RECRUITMENT COMMUNICATION AND PHEROMONE TRAILS IN THE NEOTROPICAL ANTS, LEPTOTHORAX (NESOMYRMEX) SPININODIS AND L (N) ECHINATINODIS

Leptothorax (Nesomyrmex) spininodis and L. (N.) echinatinodis workers lay pheromone trails when returning from food sources to their nests. Workers from within the nest begin following the trail almost immediat ely upon the successful forager's return and do not require a leader. The trail remains effective for about four minutes under our laborator y conditions but it is unclear whether the trail alone is sufficient t o induce recruitment or whether additional signals, perhaps emitted wi thin the nest, are involved. Pheromone trails of this type have not pr eviously been documented for leptothoracine ants.