1
|
Finand B, Loeuille N, Bocquet C, Fédérici P, Monnin T. Solitary foundation or colony fission in ants: an intraspecific study shows that worker presence and number increase colony foundation success. Oecologia 2024; 204:517-527. [PMID: 38308676 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05509-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Dispersal and establishment strategies are highly variable. Each strategy is associated with specific costs and benefits, and understanding which factors favour or disfavour a strategy is a key issue in ecology and evolution. Ants exhibit several strategies of establishment, i.e. of colony foundation. Some species rely on winged queens that found new colonies alone when others found with accompanying workers (colony fission). The benefits conferred by these workers have been little studied and quantified, because comparing the costs and benefits of solitary foundation vs. colony fission is difficult when comparing different species. We investigated this using the ant Myrmecina graminicola, one of the few species that use both strategies. Young mated queens were allowed to found new colonies in the laboratory, with either zero (solitarily), two or four workers (colony fission). The presence of workers increased both survival and growth of the foundations over the first year, with more workers yielding higher growth. Few workers (as little as two workers) were sufficient to provide benefits, suggesting that in M. graminicola the strategy of colony fission may not dramatically decrease the number of new colonies produced compared to solitary foundation. Because queens performing solitary foundation or colony fission differ in dispersal (by flight vs. on foot), our results support the hypothesis that these two strategies of foundation coexist along a competition-colonization trade-off, where solitary foundation offers a colonization advantage, while colony fission has a competitive advantage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Basile Finand
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Céline Bocquet
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Fédérici
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, 75005, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Habitat-dependent variation in consistent behavioural traits does not affect the efficiency of resource acquisition in a thermophilic ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03274-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
|
3
|
Cordonnier M, Felten D, Trindl A, Heinze J, Bernadou A. Absence of genetic isolation across highly fragmented landscape in the ant Temnothorax nigriceps. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:91. [PMID: 35840881 PMCID: PMC9284864 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02044-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Human activities, including changes in agricultural landscapes, often impact biodiversity through habitat fragmentation. This potentially reduces genetic exchange between previously connected populations. Using a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers, we investigated (i) genetic diversity and population structure at multiple spatial scales and (ii) colony genetic structure and queen mating frequency in the ant species Temnothorax nigriceps in a highly anthropized environment.
Results
Although the results highlighted genetic structure on a European spatial scale, they did not reveal an impact of fragmentation on a regional scale, and we did not observe any genetic population structure on a regional scale. Across all populations, regardless of their geographical location, colony structure suggested monogyny (a single queen per colony) and monandry (single mating). However, nestmates were more related than expected, indicating that large-scale dispersal does not fully prevent genetic isolation.
Conclusions
Despite living in fragmented patches of habitat, populations of Temnothorax nigriceps are apparently genetically not isolated at a regional scale. However, large-scale dispersal alone does not prevent genetic isolation. The ecological requirements of T. nigriceps may explain their resilience to habitat fragmentation by allowing them to survive in very small patches of suitable habitat. The deeper investigation of the diversity of functional habitats for this species should allow to appreciate better the mechanisms permitting this species to overcome the negative impacts of fragmentation.
