Metapleural gland

Jaffe, K., and Puche, H., 1984, Colony-specific territorial marking with the metapleural gland secretion in the ant Solenopsis geminata (Fabr), J. Insect Physiol., 30 265. 

Figure 9 Gas chromatogram of a metapleural gland of Acromyrmex insinuator using a carbowax polyethylene glycol column (data from J E Parker).

One such possibility is the metapleural gland, which Brown (1968) has proposed as the source of colony and species odours. This gland is lost or considerably reduced in species which need to enter the nests of other colonies or species, such as male army ants, workers of Polyergus slave-makers and queens of social parasites. 

Figure 8.10 Phenols and resorcinols from metapleural glands of an ant andfrom defensive glands of millipedes and opilionids. Their function is undetermined but is probably antibiotic and defensive. 2,6-Dichlorophenol is the sexual pheromone of a number of species of ticks...

Cabrera, A., Williams, D., Hernandez, J.V., Caetano, F.H. and Jaffe, K. (2004). Metapleural- and postpharyngeal-gland secretions from workers of the ants Solenopsis invicta and S. geminata. Chem. Biodivers., 1, 303-311. 

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