Alarm pheromone Hymenoptera

Within Hymenoptera, pheromones produced by workers in social colonies are the best studied across many genera, principally in ants [6], with those eliciting trail following most extensively studied. The distinct behavior and the relative ease of the bioassay have resulted in chemical identifications in many species [ 113,114]. Those that have been recently identified are listed in Table 5. In addition, several alarm and recruitment signals have recently been identified. Many of the compounds recently identified in ants have previously been reported as trail or alarm pheromones in other ant species. For example, methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate 64, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine 65, (9Z)-hexadec-9-enal 66,4-methylheptan-3-ol 67, and methyl 6-methylsalicy-late 68 have been identified as trail pheromone components, and heptan-2-one 69,4-methylheptan-3-one 70, formic acid 71, undecane 61,4-methylheptan-3-ol 67, methyl 6-methylsalicylate 68, and citronellal 72 have been identified as alarm pheromone components [6]. The use of the same chemicals across genera, with some used for very different functions, is an interesting phenomenon. 

Cherix, D., 1983, Intraspecific variation of alarm pheromones between two populations of the red wood ant Formica lugubris (2ett.) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Schweiz. Entomol. Gesamte, 56 57. 

Duffield, R.M., W.E. Laberge, and J.W. Wheeler Exocrine Secretions of Bees. VII. Aliphatic Esters in the Dufour s Gland Secretion of Svastra obliqua obliqua (Hymenoptera Anthophoridae). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 78 B, 47-50 (1984). Bradshaw, J.W.S., R. Baker, and P.E. Howse Multicomponent Alarm Pheromones of the Weaver Ant. Nature 258, 230-231 (1975). 

Veith, H. J., Weiss, J. and Koeniger, N. (1978) A new alarm pheromone (2-decen-l-yl acetate) isolated from the stings of Apis dorsata and Apis florea (Hymenoptera Apidae). Experientia, 34, 423. 

Longhurst, C., Bolwell, S., Bradshaw, J. W. S., Howse, P. E. and Evans, D. A. (1983). Multicomponent alarm pheromones from the poison gland secretion of Myrmicaria eumenoides and M. striata (Hymenoptera Formicidae) (in preparation). 

For species such as the eusocial Hymenoptera and termites, however, alarm pheromones elicit aggressive behavior to drive off the intruder. This may include increased activity and attraction to the source of the pheromone for ants and termites (e.g., Roisin et al. 1990) to attack by bees and wasps (Blum 1985). 

Kojima, J. 1994. Evidence for an alarm pheromone in Ropalidia romandi (Le Guillou) (Hymenoptera Vespidae). Aust. Entomol. Soc. 33 45-47. 

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