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Characterization Of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles In Southeastern Argentine Ant (Linepithema Humile) Colonies, Katherine R. Barrs
Characterization Of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles In Southeastern Argentine Ant (Linepithema Humile) Colonies, Katherine R. Barrs
Honors College Theses
Argentine ants, Linepithema humile, are a globally invasive species that displaces native species and facilitates agricultural pests. Colonies occupy distinct territories with multiple nests and defend them against other colonies. Ants have a waxy coating of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and can detect (i.e. smell) differences in these CHCs to identify their own vs foreign colonies. In the US, Argentine ants have been primarily studied in California where they only form four massive colonies showing mutual aggression, some spanning more than 500 miles. In the Southeast, colony recognition remains largely unexplored; however, we have identified several smaller colonies based on …