1
|
Harris BA, Stevens DR, Mathis KA. The effect of urbanization and temperature on thermal tolerance, foraging performance, and competition in cavity-dwelling ants. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10923. [PMID: 38384820 PMCID: PMC10880040 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Human disturbance including rapid urbanization and increased temperatures can have profound effects on the ecology of local populations. Eusocial insects, such as ants, have adapted to stressors of increasing temperature and urbanization; however, these evolutionary responses are not consistent among populations across geographic space. Here we asked how urbanization and incubation temperature influence critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and various ecologically relevant behaviors in three ant species in urban and rural locations in Worcester, MA, USA. We did this by incubating colonies of three species of cavity dwelling ant (Aphaenogaster picea, Tapinoma sessile, and Temnothorax longispinosus) from 2 habitat types (Rural and Urban), for 60-days at multiple temperatures. We found that incubation temperature, urbanization, and species of ant all significantly affected overall colony critical thermal maximum. We also found that recruitment time, colonization time, and defense response were significantly affected by incubation temperature and varied between species of ant, while recruitment and colonization time were additionally affected by urbanization. These variable changes in performance and competitive traits across species suggest that responses to urbanization and shifting temperatures are not universal across species. Changes in behavioral responses caused by urbanization may disrupt biodiversity, creating unusual competitive environments as a consequence of natural adaptations and cause both direct and indirect mechanisms for which human disturbance can lead to local species extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dale R. Stevens
- Clark UniversityWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
- Bucknell UniversityLewisburgPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barbero F, Mannino G, Casacci LP. The Role of Biogenic Amines in Social Insects: With a Special Focus on Ants. INSECTS 2023; 14:386. [PMID: 37103201 PMCID: PMC10142254 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality represents the higher degree of interaction in insects. This complex social structure is maintained through a multimodal communication system that allows colony members to be flexible in their responses, fulfilling the overall society's needs. The colony plasticity is supposedly achieved by combining multiple biochemical pathways through the neuromodulation of molecules such as biogenic amines, but the mechanisms through which these regulatory compounds act are far from being fully disentangled. Here, we review the potential function of major bioamines (dopamine, tyramine, serotine, and octopamine) on the behavioral modulation of principal groups of eusocial Hymenoptera, with a special focus on ants. Because functional roles are species- and context-dependent, identifying a direct causal relationship between a biogenic amine variation and behavioral changes is extremely challenging. We also used a quantitative and qualitative synthesis approach to summarize research trends and interests in the literature related to biogenic amines of social insects. Shedding light on the aminergic regulation of behavioral responses will pave the way for an entirely new approach to understanding the evolution of sociality in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Mannino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Gioacchino Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chua KO, Liew YJM, See-Too WS, Tan JY, Yong HS, Yin WF, Chan KG. Formicincola oecophyllae gen. nov. sp. nov., a novel member of the family Acetobacteraceae isolated from the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2022; 115:995-1007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-022-01750-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
4
|
Abbot P. Defense in Social Insects: Diversity, Division of Labor, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:407-436. [PMID: 34995089 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-082521-072638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All social insects defend their colony from predators, parasites, and pathogens. In Oster and Wilson's classic work, they posed one of the key paradoxes about defense in social insects: Given the universal necessity of defense, why then is there so much diversity in mechanisms? Ecological factors undoubtedly are important: Predation and usurpation have imposed strong selection on eusocial insects, and active defense by colonies is a ubiquitous feature of all social insects. The description of diverse insect groups with castes of sterile workers whose main duty is defense has broadened the purview of social evolution in insects, in particular with respect to caste and behavior. Defense is one of the central axes along which we can begin to organize and understand sociality in insects. With the establishment of social insect models such as the honey bee, new discoveries are emerging regarding the endocrine, neural, and gene regulatory mechanisms underlying defense in social insects. The mechanisms underlying morphological and behavioral defense