Ant gardens: interspecific recognition in parabiotic ant species (original) (raw)

Abstract

In French Guiana, parabiotic societies (natural mixed colonies) are frequently found in ant gardens. Crematogaster limata parabiotica (Myrmicinae), often associated with Camponotus femoratus (Formicinae), was found for the first time in parabiosis with ponerine ants: Pachycondyla goeldii and Odontomachus mayi. A detailed study of the relationships between Cr. l. parabiotica and O. mayi showed that each species is aggressive towards allospecific or conspecific individuals belonging to another colony, but tolerates allospecific individuals from the multi-species society. Studies of cuticular substances of the four ant species were made using gas chromatography. The results showed that each species, living alone or in parabiosis, possesses a specific chemical profile. Thus, the ants are able to recognise nestmate and non-nestmate individuals of the associated species, even though their cuticular profiles are different. The hypothesis that the nestmate allospecific profile is learned is suggested to explain this pattern of recognition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, URA CNRS 2214, Université Paris Nord, Av. J.B. Clément, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France Fax: (33-1) 49.40.39.75; e-mail: orivel@leec.univ-paris13.fr, dejean@leec.univ-paris13.fr, , , , , , FR
    Jérôme Orivel & A. Dejean
  2. Laboratoire d'Ethologie et de Pharmacologie du Compartment, Université F. Rabelais, F-37200 Tours, France e-mail: errard@balzac.univ-tours.fr, , , , , , FR
    Christine Errard

Authors

  1. Jérôme Orivel
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  2. Christine Errard
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  3. A. Dejean
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Received: 5 June 1996 / Accepted after revision: 17 October 1996

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Orivel, J., Errard, C. & Dejean, A. Ant gardens: interspecific recognition in parabiotic ant species.Behav Ecol Sociobiol 40, 87–93 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002650050319

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