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Ma R, Zhang L, He H. Eco-Morphological Responses of Camponotus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Varied Climates and Habitats. INSECTS 2024; 15:719. [PMID: 39336687 PMCID: PMC11431994 DOI: 10.3390/insects15090719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Ants are a highly adaptable group of insects that have globally established themselves in diverse climates and habitats. This study investigates the influence of climate and habitat on the morphological traits of Camponotus japonicus across 22 sites in mainland China. These sites span three climate zones (mid-temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) and three habitat types (urban parks, farmlands, and sparse woodlands). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the principal axis of morphological variation, while hypervolume analysis and centroid distance calculation were used to verify the environmental filtering hypothesis and the optimal transfer hypothesis. The results support both hypotheses showing that climate and habitat significantly affect the morphological space of C. japonicus workers. In particular, the morphological space is more constrained in mid-temperate farmlands, while workers in sparse woodlands exhibit greater morphological variation. In contrast, urban parks are characterized by higher stability and reduced morphological differences. Additionally, robust regression analysis reveals that environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and altitude are closely linked to the morphological traits of the workers. Understanding how ant morphology responds to external environmental changes enhances our understanding of their adaptability and their essential ecological roles across various ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hong He
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Control of Forest Biological Disasters in Western China, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
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2
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Fernandes TV, Parr CL, Campos RI, Neves FDS, Solar R. Scavenging in two mountain ecosystems: Distinctive contribution of ants in grassland and non-ant invertebrates in forest. Ecology 2024; 105:e4365. [PMID: 38895926 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Scavenging is a key process for the cycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is still neglected in the ecological literature. Apart from the importance of specific groups of animals in scavenging, there have been few ecological studies that compare them. Furthermore, the ecological studies on scavenging have mainly focused on vertebrates despite the crucial importance of invertebrates in this process. Here, we performed a large-scale ant suppression and vertebrate exclusion experiment to quantify the relative contribution of ants, non-ant invertebrates and vertebrates in scavenging nitrogen-rich (insect carcasses) and carbon-rich (seeds) baits in two contrasting mountainous habitats in Brazil (grasslands and forests). Overall, bait removal was 23.2% higher in forests than in grasslands. Ants were the primary scavengers in grasslands, responsible for more than 57% of dead insect larvae and seed removal, while, in forests, non-ant invertebrates dominated, removing nearly 65% of all baits. Vertebrates had a minor role in scavenging dead insect larvae and seeds in both habitats, with <4% of removals. Furthermore, our results show that animal-based baits were more consumed in forests than seeds, and both resources were equally consumed in grasslands. Therefore, we demonstrate the superiority of invertebrates in this process, with a particular emphasis on the irreplaceable role of ants, especially in this grassland ecosystem. As such, we further advance our knowledge of a key ecosystem process, showing the relative importance of three major groups in scavenging and the differences in ecosystems functioning between two contrasting tropical habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Vinícius Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Ricardo Solar
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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3
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Taniguchi R, Grimaldi DA, Watanabe H, Iba Y. Sensory evidence for complex communication and advanced sociality in early ants. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp3623. [PMID: 38875342 PMCID: PMC11177930 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Advanced social behavior, or eusociality, has been evolutionarily profound, allowing colonies of ants, termites, social wasps, and bees to dominate competitively over solitary species throughout the Cenozoic. Advanced sociality requires not just nestmate cooperation and specialization but refined coordination and communication. Here, we provide independent evidence that 100-million-year-old Cretaceous ants in amber were social, based on chemosensory adaptations. Previous studies inferred fossil ant sociality from individual ants preserved adjacent to others. We analyzed several fossil ants for their antennal sensilla, using original rotation imaging of amber microinclusions, and found an array of antennal sensilla, specifically for alarm pheromone detection and nestmate recognition, sharing distinctive features with extant ants. Although Cretaceous ants were stem groups, the fossilized sensilla confirm hypotheses of their complex sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Taniguchi
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - David A Grimaldi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Hidehiro Watanabe
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 814-0180 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Iba
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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4
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Champer J, Schlenoff D. Battles between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a review. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2024; 24:25. [PMID: 38913609 PMCID: PMC11195475 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieae064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
With their unique colony structure, competition between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) can be particularly intense, with colonies potentially willing to sacrifice large number of individuals to obtain resources or territory under the right circumstances. In this review, we cover circumstances in which ant competition escalates into combat, battle strategies and tactics, and analysis methods for these battles. The trends for when colonies choose to fight can vary greatly dependent on the species and situation, which we review in detail. Because of their large group sizes, ant conflicts can follow different patterns than many other species, with a variety of specialist adaptations and battle strategies, such as specialized worker classes and the need to rapidly recruit large number of compatriots. These same large group sizes also can make ant fighting amenable to mathematical analysis, particularly in the context of Lanchester's laws that consider how total numbers influence the outcome of a confrontation. Yet, dynamic behavior can often disrupt idealized mathematical predictions in real-world scenarios, even though these can still shed light on the explanations for such behavior. We also systematically cover the literature on battles between groups of ants, presenting several other interesting studies on species with unique colony organization, such as army ants and leafcutter ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Champer
- Center for Bioinformatics and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Debra Schlenoff
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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5
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Jiang Y, Deng X, Shih C, Zhao Y, Ren D, Zhao Z. Primitive new termites (Blattodea, Termitoidae) in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. Zookeys 2024; 1197:115-126. [PMID: 38651112 PMCID: PMC11033552 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.114452] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mastotermitidae, the first-diverging extant family of termites, has only one relic extant species; however, this family had greater richness during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Fossil termites from the Cretaceous provide information on the early evolution of termites and the transition between extinct families. Herein, two new Mastotermitidae species found in upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kachin amber are reported. One is a female imago described as Angustitermesreflexusgen. et sp. nov. and assigned to the subfamily Mastotermitinae. The other is Mastotermesreticulatussp. nov., which is described from an isolated forewing. With the comparison especially of the antenna and venation, these new mastotermitids further increase our knowledge of the diversity and morphology of Mastotermitidae during the Mesozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Jiang
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xinru Deng
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, DCUnited States of America
| | - Yunyun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhipeng Zhao
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
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6
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Deans AR, Porturas L. Diversity and complexity of arthropod references in haiku. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298865. [PMID: 38568873 PMCID: PMC10990216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Haiku are short poems, each composed of about 10 words, that typically describe moments in nature. People have written haiku since at least the 17th century, and the medium continues to be popular with poets, amateurs, educators, and students. Collectively, these poems represent an opportunity to understand which aspects of nature-e.g., which taxa and biological traits-resonate with humans and whether there are temporal trends in their representation or the emotions associated with these moments. We tested this potential using a mix of linguistic and biological methods, in analyses of nearly 4,000 haiku that reference arthropods. We documented the taxa and the life history traits represented in these poems and how they changed over time. We also analyzed the poems for emotion and tone. Our results reveal a mix of predictable trends and compelling surprises, each of which stand to potentially inform engagement strategies. At least 99 families of arthropods, in 28 orders, are represented in these haiku. The eight most commonly referenced taxa, from highest to lowest number of references, include: Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Araneae, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata. Several common, conspicuous orders were never referenced, including Trichoptera, Plecoptera, and Megaloptera. The most commonly referenced traits relate to ecology (especially habitat, phenology, time of day), behavior (especially sound production), phenotype (especially color), and locomotion (especially flight). The least common traits in haiku relate to arthropod reproduction and physiology. Our analyses revealed few obvious temporal trends in the representations of taxa, biological traits, or emotion and tone. The broader implications of these results and possible future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Deans
- Frost Entomological Museum, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Laura Porturas
- Frost Entomological Museum, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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7
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Hasnaoui B, Diarra AZ, Makouloutou-Nzassi P, Bérenger JM, Hamame A, Ngoubangoye B, Gaye M, Davoust B, Mediannikov O, Lekana-Douki JB, Parola P. Identification of termites from Gabon using MALDI-TOF MS. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28081. [PMID: 38524549 PMCID: PMC10957415 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Termites are one of the most common pests that damage wood and other cellulosic materials. Although Africa has more varieties of termite species than any other continent, few entomological studies have been conducted in Gabon. Identifying termites poses significant difficulties for entomologists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and confirm the significance of MALDI-TOF MS in identifying fresh termites collected in equatorial Africa. A total of 108 termites were collected from 13 termite nests during a field mission in 2021 in Lekedi and Bongoville, Gabon. Termites were morphologically identified and subjected to MALDI-TOF MS, then molecular analyses using the COI and 12S rRNA genes. Four termite species were morphologically identified in this study: Pseudacanthotermes militaris, Macrotermes muelleri, Macrotermes nobilis, and Noditermes indoensis. However, when using molecular biology, only three species were identified, namely Macrotermes bellicosus, P. militaris, and N. indoensis, because the specimens initially identified as M. muelleri and M. nobilis were found to be M. bellicosus. The MALDI-TOF MS spectral profiles of the termites were all of good quality, with intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity. The spectra of 98 termites were blind tested against our upgraded database, which included the spectra of ten termite specimens. All tested spectra were correctly matched to their respective species, with log score values (LSVs) ranging from 1.649 to 2.592. The mean LSV was 2.215 ± 0.203, and the median was 2.241. However, 95.91% (94/98) of our spectra had LSVs above 1.8. This study demonstrates how a proteomic approach can overcome termites' molecular and morphological identification limitations and serve as a useful taxonomic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bouthaina Hasnaoui
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Adama Zan Diarra
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi
- Unité de Recherches en Ecologie de La Santé (URES), Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
- Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET-CENAREST), B.P. 13354, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Jean-Michel Bérenger
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Afaf Hamame
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Barthelemy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Mapenda Gaye
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Davoust
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France
| | - Jean Bernard Lekana-Douki
- Unité D’Evolution, Epidémiologie et Résistances Parasitaires, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, B.P. 769, Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Parasitologie- Mycologie, Université des Sciences de La Santé, B.P. 4009, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Philippe Parola
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, VITROME, Marseille, France
- IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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8
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Thakur H, Agarwal S, Buček A, Hradecký J, Sehadová H, Mathur V, Togaev U, van de Kamp T, Hamann E, Liu RH, Verma KS, Li HF, Sillam-Dussès D, Engel MS, Šobotník J. Defensive glands in Stylotermitidae (Blattodea, Isoptera). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2024; 79:101346. [PMID: 38520874 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2024.101346] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The large abundance of termites is partially achieved by their defensive abilities. Stylotermitidae represented by a single extant genus, Stylotermes, is a member of a termite group Neoisoptera that encompasses 83% of termite species and 94% of termite genera and is characterized by the presence of the frontal gland. Within Neoisoptera, Stylotermitidae represents a species-poor sister lineage of all other groups. We studied the structure of the frontal, labral and labial glands in soldiers and workers of Stylotermes faveolus, and the composition of the frontal gland secretion in S. faveolus and Stylotermes halumicus. We show that the frontal gland is a small active secretory organ in soldiers and workers. It produces a cocktail of monoterpenes in soldiers, and some of these monoterpenes and unidentified proteins in workers. The labral and labial glands are developed similarly to other termite species and contribute to defensive activities (labral in both castes, labial in soldiers) or to the production of digestive enzymes (labial in workers). Our results support the importance of the frontal gland in the evolution of Neoisoptera. Toxic, irritating and detectable monoterpenes play defensive and pheromonal functions and are likely critical novelties contributing to the ecological success of these termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Thakur
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Surbhi Agarwal
- Animal Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India
| | - Aleš Buček
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jaromír Hradecký
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vartika Mathur
- Animal Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India
| | - Ulugbek Togaev
- Academy of Science of Uzbekistan, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Thomas van de Kamp
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation (LAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstr. 12, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Elias Hamann
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Ren-Han Liu
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Kuldeep S Verma
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Hou-Feng Li
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, LEEC, UR 4443, Villetaneuse, France.
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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9
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Pequeno PACL. Resource adaptation drives the size-complexity rule in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232363. [PMID: 38196360 PMCID: PMC10777143 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2363] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The size-complexity rule posits that the evolution of larger cooperative groups should favour more division of labour. Examples include more cell types in larger multicellular organisms, and more polymorphic castes in larger eusocial colonies. However, a correlation between division of labour and group size may reflect a shared response of both traits to resource availability and/or profitability. Here, this possibility was addressed by investigating the evolution of sterile caste number (worker and soldier morphotypes) in termites, a major clade of eusocial insects in which the drivers of caste polymorphism are poorly understood. A novel dataset on 90 termite species was compiled from the published literature. The analysis showed that sterile caste number did increase markedly with colony size. However, after controlling for resource adaptations and phylogeny, there was no evidence for this relationship. Rather, sterile caste number increased with increasing nest-food separation and decreased with soil-feeding, through changes in worker (but not soldier) morphotype number. Further, colony size increased with nest-food separation, thus driving the false correlation between sterile caste number and colony size. These findings support adaptation to higher energy acquisition as key to the rise of complex insect societies, with larger size being a by-product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. C. L. Pequeno
- Natural Resources Program, Federal University of Roraima, Av. Nova Iorque, Aeroporto, Boa Vista – RR, CEP: 69.304-000, Brazil
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10
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Thakur H, Agarwal S, Hradecký J, Sharma G, Li HF, Yang SE, Sehadová H, Chandel RS, Hyliš M, Mathur V, Šobotník J, Sillam-Dussès D. The Trail-Following Communication in Stylotermes faveolus and S. halumicus (Blattodea, Isoptera, Stylotermitidae). J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:642-651. [PMID: 37566284 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01447-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Stylotermitidae appear peculiar among all termites, feeding in trunks of living trees in South Asia only. The difficulty to collect them limits the ability to study them, and they thus still belong to critically unknown groups in respect to their biology. We used a combination of microscopic observations, chemical analysis and behavioural tests, to determine the source and chemical nature of the trail-following pheromone of Stylotermes faveolus from India and S. halumicus from Taiwan. The sternal gland located at the 5th abdominal segment was the exclusive source of the trail-following pheromone in both S. faveolus and S. halumicus, and it is made up of class I, II and III secretory cells. Using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol (DOE) was identified as the trail-following pheromone which elicits strong behavioural responses in workers at a threshold around 10- 4 ng/cm and 0.1 ng/gland. Our results confirm the switch from complex aldehyde trail-following pheromones occurring in the basal groups to simpler linear alcohols in the ancestor of Kalotermitidae and Neoisoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Thakur
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Surbhi Agarwal
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jaromír Hradecký
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Garima Sharma
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Hou-Feng Li
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shang-En Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ravinder S Chandel
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Mirek Hyliš
- Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vartika Mathur
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, LEEC, UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
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11
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Ito A. Global termite methane emissions have been affected by climate and land-use changes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17195. [PMID: 37821639 PMCID: PMC10567709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44529-1] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Termites with symbiotic methanogens are a known source of atmospheric methane (CH4), but large uncertainties remain regarding the flux magnitude. This study estimated global termite CH4 emissions using a framework similar to previous studies but with contemporary datasets and a biogeochemical model. The global termite emission in 2020 was estimated as 14.8 ± 6.7 Tg CH4 year-1, mainly from tropical and subtropical ecosystems, indicating a major natural source from upland regions. Uncertainties associated with estimation methods were assessed. The emission during the historical period 1901-2021 was estimated to have increased gradually (+ 0.7 Tg CH4 year-1) as a result of combined influences of elevated CO2 (via vegetation productivity), climatic warming, and land-use change. Future projections using climate and land-use scenarios (shared socioeconomic pathways [ssp] 126 and 585) also showed increasing trends (+ 0.5 to 5.9 Tg CH4 year-1 by 2100). These results suggest the importance of termite emissions in the global CH4 budget and, thus, in climatic prediction and mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Ito
- The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
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12
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McCarthy J, Khadka A, Hakanoglu H, Sun Q. Influence of Soldiers on Exploratory Foraging Behavior in the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:198. [PMID: 36835766 PMCID: PMC9966325 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Termites are eusocial insects that live in organized colonies consisting of reproductives, workers, and soldiers. Soldiers are specialized for defense but are expensive to maintain, as they are incapable of husbandry and must be fed and groomed by workers. The soldiers of several species influence foraging behavior by acting as scouts that initiate foraging or by mediating worker behavioral plasticity during food exploration. These behaviors imply that soldiers may play a keystone role in termite colony function, apart from defense. Subterranean termite workers tunnel through soil in search of food while accompanied by varying proportions of soldiers, depending on the species and colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that soldiers accelerate worker exploratory tunneling behavior in two Reticulitermes species, the colonies of which contain fewer than 2% soldiers. This effect, however, is unknown in other subterranean species with different soldier proportions. In this study, we examined the influence of soldiers on exploratory foraging behavior in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, which is an economically devastating invasive species that maintains a relatively high soldier proportion (about 10%). When 100 foraging workers were grouped with 0, 2, 10, or 30 soldiers in two-dimensional foraging arenas, we found no significant effect of soldiers on the tunnel length, branch pattern, food source interception, or food collected within 96 h. These results suggest that C. formosanus colonies maintain food exploration efficiency regardless of soldier proportion variation.