traits may be shared across diverse groups, providing opportunities for identifying both conserved and novel mechanisms at work. Emerging themes highlight the context dependency of and interaction between factors that regulate defense in social insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Within populations, individuals show a variety of behavioral preferences, even in the absence of genetic or environmental variability. Neuromodulators affect these idiosyncratic preferences in a wide range of systems, however, the mechanism(s) by which they do so is unclear. I review the evidence supporting three broad mechanisms by which neuromodulators might affect variability in idiosyncratic behavioral preference: by being a source of variability directly upstream of behavior, by affecting the behavioral output of a circuit in a way that masks or accentuates underlying variability in that circuit, and by driving plasticity in circuits leading to either homeostatic convergence toward a given behavior or divergence from a developmental setpoint. I find evidence for each of these mechanisms and propose future directions to further understand the complex interplay between individual variability and neuromodulators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Maloney
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wissink M, Nehring V. Appetitive olfactory learning suffers in ants when octopamine or dopamine receptors are blocked. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271209. [PMID: 34357377 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning relies on the detection of coincidence between a stimulus and a reward or punishment. In the insect brain, this process is carried out in the mushroom bodies under the control of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons. It was assumed that appetitive learning is governed by octopaminergic neurons, while dopamine is required for aversive learning. This view has recently been challenged: both neurotransmitters are involved in both types of learning in bees and flies. Here, we tested which neurotransmitters are required for appetitive learning in ants. We trained Lasius niger workers to discriminate two mixtures of linear hydrocarbons and to associate one of them with a sucrose reward. We analysed the walking paths of the ants using machine learning and found that the ants spent more time near the rewarded odour than near the other, a preference that was stable for at least 24 h. We then treated the ants before learning with either epinastine, an octopamine receptor blocker, or flupentixol, a dopamine receptor blocker. Ants with blocked octopamine receptors did not prefer the rewarded odour. Octopamine signalling is thus necessary for appetitive learning of olfactory cues, probably because it signals information about odours or reward to the mushroom body. In contrast, ants with blocked dopamine receptors initially learned the rewarded odour but failed to retrieve this memory 24 h later. Dopamine is thus probably required for long-term memory consolidation, independent of short-term memory formation. Our results show that appetitive olfactory learning depends on both octopamine and dopamine signalling in ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Wissink
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Volker Nehring
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, Institute for Biology I (Zoology), University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sasaki K, Okada Y, Shimoji H, Aonuma H, Miura T, Tsuji K. Social Evolution With Decoupling of Multiple Roles of Biogenic Amines Into Different Phenotypes in Hymenoptera. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.659160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution of eusociality with the division of reproduction and its plastic transition in Hymenoptera has long attracted the attention of researchers. To explain the evolutionary scenario of the reproductive division of labor, several hypotheses had been proposed. Among these, we focus on the most basic concepts, i.e., the ovarian ground plan hypothesis (OGPH) and the split-function hypothesis (SFH). The OGPH assumes the physiological decoupling of ovarian cycles and behavior into reproductive and non-reproductive individuals, whereas the SFH assumes that the ancestral reproductive function of juvenile hormone (JH) became split into a dual function. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of the neurohormonal regulation of reproduction and social behavior in eusocial hymenopterans, with an emphasis on biogenic amines. Biogenic amines are key substances involved in the switching of reproductive physiology and modulation of social behaviors. Dopamine has a pivotal role in the formation of reproductive skew irrespective of the social system, whereas octopamine and serotonin contribute largely to non-reproductive social behaviors. These decoupling roles of biogenic amines are seen in the life cycle of a single female in a solitary species, supporting OGPH. JH promotes reproduction with dopamine function in primitively eusocial species, whereas it regulates non-reproductive social behaviors with octopamine function in advanced eusocial species. The signal transduction networks between JH and the biogenic amines have been rewired in advanced eusocial species, which could regulate reproduction in response to various social stimuli independently of JH action.
Collapse
|
8
|
Thiwatwaranikul T, Paisanpan P, Suksombat S, Smith MF. Modeling navigation by weaver ants in an unfamiliar, featureless environment. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:052404. [PMID: 32575336 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.052404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The motion of individual weaver ants from Oecophylla smaragdina was tracked within a small arena to study the algorithm that these ants use for navigation. The arena, a floor tile, was either clean or partly covered by a mild chemical repellent. Statistical properties of the observed motion of the ant can be described by a model that is analogous to the Langevin theory of the motion of Brownian particles. With each time step, the velocity of the ant changes by a random vector with a robust probability distribution. When the average ant encounters the chemical repellent it responds, like a particle seeing a potential energy barrier, by initially slowing before recovering towards its equilibrium state of motion. The model accounts for most qualitative properties of motion with a small number of parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sukrit Suksombat
- School of Sports Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
| | - M F Smith
- School of Physics, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand and NANOTEC-SUT Center of Excellence on Advanced Functional Nanomaterials, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Arganda S, Hoadley AP, Razdan ES, Muratore IB, Traniello JFA. The neuroplasticity of division of labor: worker polymorphism, compound eye structure and brain organization in the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:651-662. [PMID: 32506318 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01423-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of how sensory structure design is coupled with neural processing capacity to adaptively support division of labor is limited. Workers of the remarkably polymorphic fungus-growing ant Atta cephalotes are behaviorally specialized by size: the smallest workers (minims) tend fungi in dark subterranean chambers while larger workers perform tasks outside the nest. Strong differences in worksite light conditions are predicted to influence sensory and processing requirements for vision. Analyzing confocal scans of worker eyes and brains, we found that eye structure and visual neuropils appear to have been selected to maximize task performance according to light availability. Minim eyes had few ommatidia, large interommatidial angles and eye parameter values, suggesting selection for visual sensitivity over acuity. Large workers had larger eyes with disproportionally more and larger ommatidia, and smaller interommatidial angles and eye parameter values, indicating peripheral sensory adaptation to ambient rainforest light. Optic lobes and mushroom body collars were disproportionately small in minims. Within the optic lobe, lamina and lobula relative volumes increased with worker size whereas medulla volume decreased. Visual system phenotypes thus correspond to task specializations in dark or light environments and illustrate a functional neuroplasticity underpinning division of labor in this socially complex agricultural ant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Arganda
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, USA.
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, 31062, Toulouse, France.
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Evan S Razdan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | | | - James F A Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sun P, Yu S, Merchant A, Lei C, Zhou X, Huang Q. Downregulation of Orco and 5-HTT Alters Nestmate Discrimination in the Subterranean Termite Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki). Front Physiol 2019; 10:714. [PMID: 31244679 PMCID: PMC6579916 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nestmate discrimination allows social insects to recognize nestmates from non-nestmates using colony-specific chemosensory cues, which typically evoke aggressive behavior toward non-nestmates. Functional analysis of genes associated with nestmate discrimination has been primarily focused on inter-colonial discrimination in Hymenopterans, and parallel studies in termites, however, are grossly lacking. To fill this gap, we investigated the role of two genes, Orco and 5-HTT, associated with chemosensation and neurotransmission respectively, in nestmate discrimination in a highly eusocial subterranean termite, Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki). We hypothesized that knocking down of these genes will compromise the nestmate recognition and lead to the antagonistic behavior. To test this hypothesis, we carried out (1) an in vivo RNAi to suppress the expression of Orco and 5-HTT, respectively, (2) a validation study to examine the knockdown efficiency, and finally, (3) a behavioral assay to document the phenotypic impacts/behavioral consequences. As expected, the suppression of either of these two genes elevated stress level (e.g., vibrations and retreats), and led to aggressive behaviors (e.g., biting) in O. formosanus workers toward their nestmates, suggesting both Orco and 5-HTT can modulate nestmate discrimination in termites. This research links chemosensation and neurotransmission with nestmate discrimination at the genetic basis, and lays the foundation for functional analyses of nestmate discrimination in termites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengdong Sun
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuxin Yu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Austin Merchant
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Chaoliang Lei
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mannino G, Abdi G, Maffei ME, Barbero F. Origanum vulgare terpenoids modulate Myrmica scabrinodis brain biogenic amines and ant behaviour. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209047. [PMID: 30586439 PMCID: PMC6306168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordinated social behaviour is fundamental for ant ecological success. However, even distantly-related organisms, such as plants, have evolved the ability to manipulate ant collective performances to their own advantage. In the parasitic system encompassing Maculinea butterflies, Myrmica ants, and Origanum vulgare plants, the ant-plant interaction elicits the release of a volatile terpenoid compound (carvacrol) which is used by the gravid butterfly to locate the ideal oviposition site. Here we show that this ant-plant association is maintained by the effect of O. vulgare terpenoids on ant behaviour and that food plants might gain protection by Myrmica ants by chemically manipulating workers to forage in their surroundings. The variation in the locomotor ability of three ant species (Formica cinerea, Tetramorium caespitum, and Myrmica scabrinodis) was studied after treatment with the two major O. vulgare terpenoid volatile compounds (i.e., carvacrol and thymol). The brain levels of three biogenic amines (dopamine, tyramine and serotonin) were analysed in ants exposed to the O. vulgare terpenoids by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Carvacrol and thymol increased the locomotor activity of all ant species tested, but if blended reduced the movement propensity of Myrmica scabrinodis. Dopamine and tyramine production was positively correlated with the worker locomotor activity. In Myrmica ants, both brain biogenic ammines were negatively correlated with the aggressive behaviour. Blends of O. vulgare volatiles affected the locomotor ability while increased the aggressiveness of Myrmica workers by altering the aminergic regulation in the ant brains. This behavioural manipulation, might enhance partner fidelity and plant protection. Our findings provide new insights supporting a direct role of plant volatiles in driving behavioural changes in social insects through biogenic amine modulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Mannino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Gholamreza Abdi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Massimo Emilio Maffei
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Elgar MA, Zhang D, Wang Q, Wittwer B, Thi Pham H, Johnson TL, Freelance CB, Coquilleau M. Insect Antennal Morphology: The Evolution of Diverse Solutions to Odorant Perception. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2018; 91:457-469. [PMID: 30588211 PMCID: PMC6302626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication involves the production, transmission, and perception of odors. Most adult insects rely on chemical signals and cues to locate food resources, oviposition sites or reproductive partners and, consequently, numerous odors provide a vital source of information. Insects detect these odors with receptors mostly located on the antennae, and the diverse shapes and sizes of these antennae (and sensilla) are both astonishing and puzzling: what selective pressures are responsible for these different solutions to the same problem - to perceive signals and cues? This review describes the selection pressures derived from chemical communication that are responsible for shaping the diversity of insect antennal morphology. In particular, we highlight new technologies and techniques that offer exciting opportunities for addressing this surprisingly neglected and yet crucial component of chemical communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Elgar
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,To whom all correspondence should be addressed: Mark A. Elgar, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; FAX: +61 3 8344 7909;
| | - Dong Zhang
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Qike Wang
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Hieu Thi Pham
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tamara L. Johnson
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sheeja CC, Thushara VV, Divya L. Caste-Specific Expression of Na +/K +-ATPase in the Asian Weaver Ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:763-768. [PMID: 29572631 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-018-0598-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Social insect colonies adopt different levels of survival strategies and exhibit well-defined reproductive division of labour. Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775) has physiological and behavioral adaptations that enable them to forage at extreme environmental conditions and are lethal to most other insects. Ion homeostasis is the key process in an organism's survival mechanism. Among ion pumps, the ATP-dependent sodium-potassium ion pump is essential for maintaining the Na+ and K+ ionic balance and is well known as the primary consumer of energy. Oecophylla smaragdina plays pivotal role as a model among social insects for understanding ion homeostasis at the organization level of the castes. We have evaluated the expression and activity of Na+/K+-ATPase among various castes of O. smaragdina (worker subcastes, queen and male). Real-time PCR and immunoblotting analyses revealed the differential expression of Na+/K+-ATPase in the castes. Significantly higher expression of Na+/K+-ATPase mRNA and protein were observed in the minor workers, queen, major workers and males respectively. These results suggest that in the weaver ant colony, the castes might have variously adapted and evolved with a well-developed ion transport mechanism which allows them to perform allocated tasks within the nest and could be a key to their adaptive benefits towards division of labour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C C Sheeja
