Ant behaviour

Ecological studies involving rare earth elements although not as extensive as biochemical studies, shows some promise in studies involving (i) sedimentation and erosion, (ii) ant behaviour, (iii) sorption by aquatic insects and (iv) root sorption. 

Fire ants are a major pest in sugarcane fields in the southern United States. There exists a controversy over the positive or negative role, that fire ants play in agroecosystems. Radiotracer studies of early times [202] although economical to carry out, cannot be used in croplands because of possible radioactive contamination of food. Studies involving Sm-labeled fire ants prevented food contamination problems and resulted in information on ant behaviour that was previously not available [203]. 

Sudd, J. H., and N. R. Franks. Behavioural Ecology of Ants. Glasgow Blackie, 1987. 

Schmidt JO (1986) Chemistry, pharmacology, and chemical ecology of ant venoms. In Piek T (ed) Venoms of the Hymenoptera biochemical, pharmacological and behavioural aspects. Academic Press, London, p 425... 

Some dihydropyran-2-ones are natural products and mass spectrometry has proved to be a useful tool in structure elucidation. For example, massoilactone (147), which is secreted by formicine ants, was characterized by its mass spectrum. On electron impact, the alkyl group is readily cleaved generating an ion at m/e 97 (68AJC2819). This process parallels the behaviour of other simple lactones. 

Kannowski P. B. and Johnson R. L. (1969) Male patrolling behaviour and sex attraction in ants of the genus Formica. Anim. Behav. 17, 425-429. 

Bourke A. F. G. (2002) Genetics of social behaviour in fire ants. Trends in Genetics 18, 221-223. 

Newey, P. S., Robson, S. K. A. and Crozier, R. H. (2008b). Near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool in behavioural ecology a case study of the weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina. Anim. Behav., 76, 1727-1733. 

Tanner, C. J. (2008). Aggressive group behaviour in the ant Formica xerophila is coordinated by direct nestmate contact. Anim. Behav., 76,1335-1341. 

Behavioural effects of an experimental change in the chemical signature of the ant Camponotus vagus (Scop.). Insectes Soc., 42, 347-358. 

Dinter, K., Paarmann, W., Peschke, K. and Arndt, E. (2002). Ecological, behavioural and chemical adaptations to ant predation in species of Thermophilum and Graphipterus (Coleoptera Carabidae) in the Sahara Desert. J. Arid Envir., 50, 267-286. 

Bonavita-Cougourdan, A. (1988). Interindividual variability and idiosyncrasy in social behaviours in the ant Camponotus vagus Scop. Ethology, 77, 58-66. 

The action of alkynyl Grignard reagents on the pyridinium salt 67 affords solely 1,2-dihydropyridine derivative 68, whereas alkyl Grignard reagents yield mixtures of 1,2- and 1,4-dihydropyridines (equation 10). The contrasting behaviour of the two nucleophiles was explained by means of the Principle of Hard and Soft Acids and Bases". Application of the reaction to the action of the acetylenic Grignard compound 69 on l-methoxycarbonyl-2-methylpyridinium chloride gave the dihydropyridine derivative 70, which was transformed into ( ) -monomorine 71, a train pheromone of the pharao ant. ... 

Gehibach, F. R., Watkins, J. F., and Reno H. W., 1968, Blind snake defensive behaviour elicited by ant attacks, BioScience 18 784-785. 

But from the results of the combinations of quinine, strychnine and procaine hydrochlorides each with CaClg, a different behaviour was found, indicating that here the value of Q, necessary for obtaining ant onism proper is much higher. (Sec Fig. 40 a and b). 

Buschinger, A. and Alloway, T. M. (1979) Sexual behaviour in the slave-making ant, Harpagoxenus canadensis (M. R. Smith) and sexual pheromone experiments with H. canadensis, H. americanus (Emery), and H. sublaevis (Nylander) (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Z. TierpsychoL, 49, 113-19. 

In this brief survey we have tried to provide a basic description of the positions of the most important glands found in the bodies of ants. The functions of these glands in behaviour and ecology will form the subject of much of the rest of this chapter. 

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