Collapse
|
4
|
Cronin AL, Azuma N, Miyazaki S, Oguri E, Schwarz MP, Ito F. Geographic patterns in colonial reproductive strategy in Myrmecina nipponica: Links between biogeography and a key polymorphism in ants. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1192-1202. [PMID: 33448532 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability to express different phenotypes can help define species distributions by allowing access to, and exploitation of, new environments. Social insects employ two markedly different reproductive strategies with contrasting cost/benefit characteristics: independent colony foundation (ICF), which is associated with high dispersal range and high risk, and dependent colony foundation (DCF), characterized by low risk but low dispersal. The ant Myrmecina nipponica employs both of these strategies, with the frequency of each apparently varying between populations. We combine molecular data with data on reproductive strategy from different populations of this species throughout Japan to explore how this polymorphism is linked to environmental factors and whether this relationship can help explain the current and historical biogeography of this species. Reproductive strategy exhibited a strong geographic pattern, with ICF predominant in southern populations and DCF more common in northern and southern highland populations. Molecular analyses clearly divided populations into broad geographic regions, with the southern lowland populations basal to (southern highland (+ northern)) populations. Intra-population polymorphism in colony-founding strategy was widespread, and polymorphism was reconstructed as the likely ancestral state. The frequency of different strategies was linked with climate, with DCF more common in colder areas. A recent inferred origin to the northern lineage suggests that colonization of northern Japan was a rapid event coincident with warming at the end of the Last Glacial Maxima, likely facilitated by the cold-adaptive advantages of DCF. We discuss how such polymorphisms could help explain the biogeography of this and other social insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Azuma
- Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Japan
| | - Satoshi Miyazaki
- Department of Agri-production Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emiko Oguri
- Systematic Botany Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michael P Schwarz
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Critical Habitat Elements, with an Emphasis on Coarse Woody Debris, Associated with Ant Presence or Absence in the Moist Cold Sub-Boreal Forests of the Interior of British Columbia. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8040129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
6
|
Reproductive and aggressive behaviours of queen–worker intercastes in the ant Mystrium rogeri and caste evolution. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
7
|
Cronin AL, Loeuille N, Monnin T. Strategies of offspring investment and dispersal in a spatially structured environment: a theoretical study using ants. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:4. [PMID: 26847456 PMCID: PMC4743417 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Offspring investment strategies vary markedly between and within taxa, and much of this variation is thought to stem from the trade-off between offspring size and number. While producing larger offspring can increase their competitive ability, this often comes at a cost to their colonization ability. This competition–colonization trade-off (CCTO) is thought to be an important mechanism supporting coexistence of alternative strategies in a wide range of taxa. However, the relative importance of an alternative and possibly synergistic mechanism—spatial structuring of the environment—remains the topic of some debate. In this study, we explore the influence of these mechanisms on metacommunity structure using an agent-based model built around variable life-history traits. Our model combines explicit resource competition and spatial dynamics, allowing us to tease-apart the influence of, and explore the interaction between, the CCTO and the spatial structure of the environment. We test our model using two reproductive strategies which represent extremes of the CCTO and are common in ants. Results Our simulations show that colonisers outperform competitors in environments subject to higher temporal and spatial heterogeneity and are favoured when agents mature late and invest heavily in reproduction, whereas competitors dominate in low-disturbance, high resource environments and when maintenance costs are low. Varying life-history parameters has a marked influence on coexistence conditions and yields evolutionary stable strategies for both modes of reproduction. Nonetheless, we show that these strategies can coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameter values, and that coexistence can in most cases be explained by a CCTO. By explicitly considering space, we are also able to demonstrate the importance of the interaction between dispersal and landscape structure. Conclusions The CCTO permits species employing different reproductive strategies to coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameters, and is likely to be an important factor in structuring ant communities. Our consideration of space highlights the importance of dispersal, which can limit the success of low-dispersers through kin competition, and enhance coexistence conditions for different strategies in spatially structured environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8550, Japan.
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Boomsma JJ, Huszár DB, Pedersen JS. The evolution of multiqueen breeding in eusocial lineages with permanent physically differentiated castes. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
9
|
Vargo EL, Leniaud L, Swoboda LE, Diamond SE, Weiser MD, Miller DM, Bagnères AG. Clinal variation in colony breeding structure and level of inbreeding in the subterranean termitesReticulitermes flavipesandR. grassei. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:1447-62. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edward L. Vargo
- Department of Entomology; W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology; North Carolina State University; Campus Box 7613 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Laurianne Leniaud
- I.R.B.I. CNRS UMR 7261; Faculté des Sciences et Techniques; Université François Rabelais; Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours France
| | - Lois E. Swoboda
- Department of Entomology; Virginia Tech University; Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
| | - Sarah E. Diamond
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; Campus Box 7617 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Michael D. Weiser
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; Campus Box 7617 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Dini M. Miller
- Department of Entomology; Virginia Tech University; Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
| | - Anne-Geneviève Bagnères
- I.R.B.I. CNRS UMR 7261; Faculté des Sciences et Techniques; Université François Rabelais; Parc de Grandmont 37200 Tours France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
The evolution of animal societies in which some individuals forego their own reproductive opportunities to help others to reproduce poses an evolutionary paradox that can be traced to Darwin. Altruism may evolve through kin selection when the donor and recipient of altruistic acts are related to each other, as generally is the case in social birds and mammals. Similarly, social insect workers are highly related to the brood they rear when colonies are headed by a single queen. However, recent studies have shown that insect colonies frequently contain several queens, with the effect of decreasing relatedness among colony members. How can one account for the origin and maintenance of such colonies? This evolutionary enigma presents many of the same theoretical challenges as does the evolution of cooperative breeding and eusociality.
Collapse
|
11
|
Cronin AL, Molet M, Doums C, Monnin T, Peeters C. Recurrent evolution of dependent colony foundation across eusocial insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 58:37-55. [PMID: 22934981 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The spectacular success of eusocial insects can be attributed to their sophisticated cooperation, yet cooperation is conspicuously absent during colony foundation when queens are alone. Selection against this solitary stage has led to a dramatically different strategy in thousands of eusocial insect species in which colonies are started by groups of nestmates and the benefits of sociality are retained continuously. Dependent colony foundation (DCF) evolved recurrently multiple times across the ants, bees, and wasps, though its prevalence in termites remains unclear. We review adaptations at both the colony level (reproductive investment shifts from sexuals to workers) and the individual level (wingless queens evolve in ants), and other consequences for life history (invasiveness, parasite transmission). Although few studies have focused on DCF, the accumulated data from anecdotal reports, supported by indirect information including morphology, population genetics, and colony demographics, make it clear that this strategy is more diverse and widespread than is usually recognized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- Laboratoire Écologie & Évolution CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75 005 Paris, France.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Choate B, Drummond FA. Ant diversity and distribution (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) throughout Maine lowbush blueberry fields in Hancock and Washington Counties. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 41:222-232. [PMID: 22506993 DOI: 10.1603/en11096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A 6-yr survey (2003-2008) identifying the ant fauna present in Maine lowbush blueberry fields was conducted in Washington and Hancock Counties. Pitfall trapping, leaf litter, and hand collections, as well as protein and sugar baits were used to characterize the resident ant community in this habitat. Estimates of faunal richness as impacted by the blueberry crop stage (pruned or fruit-bearing), methods of pest management (grower standard, reduced-risk, or organic), and location within fields (middle, edge, or forested perimeters) were determined. In total, 42 species were collected from blueberry fields, comprising five subfamilies and 15 genera. Myrmica sculptilis Francoeur, Myrmica americana Weber, and Formica exsectoides Forel were the three most abundant species. Formica ulkei Emery, Myrmecina americana Emery, and Leptothorax canadensis Provancher represent new species records for Maine. Ants were most diverse in organic fields, and along the edge and within the wooded areas surrounding fields. Results suggest insecticide application reduces ant diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beth Choate
- USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, SD 57006, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cárdenas M, Castro J, Campos M. Short-term response of soil spiders to cover-crop removal in an organic olive orchard in a Mediterranean setting. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2012; 12:61. [PMID: 22938154 PMCID: PMC3481463 DOI: 10.1673/031.012.6101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/19/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This study shows that disturbance caused by cover-crop removal (CCR) in an organic olive orchard affects ground-spider populations. The effect of CCR on various organic olive-orchard plots was assessed by monitoring the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling spiders. Covered plots in the organic olive orchard were compared with uncovered plots where the covers had been removed mechanically. CCR positively affected the most abundant spider species Zodarion styliferum (Simon) (Araneae: Zodariidae) as well as other species of running spiders belonging to the families Gnaphosidae and Lycosidae. Over time, the two types of plots did not significantly differ in diversity or dominance. Similarly, no differences were detected between the study plots in terms of the distribution of individuals when a cluster-similarity analysis was performed. This lack of difference in diversity might be due to the spatial scale used in the study or climatology. Because of their general effects, CCR profoundly changed the abundance of spiders in the olive orchard, but with no clear impact on spider diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Cárdenas
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlá˘ská 2, 61 137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Castro
- department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC), Profesor Albareda n° 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
| | - Mercedes Campos
- IFAPA Centro Camino de Purchil, Junta de Andalucía, P.O. Box 2017, 18080, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
|
15
|
Heinze J, Foitzik S, Hippert A, Hölldobler B. Apparent Dear-enemy Phenomenon and Environment-based Recognition Cues in the Ant Leptothorax nylanderi. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1996.tb01143.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
16
|
|
17
|
