title: Contents of dufour glands of workers of three species of Tetramorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
abstract: The Dufour glands of worker ants of Tetramorium caespitum, and the morphologically similar T. impurum are filled with similar, but species-specific mixtures of linear hydrocarbons and three homologous sesquiterpene corhpounds. Glands of workers ofT. caespitum contain, on average, 70 ng of oil containing C13 to C17 linear hydrocarbons with n-pentadecane (64%) and a mixture of pentadecenes (14%) as major components.T. impurum glands are smaller and contain an average of 40 ng of the same mixture but with n-pentadecane (49%) and a sesquiterpenoid compound (19%) the major components. Two isomeric pentadecenes, (Z)-6-pentadecene and (Z)-7-pentadecene are present in both species.T. semilaeve workers contain on average only 30 ng of a simple mixture of hydrocarbons with pentadecane contributing more than 90% of the total.
authors.affiliation: Department SBM, Limburgs Universitair Centrum, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Billen
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Evershed
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Attygalle
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ollett