ONTOGENY OF COLONIAL HYDROCARBON LABEL IN CALLOW WORKERS OF THE ANT CATAGLYPHIS-IBERICA

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.)