title: Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy as a potential tool in assessing the role of diet in cuticular chemical composition of Ectatomma brunneum.
abstract: The cuticular chemical composition plays a significant role in the recognition of nest mates in social insects, thus functioning as a chemical signature of the colony. The structure of cuticular chemicals is subject to interference from genetic and exogenous factors, including diet. In this study, various colonies of the Ectatomma brunneum ant were removed from their natural environment and housed in a laboratory to monitor the response of the cuticular chemical composition to dietary changes. Analyses were performed using gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy, which has not been previously used for this type of analysis. The results indicate that this method is useful for analyzing biological and natural systems. We observed changes in the chemical signature with food traces in the first 30 days under feed control. Therefore, genetic information may not be the only criterion that can be used to describe the chemical signature of a species; environmental variations also influence recognition signals. Furthermore, these results reinforce the reliability of the Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy method.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: E L B
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Firmino
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: L H C
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: C A L
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Y R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Súarez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Antonialli-Junior
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil smlima@uems.br.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000737:chemistry*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004032:Diet; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005410:Flame Ionization; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D034582:Integumentary System / Q000502:physiology*; D061088:Photoacoustic Techniques; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons