Chemical communication in ants

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  • アリのケミカルコミュニケーション
  • アリのケミカルコミュケーション
  • アリ ノ ケミカルコミュケーション

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Abstract

  In all social insects, including ants, termites and social bees, their tremendous evolution and ecological dominance are due to their efficient social organizations and communication systems. Social insects communicate with each other by means of various sensory modalities, but chemical communication has been studied well in chemical ecological aspects. Chemical communication via pheromones affects or regulates ant’s behaviors or physiological situations; mutual attraction, repulsion, identification of species and kin, courtship and parental care, establishment of dominance and division of labor. Chemistry of pheromones has been considerably progressing not only in structural identification but also in their functional meaning for behavioral regulation.<BR>  Here, we document 1) nestmate recognition, 2) pheromonal trailing or alarm behavior and 3) involvement of hormonal regulation. <BR>1) For ants, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) blends produce by non-nestmate elicit overt aggression. Recently, a novel chemosensillum that functions in nestmate discrimination was found on the antennae of the Japanese carpenter ant. We focus on the role of this type of sensilla for a peripheral recognition mechanism in detecting colony specific chemical signals. <BR>2) Trail pheromones and alarm pheromones were chemically identified in leaf cutting ants and Carpenter ant respectively. In primary olfactory centre (AL), it was reported a putative gromerulus sensitive to the trail pheromones. Its also was reported projection neurons for alarm information processing. <BR>3) Finally we mention about octopamine, one of biogenic amines, controlling the social bond among individuals in the same colony. <BR>  Previous reports from the fields of chemistry and chemical ecology have clarified which chemicals are effectively used for pheromonal communication in ants. In future, researchers should progress this line of studies in neurological point of view.

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