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Wen C, Wang C, Guo X, Li H, Xiao H, Wen J, Dong S. Object use in insects. INSECT SCIENCE 2023. [PMID: 37828914 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms in the animal kingdom, and some species exhibit complex social behaviors. Although research on insect object use is still in its early stages, insects have already been shown to display rich object-use behaviors. This review focuses on patterns and behavioral flexibility in insect object-use behavior, and the role of cultural evolution in the development of object-use behaviors. Object use in insects is not widespread but has been documented in a diverse set of taxa. Some insects can use objects flexibly and display various object-use patterns. Like mammals and birds, insects use objects in diverse activities, including foraging, predator defense, courtship, and play. Intelligence, pre-existing manipulative behaviors, and anatomical structure affect innovations in object use. In addition, learning and imitation are the main mechanisms underlying the spread of object-use behaviors within populations. Given that insects are one of the major animal groups engaging in object use, studies of insect object use could provide general insights into object use in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Cai Wang
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Haijun Xiao
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Junbao Wen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Shen L, Wen C, Chen X, Hua Y, Du C, Cai J, Wen X, Wang L, Wang C. Paving Behavior in Ants and Its Potential Application in Monitoring Two Urban Pest Ants, Solenopsis invicta and Tapinoma melanocephalum. INSECTS 2023; 14:219. [PMID: 36975904 PMCID: PMC10054563 DOI: 10.3390/insects14030219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Our previous study discovered that two urban pest ants, red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), and ghost ants, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), can pave viscose surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transport. We hypothesize that this paving behavior can be applied to monitor S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. In the present study, 3998 adhesive tapes, each with a food source (sausage), were placed in 20 locations around Guangzhou, China (181-224 tapes per location), and their efficiency to detect S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was compared with two traditional ant-monitoring methods, baiting and pitfall trapping. Overall, S. invicta was detected by 45.6% and 46.4% of baits and adhesive tapes, respectively. In each location, the percentage of adhesive tapes detecting S. invicta and T. melanocephalum was similar when compared to baits and pitfall traps. However, significantly more non-target ant species showed up on bait and pitfall traps. Seven non-target ant species-Pheidole parva Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole nodus Smith (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole sinica Wu & Wang (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Pheidole yeensis Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Carebara affinis (Jerdon) (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Camponotus nicobarensis Mayr (Formicidae: Formicinae), and Odontoponera transversa (Smith) (Formicidae: Ponerinae)-also showed tape paving behavior, but they can be easily distinguished morphologically from S. invicta and T. melanocephalum. Our study showed that the paving behavior occurs in different subfamilies of ants (i.e., myrmicinae, dolichoderinae, formicinae, and ponerinae). In addition, paving behavior can potentially be used to develop more specific monitoring methods for S. invicta and T. melanocephalum in urban areas in southern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Shen
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chao Wen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xuan Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Yan Hua
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China
| | - Chengju Du
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiacheng Cai
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Xiujun Wen
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Cai Wang
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Zhou A, Du Y, Chen J. Surfactant affects the tool use behavior of foraging ants. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 238:113592. [PMID: 35526452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113592] [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] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Surfactants are commonly used in detergents, soaps and agrichemical products. After use, the residual surfactants can be dispersed into environmental compartments, directly or indirectly affecting aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Ants are one of the few insects that are able to make and use tools when foraging for liquid food. However, this unique behavior of ants may be greatly affected by environmental pollutants. Here, we hypothesized that surfactants have adversarial impacts on ant foraging behavior, and tested this hypothesis by investigating the effect of TWEEN 80 (a common nonionic surfactant) on the tool use behavior of black imported fire ants (Solenopsis richteri) when foraging for liquid food (sugar water). Natural pine needles and man-made sponges were provided as tools for ants. The results revealed increasing surfactant concentration induced ants to deposit more tools and caused a higher drowning rate of ants. S. richteri tended to deposit more pine needles and tools of smaller size when exposed to surfactant. Interactions between tool type and surfactant concentration showed significant effects on tool deposition and drowning rate of ants. Addition of surfactant into sugar water increased the drowning rate and reduced the foraging activity and food collection of ant workers, suggesting that surfactant in liquid food can affect the foraging efficiency of ants. However, availability of tools reduced drowning rate and increased sugar water collected compared to without tools. Our results demonstrated that ants can adjust their tool use strategies to manage the foraging risk caused by environmental surfactant, such as increasing the amount and selecting appropriate size of the tools and assembling tools of different structures. Therefore, long-term exposure to surfactants may alter foraging behavior of ants and contribute to evolve new foraging strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiming Zhou
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Yuzhe Du
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pest Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Jian Chen
- National Biological Control Laboratory, Biological Control of Pest Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
