Role of 3Emphasis Type="Italic"Z/Emphasis6E

Authors: Raj K Saran Jocelyn G Millar Michael K Rust

Publish Date: 2007/01/03

Volume: 33, Issue: 2, Pages: 369-389

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Abstract

Trail pheromones mediate communication among western subterranean termites Reticulitermes hesperus Banks Repetitive passages of ≥28 termites were required to establish a pheromone trail and trails needed to be reinforced because they lasted 48 hr The minimal threshold concentration for inducing responses from termite workers and secondary reproductives was between 001 and 01 fg/cm of 3Z6Z8Edodecatrien1ol henceforth dodecatrienol Workers showed optimal trailfollowing behavior to dodecatrienol at a concentration of 10 fg/cm Trails with concentrations 10 pg/cm were repellent to workers Workers did not detect pheromone gradients responding equally to increasing or decreasing gradients of dodecatrienol and termite workers were not able to differentiate between different concentrations of dodecatrienol Termites preferred dodecatrienol trails to 2phenoxyethanol trails Antennae played a key role in trail pheromone perception Dodecatrienol acted as an arrestant for worker termites 10 fg/cm2 and male alates 5 ng/cm2 whereas sternal gland extracts from females attracted male alates Workers and alates upon contact with filter paper disks treated with higher doses 10 fg/cm2 and 5 ng/cm2 respectively of dodecatrienol were highly excited increased antennation and palpation and repeatedly returned to the treated disks Dodecatrienol did not act as a phagostimulant when offered on a paper towel disk Reticulitermes hesperus is highly responsive to dodecatrienol and it may play an important role in orientation of workers and alates

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