- Dept of Animal Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central Univ of Kerala, RSTC Padanakad, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671314, India
| | - V V Thushara
- Dept of Animal Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central Univ of Kerala, RSTC Padanakad, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671314, India
| | - L Divya
- Dept of Animal Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central Univ of Kerala, RSTC Padanakad, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671314, India.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Felden A, Paris CI, Chapple DG, Haywood J, Suarez AV, Tsutsui ND, Lester PJ, Gruber MAM. Behavioural variation and plasticity along an invasive ant introduction pathway. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1653-1666. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Felden
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology; School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington New Zealand
| | - Carolina I. Paris
- Departamento Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - David G. Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences; Monash University; Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - John Haywood
- School of Mathematics and Statistics; Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington New Zealand
| | - Andrew V. Suarez
- Department of Animal Biology and Department of Entomology; University of Illinois; Urbana Illinois
| | - Neil D. Tsutsui
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; University of California - Berkeley; Berkeley California
| | - Philip J. Lester
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology; School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington New Zealand
| | - Monica A. M. Gruber
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology; School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Microbial Community Composition Reveals Spatial Variation and Distinctive Core Microbiome of the Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina in Malaysia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10777. [PMID: 30018403 PMCID: PMC6050294 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29159-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina is an aggressive predator of other arthropods and has been employed as a biological control agent against many insect pests in plantations. Despite playing important roles in pest management, information about the microbiota of O. smaragdina is limited. In this work, a number of O. smaragdina colonies (n = 12) from Malaysia had been studied on their microbiome profile using Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We characterized the core microbiota associated with these O. smaragdina and investigated variation between colonies from different environments. Across all 12 samples, 97.8% of the sequences were assigned to eight bacterial families and most communities were dominated by families Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae. Comparison among colonies revealed predominance of Acetobacteraceae in O. smaragdina from forest areas but reduced abundance was observed in colonies from urban areas. In addition, our findings also revealed distinctive community composition in O. smaragdina showing little taxonomic overlap with previously reported ant microbiota. In summary, our work provides information regarding microbiome of O. smaragdina which is essential for establishing healthy colonies. This study also forms the basis for further study on microbiome of O. smaragdina from other regions.
Collapse
|
16
|
Wittwer B, Elgar MA. Cryptic castes, social context and colony defence in a social bee, Tetragonula carbonaria. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark A. Elgar
- School of BioSciences; University of Melbourne; Parkville VIC Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Synaptic organization and division of labor in the exceptionally polymorphic ant Pheidole rhea. Neurosci Lett 2018; 676:46-50. [PMID: 29625207 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Social insect polyphenisms provide models to examine the neural basis of division of labor and anatomy of the invertebrate social brain. Worker size-related behavior is hypothesized to enhance task performance, raising questions concerning the integration of morphology, behavior, and cellular neuroarchitecture, and how variation in sensory inputs and cognitive demands of behaviorally differentiated workers is reflected in higher-order processing ability. We used the highly polymorphic ant Pheidole rhea, which has three distinct worker size classes - minors, soldiers, and supersoldiers - to examine variation in synaptic circuitry across worker size and social role. We hypothesized that the density and size of synaptic complexes (microglomeruli, MG) would be positively associated with behavioral repertoire and the relative size of the mushroom bodies (MB). Supersoldiers had significantly larger and less dense MG in the lip (olfactory region) of the MB calyx (MBC), and larger MG in the collar (visual region) compared to minors. Soldiers were intermediate in synaptic phenotype: they did not differ significantly in MG density from minors and supersoldiers, had MG of similar size to minors in the lip, and did not differ from these two worker groups in MG size in the collar. Results suggest a complex relationship between MG density, size, behavior, and worker body size involving a conserved and plastic neurobiological development plan, although workers show strong variation in size and social role.
