o -Aminoacetophenone: Identification in a primitive fungus-growing ant ( Mycocepurus goeldii )

Summary o-Aminoacetophenone is the major volatile product present in the mandibular gland secretion of the primitive fungus-growing antMycocepurus goeldii. This novel arthropod natural product is biosynthetically far removed from the aliphatic ketones and alcohols found in those genera of the tribe Attini that represent the main line of evolution. The divergent phylogenetic position ofMycocepurus, and possibly of other closely related genera, is emphasized.