Rapid modification in the olfactory signal of ants following a change in reproductive status
Rapid modification in the olfactory signal of ants following a change in reproductive status
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DOI：
10.1007/s00114-004-0588-7
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发表时间：
2005-02-01
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Peeters, C
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cuvillier-Hot, V;Renault, V;Peeters, C
在昆虫群落中，卵层的存在和状况可以用信息素来评估。预计外分泌会随时间变化，以便提供有关个体生殖生理的最新信息。在无蚁后的单一性蚂蚁Streblognathus peetersi中，我们允许先前不育的高级工蚁加入阿尔法等级，从而触发她的产卵开始（15次重复）。然后，我们研究了不同时间（从20小时到几天）后，她与来自同一菌落的已建立的蛋鸡的相互作用。尽管她的蛋在30天后才准备好下蛋，但新的阿尔法在1 - 2天内就被认出来了。检测发生在几毫米的距离，这表明有一种低挥发性的信息素参与其中，比如表皮碳氢化合物。当新的α分化bbbb48小时时，她受到已建立的卵细胞的攻击。在所有情况下，低级别的工作人员最终固定了两个阿尔法中的一个：如果她最近才区分出来，新的阿尔法就是目标，这表明警察工作人员选择了气味“不那么繁殖”的占主导地位的工作人员。利用蚂蚁的行为作为我们的测量，我们证明了一个优势的嗅觉信号随着她的社会地位的改变而迅速变化，并且在产卵开始之前就发生了。
In insect societies, the presence and condition of egg-layers can be assessed with pheromones. Exocrine secretions are expected to vary in time in order to give up-to-date information on an individual's reproductive physiology. In the queenless monogynous ant Streblognathus peetersi, we allowed a previously infertile high-ranking worker to accede to the alpha rank, thus triggering the onset of her oogenesis (15 replicates). We then studied her interactions with an established egg-layer from the same colony after different durations, ranging from 20 h to several days. Even though her eggs are only ready to be laid after 30 days, the new alpha was recognised within 1 - 2 days. Detection occurred at a distance of a few millimetres, suggesting the involvement of a pheromone with low volatility, such as cuticular hydrocarbons. When the new alpha had differentiated for > 48 h, she was attacked by the established egg-layer. In all cases, low-ranking workers eventually immobilised one of the two alphas: the new alpha was the target if she had differentiated only recently, suggesting that police workers select the dominant worker with the "less fertile" odour. Using the behaviour of ants as our measure, we demonstrate that a dominant's olfactory signal changes rapidly with a modification in her social status, and it occurs well before the onset of egg-laying.