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13
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Rosenberg Y, Bar-On YM, Fromm A, Ostikar M, Shoshany A, Giz O, Milo R. The global biomass and number of terrestrial arthropods. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq4049. [PMID: 36735788 PMCID: PMC9897674 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq4049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Insects and other arthropods are central to terrestrial ecosystems. However, data are lacking regarding their global population abundance. We synthesized thousands of evaluations from around 500 sites worldwide, estimating the absolute biomass and abundance of terrestrial arthropods across different taxa and habitats. We found that there are ≈1 × 1019 (twofold uncertainty range) soil arthropods on Earth, ≈95% of which are soil mites and springtails. The soil contains ≈200 (twofold uncertainty range) million metric tons (Mt) of dry biomass. Termites contribute ≈40% of the soil biomass, much more than ants at ≈10%. Our estimate for the global biomass of above-ground arthropods is more uncertain, highlighting a knowledge gap that future research should aim to close. We estimate the combined dry biomass of all terrestrial arthropods at ≈300 Mt (uncertainty range, 100 to 500), similar to the mass of humanity and its livestock. These estimates enhance the quantitative understanding of arthropods in terrestrial ecosystems and provide an initial holistic benchmark on their decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amir Fromm
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meital Ostikar
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Aviv Shoshany
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Omer Giz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Milo
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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14
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Sillam-Dussès D, Jandák V, Stiblik P, Delattre O, Chouvenc T, Balvín O, Cvačka J, Soulet D, Synek J, Brothánek M, Jiříček O, Engel MS, Bourguignon T, Šobotník J. Alarm communication predates eusociality in termites. Commun Biol 2023; 6:83. [PMID: 36681783 PMCID: PMC9867704 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04438-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Termites (Blattodea: Isoptera) have evolved specialized defensive strategies for colony protection. Alarm communication enables workers to escape threats while soldiers are recruited to the source of disturbance. Here, we study the vibroacoustic and chemical alarm communication in the wood roach Cryptocercus and in 20 termite species including seven of the nine termite families, all life-types, and all feeding and nesting habits. Our multidisciplinary approach shows that vibratory alarm signals represent an ethological synapomorphy of termites and Cryptocercus. In contrast, chemical alarms have evolved independently in several cockroach groups and at least twice in termites. Vibroacoustic alarm signaling patterns are the most complex in Neoisoptera, in which they are often combined with chemical signals. The alarm characters correlate to phylogenetic position, food type and hardness, foraging area size, and nesting habits. Overall, species of Neoisoptera have developed the most sophisticated communication system amongst termites, potentially contributing to their ecological success.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR4443, 93430, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Vojtěch Jandák
- Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, 166 27, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Stiblik
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Olivier Delattre
- University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR4443, 93430, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33314, USA
| | - Ondřej Balvín
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Cvačka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Delphine Soulet
- University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR4443, 93430, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Jiří Synek
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Brothánek
- Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, 166 27, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Jiříček
- Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, 166 27, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1501 Crestline Drive-Suite 140, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, USA.
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21, Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic.
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15
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Kohari KS, Palma-Onetto V, Scheffrahn RH, Vasconcellos A, Cancello EM, Santos RG, Carrijo TF. Evolutionary history of Nasutitermes kemneri (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae), a termite from the South American diagonal of open formations. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1081114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the phylogeography of termites in the Neotropical region. Here, we explored the genetic patterns and phylogeographical processes in the evolutionary history of Nasutitermes kemneri, an endemic termite of the South American diagonal of open formations (DOF) formed by the Chaco, Cerrado, and Caatinga phytogeographic domains. We sampled 60 individuals across the three domains of the DOF, and using the mitochondrial genes 16S, COI, and COII, as well as the nuclear gene ITS, evaluated the genetic diversity and divergence time of the populations, along with their genetic structure. The results show a strong genetic and spatial structure within the samples, evidencing the existence of two well-differentiated genetic groups: the Northeastern and the Southwestern populations, which diverged about 2.5 Mya, during the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary. The Northeastern population, which encompasses Caatinga and northern portions of Cerrado, has an intricate structure and seems to have suffered repetitive retraction-expansion events due to climactic fluctuations during the Quaternary. The Southwestern population, which ranges from central-south Cerrado to the northeast peripherical portions of the Chaco, displays a star-shaped haplotype structure, indicating that this region may have acted as a refugia during interglacial periods.
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16
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Improving estimates of global ant biomass and abundance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2214825119. [PMID: 36197959 PMCID: PMC9586285 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214825119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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17
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Abstract
Knowledge on the distribution and abundance of organisms is fundamental to understanding their roles within ecosystems and their ecological importance for other taxa. Such knowledge is currently lacking for insects, which have long been regarded as the "little things that run the world". Even for ubiquitous insects, such as ants, which are of tremendous ecological significance, there is currently neither a reliable estimate of their total number on Earth nor of their abundance in particular biomes or habitats. We compile data on ground-dwelling and arboreal ants to obtain an empirical estimate of global ant abundance. Our analysis is based on 489 studies, spanning all continents, major biomes, and habitats. We conservatively estimate total abundance of ground-dwelling ants at over 3 × 1015 and estimate the number of all ants on Earth to be almost 20 × 1015 individuals. The latter corresponds to a biomass of ∼12 megatons of dry carbon. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals and is equivalent to ∼20% of human biomass. Abundances of ground-dwelling ants are strongly concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions but vary substantially across habitats. The density of leaf-litter ants is highest in forests, while the numbers of actively ground-foraging ants are highest in arid regions. This study highlights the central role ants play in terrestrial ecosystems but also major ecological and geographic gaps in our current knowledge. Our results provide a crucial baseline for exploring environmental drivers of ant-abundance patterns and for tracking the responses of insects to environmental change.
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18
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Heimburger B, Maurer SS, Schardt L, Scheu S, Hartke TR. Historical and future climate change fosters expansion of Australian harvester termites, Drepanotermes. Evolution 2022; 76:2145-2161. [PMID: 35842838 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Past evolutionary adaptations to Australia's aridification can help us to understand the potential responses of species in the face of global climate change. Here, we focus on the Australian-endemic genus Drepanotermes, also known as Australian harvester termites, which are mainly found in semiarid and arid regions of Australia. We used species delineation, phylogenetic inference, and ancestral state reconstruction to investigate the evolution of mound-building in Drepanotermes and in relation to reconstructed past climatic conditions. Our findings suggest that mound-building evolved several times independently in Drepanotermes, apparently facilitating expansions into tropical and mesic regions of Australia. The phylogenetic signal of bioclimatic variables, especially limiting environmental factors (e.g., precipitation of the warmest quarter), suggests that the climate exerts a strong selective pressure. Finally, we used environmental niche modeling to predict the present and future habitat suitability for eight Drepanotermes species. Abiotic factors such as annual temperature contributed disproportionately to calibrations, while the inclusion of biotic factors such as predators and vegetation cover improved ecological niche models in some species. A comparison between present and future habitat suitability under two different emission scenarios revealed continued suitability of current ranges as well as substantial habitat gains for most studied species. Human-mediated climate change occurs more quickly than these termites can disperse into newly suitable habitat; however, their role in stabilizing arid ecosystems may allow them to mitigate effects on some other organisms at a local level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Heimburger
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Santiago Soto Maurer
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Leonie Schardt
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.,Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tamara R Hartke
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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19
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Bai ZD, Shi CY, Sillam-Dussès D, Wang RW. Elusive workers are more likely to differentiate into replacement reproductives than aggressive workers in a lower termite. Curr Zool 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
One of the most intriguing questions in eusocial insects is to understand how the overt reproductive conflict in the colony appears limited when queens or kings are senescent or lost, since the morphologically similar individuals in the colony are reproductively totipotent. Whether there are some individuals which preferentially differentiate into replacement reproductives or not has received little attention. The consistent individual behavioral differences (also termed ‘animal personality’) of individuals from the colony can shape cunningly their task and consequently affect the colony fitness but have been rarely investigated in eusocial insects. Here, we used the termite Reticulitermes labralis to investigate if variations in individual personalities (elusiveness and aggressiveness) may predict which individuals will perform reproductive differentiation within colonies. We observed that when we separately reared elusive and aggressive workers, elusive workers differentiate into reproductives significantly earlier than aggressive workers. When we reared them together in the proportions 12:3, 10:5 and 8:7 (aggressive workers:elusive workers), the first reproductives mostly differentiated from the elusive workers, and the reproductives differentiated from the elusive workers significantly earlier than from aggressive workers. Furthermore, we found that the number of workers participating in reproductive differentiation was significantly lower in the groups of both type of workers than in groups containing only elusive workers. Our results demonstrate that the elusiveness trait was a strong predictor of workers differentiation into replacement reproductives in R. labralis. Moreover, our results suggest that individual personalities within the insect society could play a key role in resolving the overt reproductive conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang-Dong Bai
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Chong-Yang Shi
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, LEEC, UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Rui-Wu Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
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20
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Lee SB, Chouvenc T, Mizumoto N, Mullins A, Su NY. Age-based spatial distribution of workers is resilient to worker loss in a subterranean termite. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7837. [PMID: 35552445 PMCID: PMC9098853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11512-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Elaborate task allocation is key to the ecological success of eusocial insects. Termite colonies are known for exhibiting age polyethism, with older instars more likely to depart the reproductive center to access food. However, it remains unknown how termites retain this spatial structure against external disturbances. Here we show that a subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki combines age polyethism and behavioral flexibility to maintain a constant worker proportion at the food area. Since this termite inhabits multiple wood pieces by connecting them through underground tunnels, disastrous colony splitting events can result in the loss of colony members. We simulated this via weekly removal of all individuals at the food area. Our results showed that termites maintained a worker proportion of ~ 20% at the food area regardless of changes in total colony size and demographic composition, where younger workers replaced food acquisition functions to maintain a constant worker proportion at the food area. Food consumption analysis revealed that the per-capita food consumption rate decreased with younger workers, but the colony did not compensate for the deficiency by increasing the proportion of workers at the feeding site. These results suggest that termite colonies prioritize risk management of colony fragmentation while maintaining suitable food acquisition efficiency with the next available workers in the colony, highlighting the importance of task allocation for colony resiliency under fluctuating environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Bin Lee
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA.
