title: Exocrine chemistry of the myrmicine ant Zacryptocerus pusillus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
abstract: Minor workers of the ant Zacryptocerus pusillus have unusual exocrine secretions in both their mandibular and Dufour glands. The mandibular glands contain a 3:1 mixture of 4-heptanone and 4-heptanol, a mixture found only in the related species Z. varians. The Dufour gland contains a mixture of 13 aldehydes from C9 to C18, not previously encountered in ant secretions. The venom glands gave variable results with only nonanal present consistently.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Ecology Group, Lennard-Jones Laboratory, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. e.d.morgan@chem.keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: E David
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Keegans
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Billen
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001938:Brazil; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes