Identification of the Trail Pheromone of a Leaf-cutting Ant, Atta texana

The major volatile component of the trail marking substance laid down by the town ant, Atta texana (Buckley), is identified as methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (I).

Abstract

THERE are numerous reports of the isolation and identification of insect sex pheromones, and recently a termite trail-following pheromone was isolated and identified1, but this is the first isolation and identification of an ant trail pheromone to be reported. We have identified the major volatile component of the trail marking substance laid down by the town ant, Atta texana (Buckley), as methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (I). The worker ants of Atta texana, whose trail marking substance contains both volatile and nonvolatile components2, readily followed trails made by us with synthesized (I).