THE POSTPHARYNGEAL GLANDS AND THE CUTICLE OF FORMICIDAE CONTAIN THE SAME CHARACTERISTIC HYDROCARBONS

Comparison of the contents of the postpharyngeal gland and cuticular hydrocarbons of five species of ant have shown them to contain the same compounds and to be characteristic of the species. For four species (Formica selysi, Camponotus lateralis, Camponotus vagus and Manica rubida), quantitative similarity was very close, but more divergent in the fifth (Myrmica rubra). Glands and cuticle of M. rubra queens were shown to be closely similar to those of workers, except the glands of queens are larger, but the cuticle of larvae was different from that of adult cuticle and postpharyngeal glands.