Publication Type
Journal Article
Journal Name
Molecules
Publication Date
2-2-2021
Abstract
The African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda, is used as a biological control agent for the management of pests. The ant has several exocrine glands in the abdomen, including Dufour’s, poison, rectal, and sternal glands, which are associated with pheromone secretions for intra-specific communication. Previous studies have analyzed the gland secretions of Dufour’s and poison glands. The chemistry of the rectal and sternal glands is unknown. We re-analyzed the secretions from Dufour’s and poison glands plus the rectal and sternal glands to compare their chemistries and identify additional components. We used the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique to collect gland headspace volatiles and solvent extraction for the secretions. Coupled gas chromatography– mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis detected a total of 78 components, of which 62 were being reported for the first time. These additional components included 32 hydrocarbons, 12 carboxylic acids, 5 aldehydes, 3 alcohols, 2 ketones, 4 terpenes, 3 sterols, and 1 benzenoid. The chemistry of Dufour’s and poison glands showed a strong overlap and was distinct from that of the rectal and sternal glands. The different gland mixtures may contribute to the different physiological and behavioral functions in this ant species.
Keywords
Biological control, Hydrocarbons, Mass spectrometry, Solid-phase microextraction (SPME), Weaver ant
PubMed ID
33562181
Recommended Citation
Mekonnen, B., Cheseto, X., Pirk, C., Yusuf, A., Ekesi, S., Deletre, E., & Torto, B. (2021). Re-analysis of abdominal gland volatilome secretions of the africanweaver ant, oecophylla longinoda (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecules, 26 (4) https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26040871
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.