@article{fdi:010069979,
  title = {{B}reaking the cipher : ant eavesdropping on the variational trail pheromone of its termite prey},
  author = {{W}en, {X}. {L}. and {W}en, {P}. and {D}ahlsjo, {C}. {A}. {L}. and {S}illam-{D}uss{\`e}s, {D}avid and {S}obotnik, {J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}redators may eavesdrop on their prey using innate signals of varying nature. {I}n regards to social prey, most of the prey signals are derived from social communication and may therefore be highly complex. {T}he most efficient predators select signals that provide the highest benefits. {H}ere, we showed the use of eusocial prey signals by the termite-raiding ant {O}dontoponera transversa. {O}. transversa selected the trail pheromone of termites as kairomone in several species of fungus-growing termites ({T}ermitidae: {M}acrotermitinae: {O}dontotermes yunnanensis, {M}acrotermes yunnanensis, {A}ncistrotermes dimorphus). {T}he most commonly predated termite, {O}. yunnanensis, was able to regulate the trail pheromone component ratios during its foraging activity. {T}he ratio of the two trail pheromone compounds was correlated with the number of termites in the foraging party. (3{Z})-{D}odec-3-en-1-ol ({DOE}) was the dominant trail pheromone component in the initial foraging stages when fewer termites were present. {O}nce a trail was established, (3{Z}, 6{Z})-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol ({DDE}) became the major recruitment component in the trail pheromone and enabled mass recruitment of nest-mates to the food source. {A}lthough the ants could perceive both components, they revealed stronger behavioural responses to the recruitment component, {DDE}, than to the common major component, {DOE}. {I}n other words, the ants use the trail pheromone information as an indication of suitable prey abundance, and regulate their behavioural responses based on the changing trail pheromone component. {T}he eavesdropping behaviour in ants therefore leads to an arms race between predator and prey where the species specific production of trail pheromones in termites is targeted by predatory ant species.},
  keywords = {social prey ; trail pheromone ; signal complexity ; recruitment pheromone ; kairomone},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}roceedings of the {R}oyal {S}ociety {B} : {B}iological {S}ciences},
  volume = {284},
  numero = {1853},
  pages = {art. 20170121 [8 p.]},
  ISSN = {0962-8452},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.1098/rspb.2017.0121},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010069979},
}