| | - Thomas Chouvenc
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 940-0495, Japan
| | - Aaron Mullins
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Nan-Yao Su
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 3205 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA
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21
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Mizumoto N, Bourguignon T, Kanao T. Termite nest evolution fostered social parasitism by termitophilous rove beetles. Evolution 2022; 76:1064-1072. [PMID: 35319096 PMCID: PMC9311137 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Colonies of social insects contain large amounts of resources often exploited by specialized social parasites. Although some termite species host numerous parasitic arthropod species, called termitophiles, others host none. The reason for this large variability remains unknown. Here, we report that the evolution of termitophily in rove beetles is linked to termite nesting strategies. We compared one-piece nesters, whose entire colony life is completed within a single wood piece, to foraging species, which exploit multiple physically separated food sources. Our epidemiological model predicts that characteristics related to foraging (e.g., extended colony longevity and frequent interactions with other colonies) increase the probability of parasitism by termitophiles. We tested our prediction using literature data. We found that foraging species are more likely to host termitophilous rove beetles than one-piece nesters: 99.6% of known termitophilous species were associated with foraging termites, whereas 0.4% were associated with one-piece nesters. Notably, the few one-piece nesting species hosting termitophiles were those having foraging potential and access to soil. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that termitophily primarily evolved with foraging termites. These results highlight that the evolution of complex termite societies fostered social parasitism, explaining why some species have more social parasites than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐son904‐0495Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐son904‐0495Japan,Faculty of Tropical AgriSciencesCzech University of Life SciencesPrague165 00Czech Republic
| | - Taisuke Kanao
- Faculty of ScienceYamagata UniversityYamagata990‐8560Japan
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22
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Parr CL, Bishop TR. The response of ants to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3188-3205. [PMID: 35274797 PMCID: PMC9314018 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are one of the most dominant terrestrial organisms worldwide. They are hugely abundant, both in terms of sheer numbers and biomass, on every continent except Antarctica and are deeply embedded within a diversity of ecological networks and processes. Ants are also eusocial and colonial organisms-their lifecycle is built on the labor of sterile worker ants who support a small number of reproductive individuals. Given the climatic changes that our planet faces, we need to understand how various important taxonomic groups will respond; this includes the ants. In this review, we synthesize the available literature to tackle this question. The answer is complicated. The ant literature has focused on temperature, and we broadly understand the ways in which thermal changes may affect ant colonies, populations, and communities. In general, we expect that species living in the Tropics, and in thermally variable microhabitats, such as the canopy and leaf litter environments, will be negatively impacted by rising temperatures. Species living in the temperate zones and those able to thermally buffer their nests in the soil or behaviorally avoid higher temperatures, however, are likely to be unaffected or may even benefit from a changed climate. How ants will respond to changes to other abiotic drivers associated with climate change is largely unknown, as is the detail on how altered ant populations and communities will ramify through their wider ecological networks. We discuss how eusociality may allow ants to adapt to, or tolerate, climate change in ways that solitary organisms cannot and we identify key geographic and phylogenetic hotspots of climate vulnerability and resistance. We finish by emphasizing the key research questions that we need to address moving forward so that we may fully appreciate how this critical insect group will respond to the ongoing climate crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandWitsSouth Africa
| | - Tom R. Bishop
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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23
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Potapov AM, Beaulieu F, Birkhofer K, Bluhm SL, Degtyarev MI, Devetter M, Goncharov AA, Gongalsky KB, Klarner B, Korobushkin DI, Liebke DF, Maraun M, Mc Donnell RJ, Pollierer MM, Schaefer I, Shrubovych J, Semenyuk II, Sendra A, Tuma J, Tůmová M, Vassilieva AB, Chen T, Geisen S, Schmidt O, Tiunov AV, Scheu S. Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1057-1117. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Frédéric Beaulieu
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Karl‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - Sarah L. Bluhm
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Maxim I. Degtyarev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Miloslav Devetter
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anton A. Goncharov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin B. Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Bernhard Klarner
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniil I. Korobushkin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Dana F. Liebke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Rory J. Mc Donnell
- Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Melanie M. Pollierer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Julia Shrubovych
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS Slawkowska 17 Pl 31‐016 Krakow Poland
- State Museum Natural History of NAS of Ukraine Teatralna 18 79008 Lviv Ukraine
| | - Irina I. Semenyuk
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian‐Vietnamese Tropical Center №3 Street 3 Thang 2, Q10 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Colecciones Entomológicas Torres‐Sala, Servei de Patrimoni Històric, Ajuntament de València València Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Cièncias Experimentals i Socials, Facultat de Magisteri Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 1160/31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Michala Tůmová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna B. Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Ting‐Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Nematology Wageningen University & Research 6700ES Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Büsgenweg 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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24
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Evidence of sodium limitation in ants and termites in a Neotropical savanna. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467421000535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Nutritional ecology of ropical ecosystems like Neotropical savannas, which are of high conservation concern, is understudied. Sodium is essential for heterotrophs but availability often falls short relative to plant consumer requirements. Savanna plant consumers like ants and termites should be sodium-limited due to high temperatures, nutrient-poor soils, and lack of oceanic sodium deposition. We tested the hypothesis that Neotropical savanna ants and termites are sodium-limited. Termites were tested by supplementing 0.25 m2 plots with H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% NaCl and measuring termite presence and artificial substrate mass loss after 1 week. Ants were tested by collecting ants that recruited to H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% NaCl and 1.0%, 10%, and 20% sugar baits on paired diurnal–nocturnal transects. Termites were 16 times more likely to occur on 1% NaCl than H2O plots and wood-feeding termites were most frequent. However, the decomposition rate did not differ among treatments. Ant bait use increased with increasing NaCl concentration and 1% NaCl usage was similar to sugar bait usage. Ants were 3.7 times more active nocturnally than diurnally, but contrary to predictions bait type (water, sugar or NaCl) usage did not differ between day and night. Together, these results provide strong evidence of sodium limitation in Neotropical savannas.
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25
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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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
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26
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Oliveira MHD, Eloi I, Costa BGD, Bezerra-Gusmão MA. Influence of altitude and seasonality in the termite species richness and nests density in a hill environment of the Brazilian Caatinga. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2022024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The variation in altitude drives the richness and density of species in tropical ecosystems. The diversity and richness of termites are influenced by the variations in temperature, humidity, and soil properties according to altitude elevation. This is well known for rainy forests and little information is found for semiarid areas of Brazil. In this study, we aimed to identify species richness and encounters density of termites in a hill inserted in the Caatinga Brazilian forest. We found variation in the composition of species as a function of altitude (in a comparison of top and foot of the hill) and in periods of the wet and dry, with an increase in the season wet. The increase the diversity in this period and altitude elevations can be explained by the increases in humidity after rainfalls and maintenance of temperature enabled by the conditions in the hill’s top. Our findings provide valuable information regarding termite diversity in semiarid areas as a function of elevation and contribute to other studies that are expanding our understanding of how elevation can affect these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Igor Eloi
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
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27
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Mizumoto N, Bourguignon T. The evolution of body size in termites. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211458. [PMID: 34784763 PMCID: PMC8596001 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are social cockroaches. Because non-termite cockroaches are larger than basal termite lineages, which themselves include large termite species, it has been proposed that termites experienced a unidirectional body size reduction since they evolved eusociality. However, the validity of this hypothesis remains untested in a phylogenetic framework. Here, we reconstructed termite body size evolution using head width measurements of 1638 modern and fossil termite species. We found that the unidirectional body size reduction model was only supported by analyses excluding fossil species. Analyses including fossil species suggested that body size diversified along with speciation events and estimated that the size of the common ancestor of modern termites was comparable to that of modern species. Our analyses further revealed that body size variability among species, but not body size reduction, is associated with features attributed to advanced termite societies. Our results suggest that miniaturization took place at the origin of termites, while subsequent complexification of termite societies did not lead to further body size reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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28
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Schapheer C, Pellens R, Scherson R. Arthropod-Microbiota Integration: Its Importance for Ecosystem Conservation. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:702763. [PMID: 34408733 PMCID: PMC8365148 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.702763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent reports indicate that the health of our planet is getting worse and that genuine transformative changes are pressing. So far, efforts to ameliorate Earth's ecosystem crises have been insufficient, as these often depart from current knowledge of the underlying ecological processes. Nowadays, biodiversity loss and the alterations in biogeochemical cycles are reaching thresholds that put the survival of our species at risk. Biological interactions are fundamental for achieving biological conservation and restoration of ecological processes, especially those that contribute to nutrient cycles. Microorganism are recognized as key players in ecological interactions and nutrient cycling, both free-living and in symbiotic associations with multicellular organisms. This latter assemblage work as a functional ecological unit called "holobiont." Here, we review the emergent ecosystem properties derived from holobionts, with special emphasis on detritivorous terrestrial arthropods and their symbiotic microorganisms. We revisit their relevance in the cycling of recalcitrant organic compounds (e.g., lignin and cellulose). Finally, based on the interconnection between biodiversity and nutrient cycling, we propose that a multicellular organism and its associates constitute an Ecosystem Holobiont (EH). This EH is the functional unit characterized by carrying out key ecosystem processes. We emphasize that in order to meet the challenge to restore the health of our planet it is critical to reduce anthropic pressures that may threaten not only individual entities (known as "bionts") but also the stability of the associations that give rise to EH and their ecological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Schapheer
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Campus Sur Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Sistemática y Evolución, Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Roseli Pellens
- UMR 7205, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Pratique de Hautes Etudes, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Sorbonne Université, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Rosa Scherson
- Laboratorio de Sistemática y Evolución, Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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29
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Evans TA. Predicting ecological impacts of invasive termites. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 46:88-94. [PMID: 33771736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There are 28 invasive termite species, most belong to two families, the Kalotermitidae (esp. Cryptotermes spp.) and Rhinotermitidae (esp. Coptotermes spp.). Six invasive termite species are known to have spread into natural habitats, but little direct research has been conducted into their ecological impacts. Predictions based on indirect research (natural durability of commercial wood species) suggest fast-growing, pioneer tree species with low density wood, perhaps notably legumes, are most vulnerable to invasive termites, but even slow growing climax tree species may succumb. Cryptotermes will likely have less ecological impact, due to small colonies attacking dead branch stubs in the canopy. Coptotermes will likely have greater impact, due to large colony sizes and nesting in living trees, which they hollow out and can kill. There are no studies of invasive termites on native termites, other wood-eating insects, or predators, such as ants, showing considerable scope for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore A Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth WA 6009, Australia.
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30
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Pie MR, Carrijo TF, Caron FS. The diversification of termites: Inferences from a complete species‐level phylogeny. ZOOL SCR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcio R. Pie
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Tiago F. Carrijo
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas Universidade Federal do ABC São Bernardo do Campo Brazil
| | - Fernanda S. Caron
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
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31
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Bishop TR, Tomlinson A, McNeice T, Sfenthourakis S, Parr CL. The effect of fire on ant assemblages does not depend on habitat openness but does select for large, gracile predators. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tom R. Bishop
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria0002South Africa
| | - Andy Tomlinson
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
| | - Travers McNeice
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography University of Oxford OxfordOX1 3QYUK
| | | | - Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria0002South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits South Africa
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32
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Li X, Risch AC, Sanders D, Liu G, Prather C, Wang Z, Hassan N, Gao Q, Wang D, Zhong Z. A facilitation between large herbivores and ants accelerates litter decomposition by modifying soil microenvironmental conditions. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Soil Resources in the Commodity Grain Bases in Jilin Province Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
- Institute of Grassland Science/Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Anita C. Risch
- Community Ecology Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Environment and Sustainability Institute University of ExeterPenryn Campus Penryn Cornwall UK
| | - Guofang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Chelse Prather
- Department of Biology University of Dayton Dayton OH USA
| | - Zhongnan Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science/Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Nazim Hassan
- Institute of Grassland Science/Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Qiang Gao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Soil Resources in the Commodity Grain Bases in Jilin Province Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
| | - Deli Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science/Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- Institute of Grassland Science/Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun China
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33
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Scholtz O, Knight ME, Eggleton P. Spatial structure of rainforest termites: Two matched pioneering cross‐continental case studies. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Scholtz
- Life Sciences Department The Natural History Museum London UK
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth Plymouth Devon UK
| | - Mairi E. Knight
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth Plymouth Devon UK
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Life Sciences Department The Natural History Museum London UK
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34
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Wu D, Staab M, Yu M. Canopy Closure Retards Fine Wood Decomposition in Subtropical Regenerating Forests. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00622-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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35
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Chouvenc T, Šobotník J, Engel MS, Bourguignon T. Termite evolution: mutualistic associations, key innovations, and the rise of Termitidae. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:2749-2769. [PMID: 33388854 PMCID: PMC11071720 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03728-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Termites are a clade of eusocial wood-feeding roaches with > 3000 described species. Eusociality emerged ~ 150 million years ago in the ancestor of modern termites, which, since then, have acquired and sometimes lost a series of adaptive traits defining of their evolution. Termites primarily feed on wood, and digest cellulose in association with their obligatory nutritional mutualistic gut microbes. Recent advances in our understanding of termite phylogenetic relationships have served to provide a tentative timeline for the emergence of innovative traits and their consequences on the ecological success of termites. While all "lower" termites rely on cellulolytic protists to digest wood, "higher" termites (Termitidae), which comprise ~ 70% of termite species, do not rely on protists for digestion. The loss of protists in Termitidae was a critical evolutionary step that fostered the emergence of novel traits, resulting in a diversification of morphology, diets, and niches to an extent unattained by "lower" termites. However, the mechanisms that led to the initial loss of protists and the succession of events that took place in the termite gut remain speculative. In this review, we provide an overview of the key innovative traits acquired by termites during their evolution, which ultimately set the stage for the emergence of "higher" termites. We then discuss two hypotheses concerning the loss of protists in Termitidae, either through an externalization of the digestion or a dietary transition. Finally, we argue that many aspects of termite evolution remain speculative, as most termite biological diversity and evolutionary trajectories have yet to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Chouvenc
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Ft Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA.
