title: The trail pheromone of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis.
abstract: Ant species use branching networks of pheromone trails for orientation between nest and resources. The current study demonstrated that workers of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), employ recruitment trail pheromones discharged from the Dufour's gland. Secretions of other abdomen complex glands, as well as hindgut gland secretions, did not evoke trail following. The optimum concentration of trail pheromone was found to be 0.1 gland equivalent/40 cm trail. This concentration demonstrated effective longevity for about one hour. This study also showed that P. sennaarensis and Tapinoma simrothi each respond to the trail pheromones of the other species as well as their own.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO. Box: 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. mmashely@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: Ashraf Mohamed Ali
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mashaly
authors.forename: Ashraf Mohamed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Mosa Abdullah
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Abdullah
authors.forename: Mohamed Saleh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Khalifa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D010675:Pheromones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones