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Lima LD, Michelutti KB, Cardoso CAL, Lima-Junior SE, Graciolli G, Antonialli-Junior WF. Low Intraspecific Aggression Level, Cuticular Hydrocarbons, and Polydomy in the Bullet Ant. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01497-8. [PMID: 38713323 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Ants use chemical cues known as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for both intraspecific and interspecific recognition. These compounds serve ants in distinguishing between nestmates and non-nestmates, enabling them to coexist in polydomous colonies characterized by socially connected yet spatially separated nests. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the intraspecific aggression level between nestmates and non-nestmates of the bullet ant Paraponera clavata (Fabricius, 1775), analyze and compare their CHCs, and evaluate the occurrence of polydomy in this species. We conducted aggression tests between foragers, both in laboratory and field settings. To identify the chemical profiles, we utilized gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We marked the foragers found at nest entrances and subsequently recaptured these marked ants to validate workers exchange among nests. Across all nests, a low intraspecific aggression level was observed within the same area. However, a significant difference in aggression correlated to distance between nests. Analysis of the cuticular chemical profile of P. clavata unveiled colony-specific CHCs, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Notably, we observed instances of ants from certain nests entering or exiting different nests. This behavior, in conjunction with the observed low intraspecific aggression despite differences in CHCs suggests polydomy for this species. Polydomy can offer several benefits, including risk spreading, efficient exploitation of resources, potential for colony size increasing and reduced costs associated with foraging and competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, 79090-900, Brazil.
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil.
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
| | - Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Sidnei Eduardo Lima-Junior
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, 79090-900, Brazil
| | - William Fernando Antonialli-Junior
- Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil
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Neves EF, Lima LD, Sguarizi-Antonio D, Andrade LHC, Lima SM, Lima-Junior SE, Antonialli-Junior WF. Intraspecific Cuticular Chemical Profile Variation in the Social Wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1030-1038. [PMID: 31456168 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-019-00711-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemical compounds present on the cuticle of social insects are important in communication, as they are used in recognition of nestmates and sexual partners as well as in caste distinction, varying according to several factors, such as genetic and environmental. In this context, some studies have explored the cuticular chemical profile as a tool for assessing intra- and interspecific differences in social insects, although few studies have investigated this in social wasps. This study aimed to assess the differences in cuticular chemical profiles among different geographic samples of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán. Our hypothesis was that environmental factors are decisive to compose the cuticular chemical profiles of colonies of these social wasps and that there are differences regarding the geographic distribution among colonies. We used Fourier Transform Infrared-Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) to assess the chemical profiles of samples. Our results show that despite there are differences between the cuticular chemical composition of the wasps' samples from different populations, there is no significant correlation compared to the spatial distribution of the colonies nor with the environment. Thus, our hypothesis was refuted, and we can infer that in this species neither exogenous nor genetic factors stand out to differentiate the chemical signature of their colonies, but a combination of both.
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Neves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Univ Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil.
| | - L D Lima
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - D Sguarizi-Antonio
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - L H C Andrade
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S M Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - S E Lima-Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
| | - W F Antonialli-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Rodovia Dourados/ Itahum, Km 12, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, MS, Brasil
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Morphophysiological and cuticular chemical alterations caused by Xenos entomophagus endoparasites in the social wasp Polistes ferreri (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Parasitology 2016; 143:1939-1944. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016001529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYSocial wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would undergo morphophysiological alterations as well as changes in their cuticular chemical profile caused by the obligate endoparasite. On average, parasitism was found in 10% of the colonies studied. All the parasitized females showed filamentous ovarioles without developing oocytes, which indicates a physiological castration. Moreover, the endoparasites present in the gaster of females caused its volume to increase, and the presence of endoparasites changed the cuticular chemical profiles of females, confirming our hypothesis. It is likely that this parasitism effect could hamper the maintenance of wasp colonies.
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