Social insect pheromones
- Pronunciation
- /so-shul in-Zekkt fer-oh-moan-z/
- Category
- Communication
- Singular
- Social insect pheromone
- Plural
- Social insect pheromones
Definition
Chemical signals secreted by social insects to communicate with other members of their species, triggering a range of behavioral and physiological responses.
Etymology
From Latin 'socialis', meaning 'relating to society', and 'pheromone', a chemical signal that triggers a response in another individual.
Example
Alarm pheromones released by worker ants when they detect an intruder can attract other workers, leading to aggressive behavior towards the threat.
Related Terms
- Releaser pheromones
- Primer pheromones
- Queen recognition pheromones
- Recruitment pheromones
Usage Notes
Social insect pheromones are incredibly diverse and play crucial roles in regulating social interactions, foraging, mating, defense, and colony organization.