Cuticular hydrocarbons in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and other insects: how and why they differ among individuals, colonies, and species

The body surface of nearly all insects, including ants, is covered with a lipid layer that largely consists of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC). They fulfil several functions, the two best-studied ones being communication and protection against water loss. CHC profiles are astonishingly diverse as even a single individual can possess more than 100 different hydrocarbon molecules. Species vastly differ in their CHC composition, but also within...