Foitzik S, Bauer S, Laurent S, Pennings PS. Genetic diversity, population structure and sex-biased dispersal in three co-evolving species. J Evol Biol 2009; 22:2470-80. [PMID: 19888940 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01863.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Genetic diversity and spatial structure of populations are important for antagonistic coevolution. We investigated genetic variation and population structure of three closely related European ant species: the social parasite Harpagoxenus sublaevis and its two host species Leptothorax acervorum and Leptothorax muscorum. We sampled populations in 12 countries and analysed eight microsatellite loci and an mtDNA sequence. We found high levels of genetic variation in all three species, only slightly less variation in the host L. muscorum. Using a newly introduced measure of differentiation (Jost's D(est)), we detected strong population structuring in all species and less male-biased dispersal than previously thought. We found no phylogeographic patterns that could give information on post-glacial colonization routes - northern populations are as variable as more southern populations. We conclude that conditions for Thompson's geographic mosaic of coevolution are ideal in this system: all three species show ample genetic variation and strong population structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Foitzik
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Frohschammer S, Heinze J. A heritable component in sex ratio and caste determination in a Cardiocondyla ant. Front Zool 2009; 6:27. [PMID: 19863794 PMCID: PMC2774301 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-6-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2009] [Accepted: 10/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on sex ratios in social insects provide among the most compelling evidence for the importance of kin selection in social evolution. The elegant synthesis of Fisher's sex ratio principle and Hamilton's inclusive fitness theory predicts that colony-level sex ratios vary with the colonies' social and genetic structures. Numerous empirical studies in ants, bees, and wasps have corroborated these predictions. However, the evolutionary optimization of sex ratios requires genetic variation, but one fundamental determinant of sex ratios - the propensity of female larvae to develop into young queens or workers ("queen bias") - is thought to be largely controlled by the environment. Evidence for a genetic influence on sex ratio and queen bias is as yet restricted to a few taxa, in particular hybrids.Because of the very short lifetime of their queens, ants of the genus Cardiocondyla are ideal model systems for the study of complete lifetime reproductive success, queen bias, and sex ratios. We found that lifetime sex ratios of the ant Cardiocondyla kagutsuchi have a heritable component. In experimental single-queen colonies, 22 queens from a genetic lineage with a highly female-biased sex ratio produced significantly more female-biased offspring sex ratios than 16 queens from a lineage with a more male-biased sex ratio (median 91.5% vs. 58.5% female sexuals). Sex ratio variation resulted from different likelihood of female larvae developing into sexuals (median 50% vs. 22.6% female sexuals) even when uniformly nursed by workers from another colony.Consistent differences in lifetime sex ratios and queen bias among queens of C. kagutsuchi suggest that heritable, genetic or maternal effects strongly affect caste determination. Such variation might provide the basis for adaptive evolution of queen and worker strategies, though it momentarily constrains the power of workers and queens to optimize caste ratios.
Collapse
|
19
|
Cronin AL, Monnin T. Bourgeois queens and high stakes games in the ant Aphaenogaster senilis. Front Zool 2009; 6:24. [PMID: 19840383 PMCID: PMC2771002 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-6-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2009] [Accepted: 10/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many animals face some form of conflict over reproductive opportunities. Queen selection in social insect colonies represents a high-stakes conflict where competition occurs among multiple queens for a few or a single reproductive role(s). The outcome of the contest is critical to the fitness of all colony individuals as most are sterile, and thus represents a conflict at multiple levels. Aphaenogaster senilis is a monogynous, monandrous, fission performing ant, in which queen selection occurs during colony fission and when replacement queens are produced to overcome orphaning. First-born queens are usually behaviourally dominant over subsequent queens, and eventually inherit the colony. We investigated the importance of physical dominance in queen selection in orphaned groups by manipulating the fighting ability of first-born queens via mandibular ablation. Results First emerged queens were heavier than second emerged queens, performed almost all aggression, were behaviourally dominant 92% of the time, and prevailed in 76% of groups after co-existing for 16 days on average. Mandibular ablation had no effect on queen behaviour or contest outcome. Conclusion Aggression is probably ritualised and contests are decided by workers based on relative queen fertility. First-born queens thus have an inherent advantage over second-born queens as they have more time to develop ovaries. Subordinates never retaliated against aggression from dominants and this lack of retaliation can be interpreted as a form of bourgeois strategy as dominants were almost always first-born. However, the lack of alternative reproductive options makes not-fighting effectively a form of suicide. High relatedness between full-sister queens means that subordinates may be better off sacrificing themselves than risking injury to both queens by fighting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution CNRS UMR 7625, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 quai St Bernard, Bâtiment A 7ème étage, Case 237, 75 252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pearson B, Raybould A, Clarke R. Temporal changes in the relationship between observed and expected sex-investment frequencies, social structure and intraspecific parasitism in Leptothorax tuberum (Formicidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1997.tb01805.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
21
|
SEPPÄ PERTTU, SUNDSTRÖM LISELOTTE, PUNTTILA PEKKA. Facultative polygyny and habitat succession in boreal ants. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1995.tb01109.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
22
|
