Functional characterization of odorant receptors in the ponerine ant, Harpegnathos saltator

Significance The tuning of odorant receptors to their particular odorants is crucial for better understanding of how olfactory cues mediate ant social interactions. To help decode the olfactory system of ants, a selection of odorant receptors (ORs) from several phylogenetically distinct subfamilies from the ponerine ant Harpegnathos saltator were tested against a panel of ant semiochemicals. Responses were observed to both cuticular hydrocarbon components, some of which are known pheromones, and “general odorants,” demonstrating broad coverage of these odor spaces across several subfamilies of receptors. These results do not align with currently held hypotheses of OR subfamily odor coding and provide further insight into the evolution of pheromone perception within ant clades and the role this plays in complex social behaviors.