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1501 Crestline Drive, Suite 140, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.
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36
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Moses J, Fayle TM, Novotny V, Klimes P. Elevation and leaf litter interact in determining the structure of ant communities on a tropical mountain. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Moses
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Tom M. Fayle
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Petr Klimes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
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37
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Digging Deeper into the Ecology of Subterranean Ants: Diversity and Niche Partitioning across Two Continents. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13020053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Soil fauna is generally understudied compared to above-ground arthropods, and ants are no exception. Here, we compared a primary and a secondary forest each on two continents using four different sampling methods. Winkler sampling, pitfalls, and four types of above- and below-ground baits (dead, crushed insects; melezitose; living termites; living mealworms/grasshoppers) were applied on four plots (4 × 4 grid points) on each site. Although less diverse than Winkler samples and pitfalls, subterranean baits provided a remarkable ant community. Our baiting system provided a large dataset to systematically quantify strata and dietary specialisation in tropical rainforest ants. Compared to above-ground baits, 10–28% of the species at subterranean baits were overall more common (or unique to) below ground, indicating a fauna that was truly specialised to this stratum. Species turnover was particularly high in the primary forests, both concerning above-ground and subterranean baits and between grid points within a site. This suggests that secondary forests are more impoverished, especially concerning their subterranean fauna. Although subterranean ants rarely displayed specific preferences for a bait type, they were in general more specialised than above-ground ants; this was true for entire communities, but also for the same species if they foraged in both strata.
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38
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Oberst S, Lai JC, Martin R, Halkon BJ, Saadatfar M, Evans TA. Revisiting stigmergy in light of multi-functional, biogenic, termite structures as communication channel. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2522-2534. [PMID: 33005314 PMCID: PMC7516209 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite mounds are fascinating because of their intriguing composition of numerous geometric shapes and materials. However, little is known about these structures, or of their functionalities. Most research has been on the basic composition of mounds compared with surrounding soils. There has been some targeted research on the thermoregulation and ventilation of the mounds of a few species of fungi-growing termites, which has generated considerable interest from human architecture. Otherwise, research on termite mounds has been scattered, with little work on their explicit properties. This review is focused on how termites design and build functional structures as nest, nursery and food storage; for thermoregulation and climatisation; as defence, shelter and refuge; as a foraging tool or building material; and for colony communication, either as in indirect communication (stigmergy) or as an information channel essential for direct communication through vibrations (biotremology). Our analysis shows that systematic research is required to study the properties of these structures such as porosity and material composition. High resolution computer tomography in combination with nonlinear dynamics and methods from computational intelligence may provide breakthroughs in unveiling the secrets of termite behaviour and their mounds. In particular, the examination of dynamic and wave propagation properties of termite-built structures in combination with a detailed signal analysis of termite activities is required to better understand the interplay between termites and their nest as superorganism. How termite structures serve as defence in the form of disguising acoustic and vibration signals from detection by predators, and what role local and global vibration synchronisation plays for building are open questions that need to be addressed to provide insights into how termites utilise materials to thrive in a world of predators and competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Oberst
- Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
- School of Engineering and IT, University of New South Wales Canberra, Northcott Dr, Campbell ACT 2612, Australia
| | - Joseph C.S. Lai
- School of Engineering and IT, University of New South Wales Canberra, Northcott Dr, Campbell ACT 2612, Australia
| | - Richard Martin
- Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Benjamin J. Halkon
- Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Mohammad Saadatfar
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Australian National University, 58-60 Mills Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Theodore A. Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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Mizumoto N, Bourguignon T. Modern termites inherited the potential of collective construction from their common ancestor. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6775-6784. [PMID: 32724550 PMCID: PMC7381753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal collective behaviors give rise to various spatial patterns, such as the nests of social insects. These structures are built by individuals following a simple set of rules, slightly varying within and among species, to produce a large diversity of shapes. However, little is known about the origin and evolution of the behavioral mechanisms regulating nest structures. In this study, we discuss the perspective of inferring the evolution of collective behaviors behind pattern formations using a phylogenetic framework. We review the collective behaviors that can be described by a single set of behavioral rules, and for which variations of the environmental and behavioral parameter values produce diverse patterns. We propose that this mechanism could be at the origin of the pattern diversity observed among related species, and that, when they are placed in the proper conditions, species have the behavioral potential to form patterns observed in related species. The comparative analysis of shelter tube construction by lower termites is consistent with this hypothesis. Although the use of shelter tubes in natural conditions is variable among species, most modern species have the potential to build them, suggesting that the behavioral rules for shelter tube construction evolved once in the common ancestor of modern termites. Our study emphasizes that comparative studies of behavioral rules have the potential to shed light on the evolution of collective behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityISTB1, 423, East MallTempeAZ85287‐9425USA
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University1919–1 TanchaOnna‐sonOkinawa904–0495Japan
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University1919–1 TanchaOnna‐sonOkinawa904–0495Japan
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life SciencesKamycka 129, 16521PrahaCzech Republic
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