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Wen C, Chen J, Qin WQ, Chen X, Cai JC, Wen JB, Wen XJ, Wang C. Red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) cover inaccessible surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transportation. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:1816-1828. [PMID: 33247536 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial insects have evolved diverse particle-use behaviors. A previous study reported that red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, deposited soil particles on substances treated with essential balm, a fire ant repellent. We hypothesized that S. invicta modifies inaccessible surfaces by covering them with soil particles to facilitate food search and transportation. Here, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the particle-covering behavior of S. invicta in response to viscose surfaces or surfaces treated with essential balm or liquid paraffin in the presence of real food (sausage) or non-food objects (acrylic plates). S. invicta workers deposited significantly more soil particles on these three types of treated surfaces than on untreated surfaces. In addition, significantly more particles were relocated on viscose and paraffin-smeared surfaces in the presence of food than in the presence of non-food objects. The particle-covering behavior on viscose surfaces was also observed in the field. Interestingly, when no soil particles were available, ants searched and transported food on viscose surfaces only if the surfaces were artificially covered with sufficient quantities of soil particles but could not do so on viscose surfaces without soil particles or with insufficient quantities of soil particles. In addition, ants actively relocated particles to cover viscose surfaces if the transportation distance was within 200 mm, whereas significantly fewer particles were relocated at longer transportation distances (400 mm). Our study provides a novel example of particle use by fire ants during foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Biological Control of Pests Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stoneville, MS, 38776, USA
| | - Wen-Quan Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xuan Chen
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, 21801, USA
| | - Jia-Cheng Cai
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, 21801, USA
| | - Jun-Bao Wen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiu-Jun Wen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Cai Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovation Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
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DeSilva JM, Traniello JFA, Claxton AG, Fannin LD. When and Why Did Human Brains Decrease in Size? A New Change-Point Analysis and Insights From Brain Evolution in Ants. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.742639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human brain size nearly quadrupled in the six million years since Homo last shared a common ancestor with chimpanzees, but human brains are thought to have decreased in volume since the end of the last Ice Age. The timing and reason for this decrease is enigmatic. Here we use change-point analysis to estimate the timing of changes in the rate of hominin brain evolution. We find that hominin brains experienced positive rate changes at 2.1 and 1.5 million years ago, coincident with the early evolution of Homo and technological innovations evident in the archeological record. But we also find that human brain size reduction was surprisingly recent, occurring in the last 3,000 years. Our dating does not support hypotheses concerning brain size reduction as a by-product of body size reduction, a result of a shift to an agricultural diet, or a consequence of self-domestication. We suggest our analysis supports the hypothesis that the recent decrease in brain size may instead result from the externalization of knowledge and advantages of group-level decision-making due in part to the advent of social systems of distributed cognition and the storage and sharing of information. Humans live in social groups in which multiple brains contribute to the emergence of collective intelligence. Although difficult to study in the deep history of Homo, the impacts of group size, social organization, collective intelligence and other potential selective forces on brain evolution can be elucidated using ants as models. The remarkable ecological diversity of ants and their species richness encompasses forms convergent in aspects of human sociality, including large group size, agrarian life histories, division of labor, and collective cognition. Ants provide a wide range of social systems to generate and test hypotheses concerning brain size enlargement or reduction and aid in interpreting patterns of brain evolution identified in humans. Although humans and ants represent very different routes in social and cognitive evolution, the insights ants offer can broadly inform us of the selective forces that influence brain size.
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Colbourne JAD, Auersperg AMI, Lambert ML, Huber L, Völter CJ. Extending the Reach of Tooling Theory: A Neurocognitive and Phylogenetic Perspective. Top Cogn Sci 2021; 13:548-572. [PMID: 34165917 PMCID: PMC7616289 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Tool use research has suffered from a lack of consistent theoretical frameworks. There is a plethora of tool use definitions and the most widespread ones are so inclusive that the behaviors that fall under them arguably do not have much in common. The situation is aggravated by the prevalence of anecdotes, which have played an undue role in the literature. In order to provide a more rigorous foundation for research and to advance our understanding of the interrelation between tool use and cognition, we suggest the adoption of Fragaszy and Mangalam's (2018) tooling framework, which is characterized by the creation of a body-plus-object system that manages a mechanical interface between tool and surface. Tooling is limited to a narrower suite of behaviors than tool use, which might facilitate its neurocognitive investigation. Indeed, evidence in the literature indicates that tooling has distinct neurocognitive underpinnings not shared by other activities typically classified as tool use, at least in primates. In order to understand the extent of tooling incidences in previous research, we systematically surveyed the comprehensive tool use catalog by Shumaker et al. (2011). We identified 201 tool use submodes, of which only 81 could be classified as tooling, and the majority of the tool use examples across species were poorly supported by evidence. Furthermore, tooling appears to be phylogenetically less widespread than tool use, with the greatest variability found in the primate order. However, in order to confirm these findings and to understand the evolution and neurocognitive mechanisms of tooling, more systematic research will be required in the future, particularly with currently underrepresented taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A D Colbourne
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
| | - Alice M I Auersperg
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
| | - Megan L Lambert
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
| | - Christoph J Völter
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
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