lucidus group and a western P. breviceps group. One species of each of these groups, P. lucidus Mayr and P. mexicanus Emery, are sympatric in Missouri. In this study, we characterized the sex pheromones of virgin queens of two species of the P. lucidus group (P. lucidus sensu stricto and P. sanwaldi) and one species of the P. breviceps group (P. mexicanus), and compared these with the previously identified sex pheromone of P. topoffi of the P. breviceps group. We then used sex pheromone blends reconstructed from synthesized components of the two groups to test their efficacy at reproductively isolating these species. We found that methyl 6-methylsalicylate is conserved as the major component of the pheromone blends for both Polyergus species groups; however, methyl (R)-3-ethyl-4-methylpentanoate is the species-specific minor component produced by P. lucidus group queens, and (R)-3-ethyl-4-methylpentan-1-ol is the crucial minor component for P. breviceps group queens. The optimal ratio of the major and minor components for P. lucidus group queens was about 100:1 salicylate to ester. In concurrent field trials in Missouri, males of P. lucidus sensu stricto and P. mexicanus (a member of the P. breviceps group) were attracted almost exclusively to their particular blends of sex pheromone components. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a possible sex-pheromone-based reproductive isolating mechanism in ants" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Ants/*physiology Behavior, Animal/drug effects Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Male Reproductive Isolation Salicylates/analysis/pharmacology Sex Attractants/*analysis/pharmacology Sympatry/physiology Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineGreenberg, Les Johnson, Christine A Trager, James C McElfresh, J Steven Rodstein, Joshua Millar, Jocelyn G eng 2018/05/23 J Chem Ecol. 2018 Jun; 44(6):547-555. doi: 10.1007/s10886-018-0966-9. Epub 2018 May 22" |