Collapse
|
18
|
Kamhi JF, Gronenberg W, Robson SKA, Traniello JFA. Social complexity influences brain investment and neural operation costs in ants. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1949. [PMID: 27798312 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The metabolic expense of producing and operating neural tissue required for adaptive behaviour is considered a significant selective force in brain evolution. In primates, brain size correlates positively with group size, presumably owing to the greater cognitive demands of complex social relationships in large societies. Social complexity in eusocial insects is also associated with large groups, as well as collective intelligence and division of labour among sterile workers. However, superorganism phenotypes may lower cognitive demands on behaviourally specialized workers resulting in selection for decreased brain size and/or energetic costs of brain metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we compared brain investment patterns and cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity, a proxy for ATP usage, in two ant species contrasting in social organization. Socially complex Oecophylla smaragdina workers had larger brain size and relative investment in the mushroom bodies (MBs)-higher order sensory processing compartments-than the more socially basic Formica subsericea workers. Oecophylla smaragdina workers, however, had reduced COX activity in the MBs. Our results suggest that as in primates, ant group size is associated with large brain size. The elevated costs of investment in metabolically expensive brain tissue in the socially complex O. smaragdina, however, appear to be offset by decreased energetic costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Frances Kamhi
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA .,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wulfila Gronenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Simon K A Robson
- Zoology and Ecology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - James F A Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kamhi JF, Arganda S, Moreau CS, Traniello JFA. Origins of Aminergic Regulation of Behavior in Complex Insect Social Systems. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:74. [PMID: 29066958 PMCID: PMC5641352 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators are conserved across insect taxa, but how biogenic amines and their receptors in ancestral solitary forms have been co-opted to control behaviors in derived socially complex species is largely unknown. Here we explore patterns associated with the functions of octopamine (OA), serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in solitary ancestral insects and their derived functions in eusocial ants, bees, wasps and termites. Synthesizing current findings that reveal potential ancestral roles of monoamines in insects, we identify physiological processes and conserved behaviors under aminergic control, consider how biogenic amines may have evolved to modulate complex social behavior, and present focal research areas that warrant further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Frances Kamhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sara Arganda
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Corrie S. Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James F. A. Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Cook CN, Brent CS, Breed MD. Octopamine and tyramine modulate the thermoregulatory fanning response in honey bees ( Apis mellifera). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:1925-1930. [PMID: 28314750 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.149203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Biogenic amines regulate the proximate mechanisms underlying most behavior, including those that contribute to the overall success of complex societies. For honey bees, one crucial set of behaviors contributing to the welfare of a colony is involved with nest thermoregulation. Worker honeybees cool the colony by performing a fanning behavior, the expression of which is largely influenced by response thresholds modulated by the social environment. Here, we examined how changes in biogenic amines affect this group-performed thermoregulatory fanning behavior in honeybees. Concentrations of two biogenic amines, octopamine and tyramine, are significantly lower in active fanners than in non-fanners, but there is no difference in dopamine and serotonin concentrations. Direct feeding of octopamine and tyramine induced a decrease in fanning responses, but only when both amines were included in the treatment. This is the first evidence that fanning behavior is influenced by these two biogenic amines, and this result is consistent with the typical role of these neurotransmitters in regulating locomotor activity in other insects. Individual variation in amine expression also provides a mechanistic link that helps to explain how this group behavior might be coordinated within a colony.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea N Cook
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA .,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Colin S Brent
- US Department of Agriculture, Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Michael D Breed
