Cuticular Hydrocarbons

All insects are covered with cuticular hydrocarbons which act as a desiccation barrier. There are many distinct molecule types in each species (chain lengths from C23 to C37, with differing numbers and positions of double bonds or methyl-branches), and blends of cuticular hydrocarbons reflect variations in age, reproductive physiology, as well as genotype (colony membership), among individuals. In social Hymenoptera, these cuticular differences encode information that underlie the resolution of reproductive conflicts as well as nestmate recognition ([[Media:Peeters GadauFewell HUP 2009.pdf|Peeters & Liebig 2009]]).

Long-chained hydrocarbons (HC) coating the exoskeleton provide a chemical signature that ants use to discriminate friends and foes. Distinctive hydrocarbon profiles or signatures are produced by a combination of genes and diet. In general any given nest or colony is thought of as having a distinct colony odor that aids in nestmate recognition, i.e., the HC profile is perceived and assessed during initial encounters between individual ants. The cuticular profile is maintained in a homogenous state through various means that include trophollaxis, allogrooming and passive transfer during nestmate contacts.

More recently, cuticular hydrocarbons have been shown to be reliable markers of reproductive physiology in a number of species. A large number of species have had their cuticular hydrocarbon chemistry examined. This work is often combined with studies of a wide variety of behaviors involved in nestmate and/or intracolony recognition.


 * Camponotus floridanus
 * Diacamma ceylonense
 * Dinoponera quadriceps
 * Formica fusca
 * Harpegnathos saltator
 * Lasius niger
 * Myrmecia gulosa
 * Neoponera apicalis
 * Novomessor cockerelli
 * Streblognathus peetersi