有一种非洲蚂蚁会使用强力毒气远程杀死白蚁，之后就隔着一定安全距离观看战果。体型大得多的白蚁猎物会瘫痪并死去，然后被这些蚂蚁拖回蚁巢。这个发现可能可以用于制造新的杀虫剂。
一些蚂蚁在战斗时会耍些小伎俩。科学家发现，有一种非洲蚂蚁会使用强力毒气远程杀死白蚁。在非洲喀麦隆森林边缘，研究者就见到多达15只的一种举腹蚁（ Crematogaster striatula ）从尾部向白蚁发射毒素。这些蚂蚁之后就隔着一定安全距离观看战果，体型大得多的白蚁猎物瘫痪并死去，然后被这些蚂蚁拖回蚁巢。
12月14日发布在《公共科学图书馆.综合》（PLoS ONE）上的 研究 中，法国图卢兹大学的安杰利克.维亚尔（Angelique Vetillard）等人表示，远程毒素攻击让蚂蚁可以杀死猎物，同时又不冒风险。毒素的威胁似乎能吓退敌人，包括其他种类的蚂蚁。当其他种类的蚂蚁碰到能排出毒素的这种举腹蚁时，它们就会放弃食物并撤退。
研究者希望能确认这种制服猎物物质的结构，这样这个发现可能就可以用于制造新的杀虫剂，对付对现有灭虫药产生了抗性的害虫。
Paralyzing Action from a Distance in an Arboreal African Ant Species
Aline Rifflet, Nathan Tene, Jerome Orivel, Michel Treilhou, Alain Dejean, Angelique Vetillard
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.
文献链接：https://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0028571