Bilde T, Coates KS, Birkhofer K, Bird T, Maklakov AA, Lubin Y, Avilés L. Survival benefits select for group living in a social spider despite reproductive costs. J Evol Biol 2007; 20:2412-26. [PMID: 17956402 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01407.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of cooperation requires benefits of group living to exceed costs. Hence, some components of fitness are expected to increase with increasing group size, whereas others may decrease because of competition among group members. The social spiders provide an excellent system to investigate the costs and benefits of group living: they occur in groups of various sizes and individuals are relatively short-lived, therefore life history traits and Lifetime Reproductive Success (LRS) can be estimated as a function of group size. Sociality in spiders has originated repeatedly in phylogenetically distant families and appears to be accompanied by a transition to a system of continuous intra-colony mating and extreme inbreeding. The benefits of group living in such systems should therefore be substantial. We investigated the effect of group size on fitness components of reproduction and survival in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola in two populations in Namibia. In both populations, the major benefit of group living was improved survival of colonies and late-instar juveniles with increasing colony size. By contrast, female fecundity, female body size and early juvenile survival decreased with increasing group size. Mean individual fitness, estimated as LRS and calculated from five components of reproduction and survival, was maximized for intermediate- to large-sized colonies. Group living in these spiders thus entails a net reproductive cost, presumably because of an increase in intra-colony competition with group size. This cost is traded off against survival benefits at the colony level, which appear to be the major factor favouring group living. In the field, many colonies occur at smaller size than expected from the fitness curve, suggesting ecological or life history constraints on colony persistence which results in a transient population of relatively small colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Bilde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Souza DJ, Della Lucia TMC, Lima ER. Queen adoption in colonies of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behav Processes 2005; 70:62-8. [PMID: 15916864 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2005.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2004] [Revised: 04/22/2005] [Accepted: 04/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bioassays were conducted in both laboratory and the field to determine if monogynous colonies of Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans (Myrmicinae, Attini) adopt queens from other colonies of the same subspecies. The results suggest that the adoption of fertilized queens is a possible mechanism to explain the occurrence of colonies with multiple queens in this subspecies. Only minor workers were able to discriminate queens from other colonies and were aggressive toward them. Therefore, queen recognition differs among subcastes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danival J Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa MG 36570-000, Brasil
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
In polygyne ants (multiple queens per colony) factors that affect the distribution and survival of queens may play a key role in shaping the population-wide mating system and colony kin structure. The aim of this paper was to study the breeding system in two populations of different age in the facultatively polygyne ant Formica fusca. Both the observed numbers of queens, and the relatedness patterns among queens, workers and colony fathers were compared in two adjacent populations (ages 17 years and > 100 years) in Southern Finland. The results showed that both the mating system and colony kin structure differed between the study populations. In the old population the relatedness among workers, queens and colony fathers was high. The queens were also related to their mates, resulting in significant inbreeding in workers, but not in queens. Finally, the number of queens per colony fluctuated between years, suggesting queen turnover, and nest-mate queens shared their reproduction unequally (reproductive skew). In the younger population relatedness among queens and workers was lower than in the old population, and the colony fathers were unrelated. Furthermore, inbreeding was absent, and no conclusive evidence was found for reproductive skew among nest-mate queens. Finally, the number of queens per colony appeared more stable between years, although queen turnover occurred also in this population. The observed differences in dispersal and mating behaviour are discussed in the light of a potential connection between population age and habitat saturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minttumaaria Hannonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO.Box 65, FIN - 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zhu D, Chapuisat M, Pamilo P. Highly variable social organisation of colonies in the ant Formica cinerea. Hereditas 2003; 139:7-12. [PMID: 14641467 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-5223.2003.01613.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Social organisation of colonies was examined in the ant Formica cinerea by estimating the coefficient of genetic relatedness among worker nest mates. The estimates based on microsatellite genotypes at three loci ranged from values close to zero to 0.61 across the populations studied in Finland. These results showed that a fundamental feature of colonies, the number of reproductive queens, varied greatly among the populations. Colonies in some populations had a single queen, whereas the nests could have a high number number of queens in other populations. There was a weak but non-significant correlation between the genetic and metric distance of nests within two populations with intermediate level of relatedness. Differentiation among nearby populations (within the dispersal distance of individuals) in one locality indicated limited dispersal or founder effects. This could occur when females are philopatric and stay in the natal polygynous colony which expands by building a network of nest galleries within a single habitat patch.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Zhu
