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Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Chemical Ecology Année : 2012

Substrate Temperature Constrains Recruitment and Trail Following Behavior in Ants

Résumé

In many ant species, foragers use pheromones to communicate the location of resources to nestmates. Massrecruiting species deposit long-lasting anonymous chemical trails, while group-recruiting species use temporary chemical trails. We studied how high temperature influenced the foraging behavior of a mass-recruiting species (Tapinoma nigerrimum) and a group-recruiting species (Aphaenogaster senilis) through pheromone decay. First, under controlled laboratory conditions, we examined the effect of temperature on the trail pheromone of both species. A substrate, simulating soil, marked with gaster extract was heated for 10 min. at 25°, 35°, 45°, or 55 °C and offered to workers in a choice test. Heating gaster extract reduced the trail following behavior of the mass-recruiters significantly more than that of the group-recruiters. Second, analyses of the chemicals present on the substrate indicated that most T. nigerrimum gaster secretions vanished at 25 °C, and only iridodials persisted up to 55 °C. By contrast, A. senilis secretions were less volatile and resisted better to elevated temperatures to some extent. However, at 55 °C, the only chemicals that persisted were nonadecene and nonadecane. Overall, our results suggest that the foraging behavior of the group-recruiting species A. senilis is less affected by pheromone evaporation than that of the mass-recruiting species T. nigerrimum. This group-recruiting species might, thus, be particularly adapted to environments with fluctuating temperatures.

Dates et versions

hal-00769285 , version 1 (30-12-2012)

Identifiants

Citer

Louise van Oudenhove, Raphaël Boulay, Alain Lenoir, Carlos Bernstein, Xim Cerda. Substrate Temperature Constrains Recruitment and Trail Following Behavior in Ants. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2012, 38 (6), pp.802-809. ⟨10.1007/s10886-012-0130-x⟩. ⟨hal-00769285⟩
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