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Gefahrenalarmstoffe und Gefahrenalarmierung bei sozialen Hymenopteren

Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Physiologie, ISSN: 0340-7594, Vol: 47, Issue: 6, Page: 596-655
1964
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  • Citations
    154
    • Citation Indexes
      154
  • Captures
    21

Article Description

1. In all hymenoptera colonies with a high social organization a danger alarm could be shown. It is produced by chemical means through alarm substances. Tested were the following insects: Apis mellifica, Vespa germanica and Vespa vulgaris and 21 species of ants (11 myrmicines out of 6 genera, 8 camponotines out of 3 genera and 2 dolichoderines out of 2 genera). 2. More primitive hymenoptera colonies such as bumble bees (3 species were tested) and Polistes dubia have no danger alarm secretions. 3. The alarm substances are produced in the mandibular gland (honey bee, myrmicines and Formica) and in abdominal glands: in the poison gland (Vespa, Myrmica, Tetramorium and Formica), in the Dufour gland (camponotines) and in the anal gland (dolichoderines). The gland producing the sting odor of the honey bee could not be located. The secretion is stored in the hairy membrane which connects the oblong plates. Some of the tested animals possess different substances which release an alarm (Apis, Myrmica, Tetramorium, Messor, Pheidole, Formica). 4. In some cases the alarm secretions produced by defense glands are mixed with the poison but not identical with it (Vespa, Myrmicines); in other cases both are identical (formic acid in Formica, ketones in Tapinoma). When the abdominal alarm substance is produced separately from the poison, the two are mixed when being released (honey bee, Formica and Lasius). 5. As far as investigated the alarm secretions are organic, lipophile substances (except for formic acid) with low boiling point. 6. The alarm secretions act specifically and as a rule they cannot be replaced by other odors. 7. Alarm substances are as far as investigated never species specific (Vespa, all ants); they partly even act intergenerically (Dufour gland of the camponotines, abdominal alarm substances of Pheidole pallidula for Myrmica). 8. The alarm substances are also produced by the female generatives with exception of the honey bee queen; the male generatives produce, as far as tested, no alarm secretions. 9. The alarm substances are released not only through active biting and stinging, but also independently from these reactions, when the animals are pressed, captured, and (in the case of the honey bee) even blown at by a jet of warm moist air. In some cases a typical alarm position is then assumed (erected abdomen-"Giftsterzeln"). 10. The behavior of alarmed hymenoptera varies from attack to flight according to species and situation. In the nest only attack reactions were observed, flight occurs on the trail and at feeding places. 11. In very aggressive species of ants the danger alarm secretion can also serve as a signal for others to help overwhelm a larger prey. 12. The alarm substance released by stinging the enemy stimulates approaching bees and wasps to attack and serves moreover to mark the place for further attacks. This place however must also be optically attractive (dark and moving) to be flown at. 13. The qualities of an enemy object were sought (size, depth) which stimulate Apis most strongly to attack, when being alarmed. The stimulation effect of human perspiration could not be confirmed. On the other hand worker bees were found to be further stimulated to attack objects which possess a higher temperature than their surroundings. © 1964 Springer-Verlag.

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