- Department of Conservation Biology and Genetics, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Liautard C, Keller L. Restricted effective queen dispersal at a microgeographic scale in polygynous populations of the ant Formica exsecta. Evolution 2001; 55:2484-92. [PMID: 11831664 DOI: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00763.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ecological constraints on effective dispersal have been suggested to be a key factor influencing social evolution in animal societies as well as the shift from single queen colonies (monogyny) to multiple queen colonies (polygyny) in ants. However, little is known about the effective dispersal patterns of ant queens. Here we investigate the microgeographic genetic structure of mitochondrial haplotypes in polygynous populations of the ant Formica exsecta, both between pastures and among nests within pastures. An analysis of molecular variance revealed a very high genetic differentiation (phiST = 0.72) between pastures, indicating that queens rarely disperse successfully between pastures, despite the fact that pastures were sometimes as close as 1 km. Most of the pastures contained only a single haplotype, and haplotypes were frequently distinct between nearby pastures and even between groups of nests within the same pasture. In the three pastures that contained several haplotypes, haplotypes were not randomly distributed, the genetic differentiation between nests being phiST = 0.17, 0.52, and 0.69. This indicates that most queens are recruited within their parental colonies. However, a large proportion of nests contained more than one haplotype, demonstrating that colonies will sometimes accept foreign queens. The relatedness of mitochondrial genes among nestmates varied between 0.62 and 0.75 when relatedness was measured within each pasture and ranged between 0.72 and 1.0 when relatedness was assessed with all pastures as a reference population. Neighboring nests were more genetically similar than distant ones, and there was significant isolation by distance. This pattern may be due to new nests being formed by budding or by limited effective queen dispersal, probably on foot between neighboring nests. These results show that effective queen dispersal is extremely restricted even at a small geographical scale, a pattern consistent with the idea that ecological constraints are an important selective force leading to the evolution and maintenance of polygyny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Liautard
- Institute of Ecology, Bâtiment de Biologie, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Liautard C, Keller L. RESTRICTED EFFECTIVE QUEEN DISPERSAL AT A MICROGEOGRAPHIC SCALE IN POLYGYNOUS POPULATIONS OF THE ANT FORMICA EXSECTA. Evolution 2001. [DOI: 10.1554/0014-3820(2001)055[2484:reqdaa]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
28
|
Peeters C, Ito F. Colony dispersal and the evolution of queen morphology in social Hymenoptera. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2001; 46:601-630. [PMID: 11112181 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ento.46.1.601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Social Hymenoptera show two contrasting strategies of colony reproduction. A reproductive female can raise the first generation of brood alone (independent foundation), or a colony can divide into autonomous parts in which the reproductive female is helped by sterile relatives (fission, budding, swarming). In independent-founding ants, queens can histolize their flight muscles after dispersal; in many species, large flight muscles and metabolic reserves reduce or eliminate the need for risky foraging trips during the vulnerable solitary stage. Colony division is a derived strategy, and we review the selective pressures leading to its occurrence in the different social taxa. In various ants, fission coexists with independent foundation, and alate queens are retained. However, in ants exhibiting obligate fission (e.g. all army ants and many Ponerinae), queens are permanently wingless (ergatoid), or the queen caste is missing altogether. When reproductive females are flightless, dispersal distances and colonization ability are reduced, and there are extensive modifications in mating behavior and resource allocation. We focus on the characteristics of fission in the phylogenetically primitive ants Ponerinae in which both ergatoid queens and gamergates occur. The ground-living habits of ants have permitted extensive changes in the phenotypes of their reproductive females, unlike in wasps and bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Peeters
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7625, Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Université Pierre-et-Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pedersen J, Boomsma J. Effect of habitat saturation on the number and turnover of queens in the polygynous ant, Myrmica sulcinodis. J Evol Biol 1999. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1999.00109.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
30
|
DeHeer CJ, Goodisman MAD, Ross KG. Queen Dispersal Strategies in the Multiple‐Queen Form of the Fire AntSolenopsis invicta. Am Nat 1999. [DOI: 10.1086/303205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
31
|
Queen acceptance and nestmate recognition in monogyne and polygyne colonies of the antFormica truncorum. Anim Behav 1997. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.1996.0300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
32
|
|