"You are what you eat": Diet modifies cuticular hydrocarbons and nestmate recognition in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile

Nestmate recognition plays a key role in the behavior and evolution of soci al insects. We demonstrated that hydrocarbons are the chemical cues used in Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, nestmate recognition, and that these hy drocarbons can be acquired from insect prey. Consequently, Argentine ant cu ticular hydrocarbon patterns reveal the same hydrocarbons present in their diet. Diet alters both the recognition cues present on the cuticular surfac e and the response of nestmates to this new colony odor, resulting in aggre ssion between former nestmates reared on different insect prey.