Trail-following in termites: Evidence for a multicomponent system |
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| Authors: | M Kaib O Bruinsma R H Leuthold |
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| Affiliation: | (1) International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya;(2) Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Postfach 3008, D-8580 Bayreuth, FRG;(3) Division of Animal Physiology, Zoological Institute, University of Bern, Engehaldenstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | Several African termite species from different subfamilies and different habitats are sensitive to trail-active extracts or to naturally laid trails from other species. Using single-extract bioassays, it is shown that the response threshold for trail-following is nearly identical for all tested species (except forHodotermes mossambicus). However, when termite workers have a choice between trails from their own species and from other species, conspecific trail-following is exclusively observed. This phenomenon can be counteracted by dilution (1 10) of the conspecific trail-pheromone extract. Tests of the trail activity of various synthetic alcohols show that among these, the highest sensitivity of termite workers is to (Z)-3-dodecen-1-ol. Based on our experimental data, we postulate that, in addition to a generally active trail-pheromone constituent (an unsaturated primary C12 alcohol) or a pool of chemically closely related alcohols, other species-specific components are present in termite trails. |
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| Keywords: | Isoptera termites trail pheromones non-species-specificity species specificity (Z)-3-dodecen-1-ol |
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