title: Insect communication: 'no entry' signal in ant foraging.
abstract: Forager ants lay attractive trail pheromones to guide nestmates to food, but the effectiveness of foraging networks might be improved if pheromones could also be used to repel foragers from unrewarding routes. Here we present empirical evidence for such a negative trail pheromone, deployed by Pharaoh's ants (Monomorium pharaonis) as a 'no entry' signal to mark an unrewarding foraging path. This finding constitutes another example of the sophisticated control mechanisms used in self-organized ant colonies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. e.robinson@dcs.sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elva J H
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Duncan E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holcombe
authors.forename: Francis L W
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Ratnieks
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones