Summary
Trail communication of the weaver antOecophylla longinoda is highly adapted to the African rain forests, insofar natural selection in the tropics might favour chemical trails which are durable in nature. A dry chemical trail can last over nine weeks, and over ten months when reinforced with fecal marking. The trail pheromones are resistant to rain, whether they are fresh or three months old, and whether they are reinforced or not with anal deposits.
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References
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Beugnon, G., Déjean, A. Adaptative properties of the chemical trail system of the African weaver antOecophylla longinoda Latreille (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae). Ins. Soc 39, 341–346 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323954
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323954