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J Chem Ecol

Title:		Identification of the Trail Pheromone of the Pavement Ant Tetramorium immigrans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author(s):		Chalissery JM; Gries R; Alamsetti SK; Ardiel MJ; Gries G;
Address:		"Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. jaime_chalissery@sfu.ca. Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada"
Journal Title:		J Chem Ecol
Year:		2022
Volume:		20211104
Issue:		3
Page Number:		302 - 311
DOI:		10.1007/s10886-021-01317-3
ISSN/ISBN:		1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Four species of Tetramorium pavement ants are known to guide foraging activities of nestmates via trail pheromones secreted from the poison gland of worker ants, but the trail pheromone of T. immigrans is unknown. Our objectives were to (1) determine whether poison gland extract of T. immigrans workers induces trail-following behavior of nestmates, (2) identify the trail pheromone, and (3) test whether synthetic trail pheromone induces trail-following behavior of workers. In laboratory no-choice bioassays, ants followed poison-gland-extract trails farther than they followed whole-body-extract trails or solvent-control trails. Gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses of poison gland extract revealed a single candidate pheromone component (CPC) that elicited responses from worker ant antennae. The CPC mass spectrum indicated, and an authentic standard confirmed, that the CPC was methyl 2-methoxy-6-methylbenzoate (MMMB). In further laboratory no-choice bioassays, ants followed poison-gland-extract trails (tested at 1 ant equivalent) and synthetic MMMB trails (tested at 0.35 ant equivalents) equally far, indicating that MMMB is the single-component trail pheromone of T. immigrans. Moreover, in laboratory two-choice bioassays, ants followed MMMB trails ~ 21-times farther than solvent-control trails. In field settings, when T. immigrans colonies were offered a choice between two paper strips treated with a synthetic MMMB trail or a solvent-control trail, each leading to an apple bait, the MMMB trails efficiently recruited nestmates to baits"
Keywords:		Animals *Ants/physiology Feeding Behavior Humans Pheromones/pharmacology/physiology Communication Field testing Gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection Myrmicinae Trail-following;
Notes:		"MedlineChalissery, Jaime M Gries, Regine Alamsetti, Santosh K Ardiel, Madison J Gries, Gerhard eng 2021/11/06 J Chem Ecol. 2022 Mar; 48(3):302-311. doi: 10.1007/s10886-021-01317-3. Epub 2021 Nov 4"