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Techniques for pheromone bioassay studies of ants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Phyllis L. Robertson  and
C. J. Orton
Phyllis L. Robertson
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W. 2033, Australia
C. J. Orton
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W. 2033, Australia
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Extract

Techniques and apparatus developed for pheromone bioassay studies of ants are described. They include a ventilated cage, with a blacked-out nest area and a two-compartment arena, in which colonies are maintained in the laboratory, and in which group experiments are carried out; a prey treatment apparatus, in which a stinging ant is clamped at the junction of head and thorax, with its body supported on a length of black nylon tubing which is used as artificial prey after it has been stung for a specified period; an applicator for introducing into the cage artificial prey which have been treated with ant secretions, either by the latter method, or by the direct application of dissected gland material; and a closed-system, pheromone-testing apparatus, in which an ant is held in a perspex observation chamber with controlled lighting, supplied with air at constant temperature, relative humidity and flow rate, and treated with gland odours introduced into the conditioned air.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 61 , Issue 2 , November 1971 , pp. 283 - 291
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

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