1
|
Degueldre F, Aron S. Sperm competition increases sperm production and quality in Cataglyphis desert ants. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230216. [PMID: 36987648 PMCID: PMC10050944 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0216] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition is a pervasive evolutionary force that shapes sperm traits to maximize fertilization success. Indeed, it has been shown to increase sperm production in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, sperm production is energetically costly, which may result in trade-offs among sperm traits. In eusocial hymenopterans, such as ants, mating dynamics impose unique selective pressures on ejaculate. Males are sperm limited: they enter adulthood with a fixed amount of sperm that will not be renewed. We explored whether sperm competition intensity was associated with sperm quantity and quality (i.e. sperm viability and DNA fragmentation) in nine Cataglyphis desert ants. Our results provide phylogenetically robust evidence that sperm competition is positively correlated with sperm production and sperm viability. However, it was unrelated to sperm DNA integrity, indicating the absence of a trade-off involving this trait. These findings underscore that sperm competition may strongly mould sperm traits and drive reproductive performance in eusocial Hymenoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félicien Degueldre
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lecocq de Pletincx N, Dellicour S, Aron S. The evolution of ant worker polymorphism correlates with multiple social traits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03049-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
3
|
Muñoz-Valencia V, Kähkönen K, Montoya-Lerma J, Díaz F. Characterization of a New Set of Microsatellite Markers Suggests Polygyny and Polyandry in Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 113:3021-3027. [PMID: 32964936 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The leaf-cutting ant, Atta cephalotes L. (1758), is a major herbivore with great economic impact in the Neotropics. Because of its broad range and human-mediated dissemination, the ecology of this ant has received considerable attention; however, questions concerning its population genetics, dispersal, and social structure remain unexplored. Here, we aimed to identify and provide information on molecular and statistical performance of a suite of polymorphic microsatellite markers for A. cephalotes while demonstrating their utility for further genetic studies. We designed primer sequences targeting thousands of microsatellite loci and then screened 30 of these for amplification and polymorphism. Fifteen of these loci were selected and used to evaluate their polymorphism using 74 ants sampled from 15 different nests of the same location. This set of 15 loci exhibited variation of 2-20 alleles, with a mean heterozygosity of 0.57. All loci followed Hardy-Weinberg expectations with no evidence of linkage disequilibrium, while two loci showed evidence of null alleles. Our preliminary analysis suggested substantial nest differentiation with no population viscosity within the sampled location, as well as colonies with multiple queens (polygyny) and paternity (polyandry). Our newly identified microsatellites have proven to be highly informative to investigate gene flow, social structure and reproduction of this key agricultural pest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Muñoz-Valencia
- Grupo de Ecología de Agroecosistemas y Hábitats Naturales, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez campus, Cali, Colombia
| | - Kirsi Kähkönen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - James Montoya-Lerma
- Grupo de Ecología de Agroecosistemas y Hábitats Naturales, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Universidad del Valle, Meléndez campus, Cali, Colombia
| | - Fernando Díaz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bluher SE, Miller SE, Sheehan MJ. Fine-Scale Population Structure but Limited Genetic Differentiation in a Cooperatively Breeding Paper Wasp. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:701-714. [PMID: 32271866 PMCID: PMC7259676 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively little is known about the processes shaping population structure in cooperatively breeding insect species, despite the long-hypothesized importance of population structure in shaping patterns of cooperative breeding. Polistes paper wasps are primitively eusocial insects, with a cooperative breeding system in which females often found nests in cooperative associations. Prior mark-recapture studies of Polistes have documented extreme female philopatry, although genetic studies frequently fail to detect the strong population structure expected for highly philopatric species. Together these findings have led to lack of consensus on the degree of dispersal and population structure in these species. This study assessed population structure of female Polistes fuscatus wasps at three scales: within a single site, throughout Central New York, and across the Northeastern United States. Patterns of spatial genetic clustering and isolation by distance were observed in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes at the continental scale. Remarkably, population structure was evident even at fine spatial scales within a single collection site. However, P. fuscatus had low levels of genetic differentiation across long distances. These results suggest that P. fuscatus wasps may employ multiple dispersal strategies, including extreme natal philopatry as well as longer-distance dispersal. We observed greater genetic differentiation in mitochondrial genes than in the nuclear genome, indicative of increased dispersal distances in males. Our findings support the hypothesis that limited female dispersal contributes toward population structure in paper wasps.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Bluher
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University
| | - Sara E Miller
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Environmental and genetic constraints on cuticular hydrocarbon composition and nestmate recognition in ants. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
6
|
