12月14日，《公共科学图书馆—综合》刊登的一项研究"Paralyzing Action from a Distance in an Arboreal African Ant Species"表明，一只普通的非洲蚂蚁会在远距离喷射威力强大的毒液来杀死白蚁。

      在位于喀麦隆的森林的边缘，研究人员看见一个多达15只的蚂蚁“团伙”（举腹蚁属蚂蚁）从它们的蜇针中喷出一种有毒的烟雾去攻击一只白蚁。之后，蚂蚁们呆在一个安全的地方远远地观看着，直到比它们个头大得多的猎物变得全身瘫痪并死掉。随后，它们把白蚁运回自己的巢穴（如图所示）。

      这种通过远程操控的“下毒”方式使蚂蚁们能够杀死猎物但却无须把自己暴露于受伤的境地中。仅毒液的威胁似乎就足以吓跑敌人，包括其他种类的蚂蚁，从而使它们在遭遇装满了毒液的举腹蚁属蚂蚁的蜇针时，会放弃得来的蜂蜜滴而逃走。

      研究者希望，一旦能确定使白蚁瘫痪的细胞分子，他们的发现将有助于发明新的杀虫剂，从而有效对付那些对此前的杀虫剂产品不屑一顾的害虫。

      举腹蚁属蚂蚁体长在4毫米左右。头部有纵长细条纹，头后面条纹发散。有蜇针，会攻击入侵者。当受干扰时，会举起腹部高于头地奔跑，由此被称为举腹蚁。（生物谷bioon.com）
Paralyzing Action from a Distance in an Arboreal African Ant Species

Aline Rifflet

Due to their prowess in interspecific competition and ability to catch a wide range of arthropod prey (mostly termites with which they are engaged in an evolutionary arms race), ants are recognized as a good model for studying the chemicals involved in defensive and predatory behaviors. Ants' wide diversity of nesting habits and relationships with plants and prey types implies that these chemicals are also very diverse. Using the African myrmicine ant Crematogaster striatula as our focal species, we adopted a three-pronged research approach. We studied the aggressive and predatory behaviors of the ant workers, conducted bioassays on the effect of their Dufour gland contents on termites, and analyzed these contents. (1) The workers defend themselves or eliminate termites by orienting their abdominal tip toward the opponent, stinger protruded. The chemicals emitted, apparently volatile, trigger the recruitment of nestmates situated in the vicinity and act without the stinger having to come into direct contact with the opponent. Whereas alien ants competing with C. striatula for sugary food sources are repelled by this behavior and retreat further and further away, termites defend their nest whatever the danger. They face down C. striatula workers and end up by rolling onto their backs, their legs batting the air. (2) The bioassays showed that the toxicity of the Dufour gland contents acts in a time-dependent manner, leading to the irreversible paralysis, and, ultimately, death of the termites. (3) Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses showed that the Dufour gland contains a mixture of mono- or polyunsaturated long-chain derivatives, bearing functional groups like oxo-alcohols or oxo-acetates. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry showed the presence of a molecule of 1584 Da that might be a large, acetylated alkaloid capable of splitting into smaller molecules that could be responsible for the final degree of venom toxicity.