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Ants recognize foes and not friends
Fernando J Guerrieri1, Volker Nehring, Charlotte G Jørgensen
1Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 15, 2009
Summary
Carpenter ants reject non-nest-mates by detecting novel odor cues, not by recognizing specific nest-mate scents. This discovery challenges previous understandings of insect recognition mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Chemical ecology
- Animal behavior
- Social insect biology
Background:
- Social insects, like ants, rely on distinguishing nest-mates from non-nest-mates for colony stability.
- Ant recognition mechanisms involve complex chemical cues from their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.
- Previous research suggested ants actively recognize nest-mates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if carpenter ants (Camponotus herculeanus) use the presence or absence of specific cuticular hydrocarbons for nest-mate discrimination.
- To determine which classes of hydrocarbons trigger recognition or rejection behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Supplementing ant cuticular hydrocarbon profiles with synthetic hydrocarbons in liquid food.
- Assessing worker behavioral responses using two distinct bioassays.
- Synthesizing mono-methylated alkanes to test their role in recognition.
Main Results:
- The presence of an additional hydrocarbon, but not its absence, elicited aggressive behavior.
- Among tested hydrocarbon classes, only dimethylated alkanes effectively triggered aggression.
- A new synthetic pathway for mono-methylated alkanes was developed.
Conclusions:
- Carpenter ants appear to reject non-nest-mates based on novel odor cues rather than actively recognizing nest-mates.
- This suggests a 'novelty detection' mechanism for distinguishing 'foes' from 'friends'.
- The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of recognition systems in social insects.
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