Abstract
The Dufour glands ofAenictus rotundatus contain a complex mixture of terpenoids with geranylgeraniol comprising over 50% of the secretion. Some novel compounds have been tentatively identified as higher homologs of 1,3,3-trimethyl-2,7-dioxabicyclo[2,2,1]heptane based on GC-MS data. The Dufour gland secretion ofA. rotundatus is more similar in composition to the secretions of members of the subfamily Ecitoninae than to its closer relatives from the tribe Dorylini, a result that further complicates studies on the phylogeny of army ants. The mandibular glands ofA. rotundatus contain a mixture of 4-methyl-3-heptanone and limonene in trace amounts, and the well-developed postpygidial glands contain methyl anthranilate only.
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Oldham, N.J., David Morgan, E., Gobin, B. et al. Volatile secretions of old world army antAenictus rotundatus and chemotaxonomic implications of army ant dufour gland chemistry. J Chem Ecol 20, 3297–3305 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02033727
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02033727