ArticleJournal of chemical ecology2012
Chemical composition of metapleural gland secretions of fungus-growing and non-fungus-growing ants.
Article in Journal of chemical ecology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Common Regulatory Architecture Shapes Queen Chemical Signals Across Multiple Exocrine Sites.Journal of chemical ecology · 2026Article
- Ants' semiochemicals deters Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) activity on olive trees.Journal of economic entomology · 2025Article
- Bacterial diversity in arboreal ant nesting spaces is linked to colony developmental stage.Communications biology · 2023Article
- Why does an obligate autogamous orchid produce insect attractants in nectar? - a case study on Epipactis albensis (Orchidaceae).BMC plant biology · 2022Article
- The scent gland chemistry of Gagrellinae (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae): evidence for sequestration of myrmicacin in a species ofChemoecology · 2022Article
- Immune Defense Strategies of Queens of the Social Parasite Ant Acromyrmex ameliae and Queens of Its Natural Hosts.Neotropical entomology · 2021Article
- Nest substrate, more than ant activity, drives fungal pathogen community dissimilarity in seed-dispersing ant nests.Oecologia · 2020Article
- Microbial Communities in Different Tissues of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Leaf-cutting Ants.Current microbiology · 2017Article
- Imaging mass spectrometry and MS/MS molecular networking reveals chemical interactions among cuticular bacteria and pathogenic fungi associated with fungus-growing ants.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Wood ants produce a potent antimicrobial agent by applying formic acid on tree-collected resin.Ecology and evolution · 2017Article
- Quality and quantity: transitions in antimicrobial gland use for parasite defense.Ecology and evolution · 2015Article
- Functional role of phenylacetic acid from metapleural gland secretions in controlling fungal pathogens in evolutionarily derived leaf-cutting ants.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2015Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
The metapleural gland is exclusive to ants, and unusual among exocrine glands in having no mechanism for closure and retention of secretion. As yet, no clear conclusion has been reached as to the function of metapleural gland secretion. Metapleural gland secretions were investigated for fungus-growing ants representing the derived attines Trachymyrmex fuscus, Atta laevigata, and Acromyrmex coronatus, the basal attines Apterostigma pilosum and Mycetarotes parallelus, and non-fungus-growing ants of the tribes Ectatommini (Ectatomma brunneum) and Myrmicini (Pogonomyrmex naegeli). Our results showed that the secretions of leaf-cutting ants (A. laevigata and A. coronatus) and the derived attine, T. fuscus, contain a greater variety and larger quantities of volatile compounds than those of myrmicine and ectatommine ants. The most abundant compounds found in the metapleural glands of A. laevigata and A. coronatus were hydroxyacids, and phenylacetic acid (only in A. laevigata). Indole was present in all groups examined, while skatole was found in large quantities only in attines. Ketones and aldehydes are present in the secretion of some attines. Esters are present in the metapleural gland secretion of all species examined, although mainly in A. laevigata, A. coronatus, and T. fuscus. Compared with basal attines and non-fungus-growing ants, the metapleural glands of leaf-cutting ants produce more acidic compounds that may have an antibiotic or antifungal function.
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