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kudo A, Shigenobu S, Kadota K, Nozawa M, Shibata TF, Ishikawa Y, Matsuo T. Comparative analysis of the brain transcriptome in a hyper-aggressive fruit fly, Drosophila prolongata. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 82:11-20. [PMID: 28115271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is observed in many animals, but its intensity differs between species. In a model animal of genetics, Drosophila melanogaster, genetic basis of aggressive behavior has been studied intensively, including transcriptome analyses to identify genes whose expression level was associated with intra-species variation in aggressiveness. However, whether these genes are also involved in the evolution of aggressiveness among different species has not been examined. In this study, we performed de novo transcriptome analysis in the brain of Drosophila prolongata to identify genes associated with the evolution of aggressiveness. Males of D. prolongata were hyper-aggressive compared with closely related species. Comparison of the brain transcriptomes identified 21 differentially expressed genes in males of D. prolongata. They did not overlap with the list of aggression-related genes identified in D. melanogaster, suggesting that genes involved in the evolution of aggressiveness were independent of those associated with the intra-species variation in aggressiveness in Drosophila. Although females of D. prolongata were not aggressive as the males, expression levels of the 21 genes identified in this study were more similar between sexes than between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Kudo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Koji Kadota
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Yukio Ishikawa
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Shimoji H, Aonuma H, Miura T, Tsuji K, Sasaki K, Okada Y. Queen contact and among-worker interactions dually suppress worker brain dopamine as a potential regulator of reproduction in an ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
23
|
Blanchard BD, Moreau CS. Defensive traits exhibit an evolutionary trade‐off and drive diversification in ants. Evolution 2016; 71:315-328. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Blanchard
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois 60637
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center Field Museum of Natural History Chicago Illinois 60605
| | - Corrie S. Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Integrative Research Center Field Museum of Natural History Chicago Illinois 60605
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bubak AN, Yaeger JDW, Renner KJ, Swallow JG, Greene MJ. Neuromodulation of Nestmate Recognition Decisions by Pavement Ants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166417. [PMID: 27846261 PMCID: PMC5112987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ant colonies are distributed systems that are regulated in a non-hierarchical manner. Without a central authority, individuals inform their decisions by comparing information in local cues to a set of inherent behavioral rules. Individual behavioral decisions collectively change colony behavior and lead to self-organization capable of solving complex problems such as the decision to engage in aggressive societal conflicts with neighbors. Despite the relevance to colony fitness, the mechanisms that drive individual decisions leading to cooperative behavior are not well understood. Here we show how sensory information, both tactile and chemical, and social context—isolation, nestmate interaction, or fighting non-nestmates—affects brain monoamine levels in pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum). Our results provide evidence that changes in octopamine and serotonin in the brains of individuals are sufficient to alter the decision by pavement ants to be aggressive towards non-nestmate ants whereas increased brain levels of dopamine correlate to physical fighting. We propose a model in which the changes in brain states of many workers collectively lead to the self-organization of societal aggression between neighboring colonies of pavement ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Bubak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - John G Swallow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michael J Greene
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado - Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Giraldo YM, Rusakov A, Diloreto A, Kordek A, Traniello JFA. Age, worksite location, neuromodulators, and task performance in the ant Pheidole dentata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:1441-1455. [PMID: 28042198 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2153-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Social insect workers modify task performance according to age-related schedules of behavioral development, and/or changing colony labor requirements based on flexible responses that may be independent of age. Using known-age minor workers of the ant Pheidole dentata throughout 68% of their 140-day laboratory lifespan, we asked whether workers found inside or outside the nest differed in task performance and if behaviors were correlated with and/or causally linked to changes in brain serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA). Our results suggest that task performance patterns of individually assayed minors collected at these two spatially different worksites were independent of age. Outside-nest minors displayed significantly higher levels of predatory behavior and greater activity than inside-nest minors, but these groups did not differ in brood care or phototaxis. We examined the relationship of 5HT and DA to these behaviors in known-age minors by quantifying individual brain titers. Both monoamines did not increase significantly from 20 to 95 days of age. DA did not appear to directly regulate worksite location, although titers were significantly higher in outside-nest than inside-nest workers. Pharmacological depletion of 5HT did not affect nursing, predation, phototaxis or activity. Our results suggest that worker task capabilities are independent of age beyond 20 days, and only predatory behavior can be consistently predicted by spatial location. This could reflect worker flexibility or variability in the behavior of individuals collected at each location, which could be influenced by complex interactions between age, worksite location, social interactions, neuromodulators, and other environmental and internal regulators of behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Adina Rusakov
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Adrianna Kordek
