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C R Biol

Title:		Reactions by army ant workers to nestmates having had contact with sympatric ant species
Author(s):		Dejean A; Corbara B;
Address:		"CNRS, Ecologie des forets de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France; Universite de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Laboratoire Ecologie fonctionnelle et Environnement (Ecolab), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France. Electronic address: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr. CNRS - UMR 6023, Laboratoire Microorganismes, Genome et Environnement, Universite Blaise-Pascal, Complexe scientifique des Cezeaux, 63177 Aubiere cedex, France; Clermont Universite, Universite Blaise-Pascal, LMGE, BP 10448, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France"
Journal Title:		C R Biol
Year:		2014
Volume:		20140927
Issue:		11
Page Number:		642 - 645
DOI:		10.1016/j.crvi.2014.08.008
ISSN/ISBN:		1768-3238 (Electronic) 1631-0691 (Linking)
Abstract:		"It was recently shown that Pheidole megacephala colonies (an invasive species originating from Africa) counterattack when raided by the army ant, Eciton burchellii. The subsequent contact permits Pheidole cuticular compounds (that constitute the 'colony odour') to be transferred onto the raiding Eciton, which are then not recognised by their colony-mates and killed. Using a simple method for transferring cuticular compounds, we tested if this phenomenon occurs for Neotropical ants. Eciton workers rubbed with ants from four sympatric species were released among their colony-mates. Individuals rubbed with Solenopsis saevissima or Camponotus blandus workers were attacked, but not those rubbed with Atta sexdens, Pheidole fallax or with colony-mates (control lot). So, the chemicals of certain sympatric ant species, but not others, trigger intra-colonial aggressiveness in Eciton. We conclude that prey-ant chemicals might have played a role in the evolution of army ant predatory behaviour, likely influencing prey specialization in certain cases"
Keywords:		"Aggression Animals Ants/chemistry/genetics/*physiology Behavior, Animal *Odorants Pheromones *Predatory Behavior/physiology Sympatry Antipredation Army ants Colony-mate recognition Comportement antipredateur Eciton Fourmis legionnaires Reconnaissance colo;"
Notes:		"MedlineDejean, Alain Corbara, Bruno eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't France 2014/12/03 C R Biol. 2014 Nov; 337(11):642-5. doi: 10.1016/j.crvi.2014.08.008. Epub 2014 Sep 27"