Chemical communication in the primitive antAneuretus simoni: The role of the sternal and pygidial glands.

Trail and alarm communication inAneuretus simoni are mediated by the secretions of the sternal and pygidial glands, respectively. The sternal gland is composed of a glandular epithelium and an associated reservoir located in the 7th sternum. This gland produces a relatively long-lived mass recruitment pheromone. The pygidial gland opens between the 6th and 7th tergites and produces a secretion that releases aggressive alarm. The evolution of glandular physiology in the Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae are discussed in view of these findings.