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Jandt JM, Gordon DM. The behavioral ecology of variation in social insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 15:40-44. [PMID: 27436730 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the ecological relevance of variation within and between colonies has been an important and recurring theme in social insect research. Recent research addresses the genomic and physiological factors and fitness effects associated with behavioral variation, within and among colonies, in regulation of activity, cognitive abilities, and aggression. Behavioral variation among colonies has consequences for survival and reproductive success that are the basis for evolutionary change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Jandt
- Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - D M Gordon
- Stanford University, Department of Biology, Gilbert Biological Sciences Building, rm 410, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ishikawa Y, Aonuma H, Sasaki K, Miura T. Tyraminergic and Octopaminergic Modulation of Defensive Behavior in Termite Soldier. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154230. [PMID: 27196303 PMCID: PMC4873212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In termites, i.e. a major group of eusocial insects, the soldier caste exhibits specific morphological characteristics and extremely high aggression against predators. Although the genomic background is identical to the other non-aggressive castes, they acquire the soldier-specific behavioral character during the course of caste differentiation. The high aggressiveness and defensive behavior is essential for colony survival, but the neurophysiological bases are completely unknown. In the present study, using the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti, we focused on two biogenic amines, octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA), as candidate neuromodulators for the defensive behavior in soldiers. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis revealed that TA levels in the brain and suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) and the OA level in brain were increased in soldiers than in pseudergates (worker caste). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TA/OA neurons that innervate specific areas, including the mandibular muscles, antennal nerve, central complex, suboesophageal ganglion, and thoracic and/or abdominal ganglia, were enlarged in a soldier-specific manner. Together with the results that pharmacological application of TA promoted the defensive behavior in pseudergates, these findings suggest that the increased TA/OA levels induce the higher aggressiveness and defensive behavior in termite soldiers. The projection targets of these soldier-specific enlarged TA/OA neurons may have important roles in the higher aggressiveness and defensive behavior of the termite soldiers, inducing the neuronal transition that accompanies external morphological changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Hitoshi Aonuma
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ken Sasaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Howe J, Schiøtt M, Boomsma JJ. Tachykinin Expression Levels Correlate with Caste-Specific Aggression in Workers of the Leaf-Cutting Ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
29
|
Hoover KM, Bubak AN, Law IJ, Yaeger JDW, Renner KJ, Swallow JG, Greene MJ. The organization of societal conflicts by pavement ants Tetramorium caespitum: an agent-based model of amine-mediated decision making. Curr Zool 2016; 62:277-284. [PMID: 29491915 PMCID: PMC5829439 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ant colonies self-organize to solve complex problems despite the simplicity of an individual ant’s brain. Pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum colonies must solve the problem of defending the territory that they patrol in search of energetically rich forage. When members of 2 colonies randomly interact at the territory boundary a decision to fight occurs when: 1) there is a mismatch in nestmate recognition cues and 2) each ant has a recent history of high interaction rates with nestmate ants. Instead of fighting, some ants will decide to recruit more workers from the nest to the fighting location, and in this way a positive feedback mediates the development of colony wide wars. In ants, the monoamines serotonin (5-HT) and octopamine (OA) modulate many behaviors associated with colony organization and in particular behaviors associated with nestmate recognition and aggression. In this article, we develop and explore an agent-based model that conceptualizes how individual changes in brain concentrations of 5-HT and OA, paired with a simple threshold-based decision rule, can lead to the development of colony wide warfare. Model simulations do lead to the development of warfare with 91% of ants fighting at the end of 1 h. When conducting a sensitivity analysis, we determined that uncertainty in monoamine concentration signal decay influences the behavior of the model more than uncertainty in the decision-making rule or density. We conclude that pavement ant behavior is consistent with the detection of interaction rate through a single timed interval rather than integration of multiple interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Hoover
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Andrew N Bubak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, and
| | - Isaac J Law
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, USA
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069, USA
| | - John G Swallow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - Michael J Greene
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Social complexity, diet, and brain evolution: modeling the effects of colony size, worker size, brain size, and foraging behavior on colony fitness in ants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
31
|
Muscedere ML, Helms Cahan S, Helms KR, Traniello JF. Geographic and life-history variation in ant queen colony founding correlates with brain amine levels. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|