Species specificity of trail pheromones of fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam

Citation
A. Peppuy et al., Species specificity of trail pheromones of fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam, INSECT SOC, 48(3), 2001, pp. 245-250
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Entomology/Pest Control
Journal title
INSECTES SOCIAUX
ISSN journal
00201812 → ACNP
Volume
48
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
245 - 250
Database
ISI
SICI code
0020-1812(2001)48:3<245:SSOTPO>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Trail-following pheromones were studied in four fungus-growing termites fro m northern Vietnam: Macrotermes annandalei, M. barneyi, Odontotermes hainan ensis and O. maesodensis. From bioassays, we suggest that trail pheromones of these species are composed of a common or anonymous signal, as well as s pecies-specific signals. The anonymous signal has been identified by GC-MS as (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol for each species from extracts of sternal glands and from solid phase microextraction of the surface of their sternal gland. Th is compound is secreted in much higher quantities (up to 1.4 ng/worker) tha n dodecatrienol, another anonymous signal of trail-following in termites. ( Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is an anonymous signal of trail-following for numerous f ungus-growing termites, including African termites M. bellicosus and M. sub hyalinus, but is not ubiquitous for all Macrotermitinae. Trail specificity is much more pronounced between species of different genera than between co ngeners. Species-specific compounds were not identified.