Solenopsis

Genus Apis Bombus Vespula Dolichovespula Vespa Polistes Myrmecia Solenopsis Pogono- Formica ... 

The queen is usually reproductively dominant within the colony and uses chemical cues as both primer and releaser pheromones to suppress the production or fecundity of other sexuals, inhibit reproduction by worker castes, modulate reproductive behaviors (e.g., inhibit swarming and orient swarms), attract males, regulate worker tasks and worker ontogeny, and produce host repellents in slave-making species. Considering the importance of queen semiochemicals in social hymenoptera, few queen pheromones have been chemically identified. The queens of most social hymenopteran colonies are attractive to workers, allowing them to be properly tended as well as to facilitate the dissemination of other pheromone cues. However, the retinue pheromone has been chemically identified in very few species. In the 1980s, queen pheromone components were identified in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta [91,92], and in the Pharaoh s ant, Monomoriumpharaonis [93]. 

Although many queen-produced pheromones are actively being studied in ants, particularly in the fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) [10,105-110], chemical identifications remain elusive. However, there have been a few recent advances in ants. The queen of the slave-making species Polyergus rufescens produces de-cyl butanoate 60 that repels host workers when upsurping a colony [111]. Males of Formica lugubris are attracted to alate queens by undecane 61, tridecane 62 and (4Z)-tridec-4-ene 63 [112]. 

Glancey BM (1986) The queen recognition pheromone of Solenopsis invicta. In Lofgren CS, Vander Meer RK (eds) Fire ants and leaf-cutting ants biology and management. Westview Press, Boulder, p 223... 

Phillips, S.A., Jr. D.M. Clabom, and O.F. Francke. 1984. Comparison of aerial application and single-mound drenches of fenvalerate against the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, in Texas. Southwestern Entomol. 9 164-168. 

Mirex (dodecachlorooctahydro-l,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta [tv/] pentalene) has been used extensively in pesticidal formulations to control the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), and as a flame retardant in electronic components, plastics, and fabrics. One environmental consequence of mirex was the severe damage recorded to fish and wildlife in nine southeastern states and the Great Lakes, especially Lake Ontario. In 1978, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned all further use of mirex, partly because of the hazards it imposed on nontarget biota. These included ... 

Sodium molybdate and other molybdenum compounds in toxic baits have potential for termite control (Brill et al. 1987). Baits containing 1000 mg Mo/kg were fatal to 99% of the termite Reticu-litermes flavipes in 48 days. After 8 to 10 days, termites became steel-gray in color, but appeared otherwise normal. Mortality began only after day 16. Termites did not avoid the poisoned bait, even at concentrations of 5000 mg Mo/kg. Yoshimura et al. (1987) reported similar results with another species of termite sodium molybdate killed 100% of the workers in a colony of Copotermes formo-sanus within 24 h after eating filter paper treated with a 5% solution. Some other species of insects — including fire ants (Solenopsis sp.) and various species of beetles and cockroaches — were not affected when exposed to baits containing 5000 mg Mo/kg for 48 days (Brill et al. 1987). 

Besides piperidine alkaloids, a total of 19 pyrrolidines have been found in the secretions of thief ants and fire ants of the genera Solenopsis and Monomorium. Among these, compounds 80-84 are simple pyrrolidines with two saturated linear all-carbon side chains only in Solenopsis latinode is there a secondary amine (82) and its methylated analog (85). One or two terminal unsaturations are present in compounds 86-91, which all possess a (hex-l-en)-6-yl chain and a 5-, 7-, or 9-carbon saturated chain. Compounds 93, 94, 96, 97, and 98 are the A-l-pyrrolines corresponding to pyrrolidines 80, 82, 90 (93 and 96 corresponding to 80, 94 to 82, and 97 and 98 to 90). 

Several species pertaining to the sub-family Myrmicinae (e.g., Solenopsis spp., Monomorium spp.) are characterized by a venom rich in dialkylated saturated nitrogen heterocycles (e.g., piperidine, pyrrolidine, indolizidine, pyrrolizidine). Exhaustive lists of these alkaloids have already been published [114-116]. Since then, only a few more of these alkaloids have been reported from a few further species. 

Examination of the venom content of the workers of Solenopsis maboya revealed the presence of (5Z,9Z)-3-butyl-5-methylindolizidine (107), (5E,9E)-3-butyl-5-methylindolizidine (108) and frans-2-methyl-6-nonylpiperidine (109), while analysis of the extract of the queens revealed the presence of a single alkaloid, ris-2-heptyl-5-methylpiperidine (110) (Fig. 19) [117]. Such caste-specific alkaloidic contents has been already been found in other Solenopsis ants [ 118,119] and suggest different roles for these compounds in each caste. 

It had been already reported, that the venom of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta is composed of 2-methyl-6-alkyl- or 2-methyl-6-alkenylpiperidines,the carbon chain of which has an odd number of carbon atoms in the range of 11 to 17 [ 115, 116]. Recently, Deslippe and Guo [120] reported that in workers of S. invicta from Texas the relative abundance of each alkaloid was highly correlated with worker size as well as with the ratios of saturated to unsaturated alkaloids. Moreover, young and old workers produced less venom than ants of intermediate age... 

In an effort to identify possible sources of the 16 alkaloids found in the skin of the Panamanian poison frog Dendrobates auratus, ants from a total of 61 terrestrial nests were analyzed [124]. The alate queens of one species of myr-micine ants (Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) sp.) collected at Cerro Ancon were found to contain the decahydroquinoline (-)-ds-195A (112) which was also present as a minor alkaloid in the skin of the microsympatric population of D. auratus. Moreover, from wingless ants of two nests collected at Isla Taboga and identified as Megalomyrmex silvestrU the same workers isolated the stereo-isomeric 3,5-disubstituted pyrrolizidines rfs-251 K (117) and trans-251 K (118) in the same ratio 3 1 that was present in the skin of a microsympatric population of D. auratus (Fig. 20) [124]. 

Laboratory studies have indicated that ozone at l%Mg/m (0.10 ppm) was lethal to adult houseflies Musca domestica L.) and caused them to lay fewer eggs. Two cockroach species Paraplaneta americana L. and Nauphoeta cinerea Oliver) and the red fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren) were exposed to ozone at SSSug/m (0.30 ppm) for up to 10 days. There was no unusual mortality or evidence of direct injury to individual insects. The fire ant workers were stimulated to migrate inside their nest initially, but further observations indicated no disruption of social behavior. These reports do not suggest that free-ranging insects would be directly affected by ambient concentrations of ozone in natural ecosystems or agroecosystems. 

Thirdly let ns consider ants. They are a social gronp and may forage across snbstantial distances as a group. Ants lay down a molecnlar trail for other ants to follow. The molecnles involved are termed trail pheromones. Now there are many species of ants and they nse different trail pheromones for the obvions reason of being able to follow the right trail as opposed to that of some other species. That for the hre ant, Solenopsis invicta, is a hydrocarbon of moderate complexity ... 

---