title: Performance of the species-typical alarm response in young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is induced by interactions with mature workers.
abstract: Young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Meinert 1861 perceived nestmate alarm pheromone but did not display normal alarm behavior (orientation toward the source of emission, increased running speed). They changed their initial behavior when in the presence of older nestmates exhibiting normal alarm behavior. Four days later, the young ants exhibited an imperfect version of normal alarm behavior. This change of behavior did not occur in young ants, which were not exposed to older ants reacting to alarm pheromone. Queen ants perceived the alarm pheromone and, after a few seconds, moved toward its source. Thus, the ants' ability to sense the alarm pheromone and to identify it as an alarm signal is native, while the adult alarm reaction is acquired over time (= age based polyethism) by young ants. It is possible that the change in behavior observed in young ants could be initiated and/or enhanced (via experience-induced developmental plasticity, learning, and/or other mechanisms) by older ants exhibiting alarm behavior.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences, DBO, CP 160/12, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50, A. F. Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique mtricot@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Marie-Claire
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cammaerts
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones
keywords: Age polyethism; angular speed; attraction; linear speed; ontogenesis