Microstructures at the distal tip of ant chemosensory sensilla.

ABSTRACT: Ants and other eusocial insects emit and receive chemical signals to communicate important information within the colony. In ants, nestmate recognition, task allocation, and reproductive distribution of labor are largely mediated through the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) that cover the exoskeleton. With their large size and limited volatility, these CHCs are believed to be primarily detected through direct contact with the antennae during behavioral interactions. Here we first use scanning electron microscopy to investigate the unique morphological features of CHC-sensitive basiconic sensilla of two ant species, the black carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus and the Indian jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator. These basiconic sensilla possess an abundance of small pores typica

SUBMITTER: Gellert HR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9652420 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature