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Abstract The results of the present study can be summarized in the following points A- Trail pheromones 1- Workers of Pheidole laticeps employed recruitment trail pheromones discharge from both the poison gland and the hind gut. The Dufour gland had no effect. 2- Pheidole jordanica mainly utilized the poison gland and for a little role it utilized the Dufour gland. The hind gut had no role in trail following, but it had a synergistic effect. 3- In Pheidole sinaitica, the poison gland was the only source of the pheromone and neither the hind gut nor the Dufour gland had an effect. 1- Crematogaster inermis utilized another source of the trail pheromone instead of the poison gland, Dufour or the hind gut, where the tibial gland of the hind legs is found to be the only source of the trail pheromone. 5- Paratrechina longicornis utilized the hind gut as the source of the trail pheromone. 6- Pheidole laticeps workers utilized a wide range of pheromone concentrations for inducing higher trail activities. The optimum doses ranged between 0.25 and 20 gasters equivalent / 30 cm trail. 7- Pheidole jordanica utilized a wide range of concentrations, but a somewhat with a little range, where the highest activities were induced at concentrations ranged between 0.1 and 5 gasters equivalent / 30 cm trail. 7- On the other hand, the optimum dose in Pheidole sinaitica was only one gaster equivalent / 30 cm trail. 8- Crematogaster inermis was evoked with a wide range of concentration, as the highest activity occurred at concentrations ranged between 0.5 and 10 gland equivalent/ 30 cm trail. 9- Paratrechina longicornis was evoked with a wide range of concentration ranged between 0.1 and 20 gasters equivalent/ 30 cm trail. 10 - A dose of one gaster equivalent / 30 cm trail was chosen to determine the optimum dose lasting time for Pheidole laticeps and Pheidole sinatica, and a dose of 5 gasters for Pheidole jordanica. The activity of workers induced by the optimum dose was disappeared after 75, 45, and 45 minutes for Pheidole laticeps, Pheidole jordanica, and Pheidole sinatica, respectively. One tibial gland equivalent/ 30 cm trail of Crematogaster inermis was chosen to determine the optimum dose lasting time. The activity the pheromone continued for 105 minutes from its initial application, and disappeared after 120 minutes. 11- The optimum dose lasting time of Paratrechina longicornis lasted for 75 minutes and disappeared after 90 minutes from its initial application. B- Ant-plant association The study revealed that, there are 12 species of ants belonging to 7 genera and 2 subfamilies. The two subfamilies are Myrmicinae and Formicinae. The subfamiliy Myrmicinae was more diverse than Formicinae, and was represented by 4 genera comprising: Crematogaster , Nesomyrmex, Pheidole, and Trichomyrmex. The genus Crematogaster was represented by two species, namely Crematogaster inermis, and Crematogaster antaris . The genus Nesomyrmex comprised one species, namely Nesomyrmex angulatus. The Pheidole was the most diverse genus, and was represented by three species Pheidole jordanica, Pheidole laticeps, and Pheidole sinaitica. Genus Trichomyrmex was represented by two species, namely Trichomyrmex destructor, and Trichomyrmex mayri. The subfamily Formicinae was relatively less diverse and represented by three genera comprising Camponotus, Paratrechina, and Plagiolepis. Genus Camponotus was represented by one species: Camponotus aegyptiacus. Also Paratrechina was represented by Paratrechina longicornis. As for Plagiolepis it was represented by two species: the Plagiolepis anctrensis, and Plagiolepis maura. |