A. Dahbi et al., ONTOGENY OF COLONIAL HYDROCARBON LABEL IN CALLOW WORKERS OF THE ANT CATAGLYPHIS-IBERICA, Comptes rendus de l'Academie des Sciences. Serie III, Sciences de lavie, 321(5), 1998, pp. 395-402
In ants, postpharyngeal glands are the reservoir for the colonial odou
r which mediates the interindividual recognition. Quantitative and qua
litative changes in colonial hydrocarbon profile of these glands were
studied in the ant Cataglyphis iberica from emergence of workers. Isol
ation of callow seems to affect the maturation process. The glandular
secretion of the callow workers increases in amount and becomes simila
r to that of mature workers around 10 d old. However, the rate of hydr
ocarbon accumulation in the glands of callow workers that were reared
in isolation remains lower compared to mature nestmates. Early social
isolation also affects the acquisition of the specific colony profile
which remains very different from that of the mother colony. These res
ults suggest a transfer of hydrocarbons from matures to callows. This
transfer allows the new members of the colony to integrate the colonia
l odour during the few days following emergence. ((C) Academie des sci
ence/Elsevier, Paris.)