Social insects: Cuticular hydrocarbons inform task decisions

Social insect colonies are organized without central control, and must not only accomplish many tasks, such as foraging and nest construction, but must also respond to changing conditions by adjusting the number of workers performing each task. Here we use chemically treated, artificial ants to show that cuticular hydrocarbons, which differ according to task, are used by workers of the red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) to recognize the tasks of the ants that they encounter. Encounters with other ants thus inform a worker's decision on whether to perform a particular task.