title: Chemical and behavioural studies of the trail-following pheromone in the leaf-cutting ant Atta opaciceps, Borgmeier (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
abstract: To understand the significance of the trail pheromone used in chemical communication of the leaf-cutting ants Atta opaciceps we investigated, under laboratory conditions, the trail-following behaviour of different castes. We observed a clear behavioural discrimination of conspecific venom gland extract of foraging ants from those of other species. Additionally, we determined the pheromone composition of A. opaciceps venom gland secretion using a two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Chemical analyses revealed the presence of three nitrogen-containing compounds, identified as 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine and methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (M4MPC). Four different bioassays performed with workers from different castes of A. opaciceps suggested that the trail pheromone elicits the trail-following behaviour in conspecifics of all castes, but the foragers respond more strongly to their own pheromone than to that of other castes (gardeners, generalists and soldiers). In addition, A. opaciceps foragers follow the trails made with the venom gland extracts of the unrelated Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus foragers as well as they follow the trails made with their own venom gland extract. M4MPC was identified to be the most abundant and the most behaviourally active component of the venom gland extract of A. opaciceps foragers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rousseau da Silva
authors.initials: Rda S
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Centro Universitário Tiradentes, Maceió, AL, Brazil. Electronic address: adrianapnpd@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Adriana de Lima
authors.initials: Ade L
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Estatística, Faculdade de Nutrição, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cyro Rêgo
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil; Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry ASCR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaníčková
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Instituto de Química e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ruth Rufino
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Do Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D010675:Pheromones
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones
keywords: Leaf-cutting ants Atta sp.; Trail pheromone; Two-dimensional gas chromatography; Venom gland