The behavioral response of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta to cuticular hydrocarbons and lipids on inanimate objects

Workers in the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta use recognition chemicals for communicating. These chemicals can be useful for workers to distinguish nestmates versus non-nestmates in a colony. Hydrocarbons are suggested to be important for recognizing nestmates due to its high abundance on the cuticle. Workers may also use other chemicals from the cuticle, such as lipids, to recognize nestmates. This study observed how workers responded to extracts of cuticular hydrocarbons and cuticular lipids when applied to glass beads. The glass beads were placed in different areas of the lab colonies, such as near the food source or near the entrance of the nest. The study determined how the workers responded to the glass beads with the extracts of the recognition chemicals and determined if the location that the glass beads were placed in influenced the response from the workers.