Olfaction mediates many behaviors amongst social insects, such as ants. Through olfactory cues, individuals communicate, organize tasks, and respond to changes in the surrounding environment. In addition to typical behaviors, olfactory cues also influence pest behavior in species such as the carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, and leafcutter ants, such as Atta sexdens and Atta cephalotes. A better understanding of olfaction in such species may lead to the establishment of novel tools for pest control. By studying the transcriptomes of the three aforementioned species, we have determined that odorant receptor (Or) gene expression is dependent on both caste and environment, differing between animals of different castes and animals reared in a lab or wild setting. This indicates that Or gene expression may differ based on behavioral requirements and experiences. Furthermore, we have identified potential ligands for several highly and differentially expressed odorant receptors in these three species, which may be applied to the industry development of novel olfactory-mediated control agents.
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