Reiner Brodetzki T, Hefetz A. Determining social and population structures requires multiple approaches: A case study of the desert ant Cataglyphis israelensis. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12365-12374. [PMID: 30619551 PMCID: PMC6308896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The remarkable diversity of ant social organization is reflected in both their life history and population kin structure. Different species demonstrate a high variation with respect to both social structure and mating strategies: from the ancestral colony type that is composed of a single queen (monogyny), singly inseminated (monoandry), to the more derived states of colonies headed by a multiply inseminated queen (polyandry), to colonies composed of multiple queens (polygyny) that are either singly or multiply inseminated. Moreover, the population structure of an ant species can range from multicoloniality to polydomy to supercoloniality, and Cataglyphis is considered to be a model genus in regard to such diversity. The present study sought to determine the social and population structure of the recently described C. israelensis species in Israel. For this purpose we employed a multidisciplinary approach, rather than the commonly used single approach that is mostly based on genetics. Our study encompassed behavior (nest insularity/openness), chemistry (composition of nestmate recognition signals and cuticular hydrocarbons), and genetics (microsatellite polymorphism). Each approach has been shown to possess both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the studied species. Our findings reveal that C. israelensis colonies are headed by a single, multiply inseminated queen and that the population structure is polydomous, with each colony comprising one main nest and several additional satellite nests. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that none of the above-noted approaches, when employed individually, is suitable or sufficient in itself for delineating population structure, thus emphasizing the importance of using multiple approaches when assessing such complex systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tali Reiner Brodetzki
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life SciencesTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Avril A, Purcell J, Brelsford A, Chapuisat M. Asymmetric assortative mating and queen polyandry are linked to a supergene controlling ant social organization. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:1428-1438. [PMID: 30003603 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Nonrecombining genomic variants underlie spectacular social polymorphisms, from bird mating systems to ant social organization. Because these "social supergenes" affect multiple phenotypic traits linked to survival and reproduction, explaining their persistence remains a substantial challenge. Here, we investigate how large nonrecombining genomic variants relate to colony social organization, mating system and dispersal in the Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi. The species has colonies headed by a single queen (monogynous) and colonies headed by multiple queens (polygynous). We confirmed that a supergene with alternate haplotypes-Sm and Sp-underlies this polymorphism in social structure: Females from mature monogynous colonies had the Sm/Sm genotype, while those from polygynous colonies were Sm/Sp and Sp/Sp. Queens heading monogynous colonies were exclusively mated with Sm males. In contrast, queens heading polygynous colonies were mated with Sp males and Sm males. Sm males, which are only produced by monogynous colonies, accounted for 22.9% of the matings with queens from mature polygynous colonies. This asymmetry between social forms in the degree of assortative mating generates unidirectional male-mediated gene flow from the monogynous to the polygynous social form. Biased gene flow was confirmed by a significantly higher number of private alleles in the polygynous social form. Moreover, heterozygous queens were three times as likely as homozygous queens to be multiply mated. This study reveals that the supergene variants jointly affect social organization and multiple components of the mating system that alter the transmission of the variants and thus influence the dynamics of the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Avril
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Purcell
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Villalta I, Amor F, Galarza JA, Dupont S, Ortega P, Hefetz A, Dahbi A, Cerdá X, Boulay R. Origin and distribution of desert ants across the Gibraltar Straits. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 118:122-134. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
9
|
Sanllorente O, Lorite P, Ruano F, Palomeque T, Tinaut A. Phylogenetic relationships between the slave-making ants Rossomyrmex
and their Proformica
hosts in relation to other genera of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Sanllorente
- Department of Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales; Universidad de Jaén; Jaén Spain
| | - Pedro Lorite
- Department of Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales; Universidad de Jaén; Jaén Spain
| | - Francisca Ruano
- Department of Zoología; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| | - Teresa Palomeque
- Department of Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales; Universidad de Jaén; Jaén Spain
| | - Alberto Tinaut
- Department of Zoología; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; Granada Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Krapf P, Russo L, Arthofer W, Möst M, Steiner FM, Schlick-Steiner BC. An Alpine ant's behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression in Tetramorium alpestre. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017; 30:220-234. [PMID: 29682632 PMCID: PMC5890305 DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1343868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Social structure influences animal societies on various levels (e.g., relatedness, behaviour). In ants, both the number of matings per queen and the number of queens per colony can vary strongly. While workers from both monogynous and polygynous colonies often fight fiercely, in supercolonies (an extreme form of polygyny comprising thousands of queens in spatially separated but interconnected nests), non-nestmates interact peacefully. Studies on social and behavioural polymorphism within ant species can help elucidate their influence on genetic diversity and behaviour and the factors triggering variation in social structure and behaviour. Here, we reveal a behavioural and social polymorphism comprising monogyny with and without internest aggression in Tetramorium alpestre sampled in Tyrol, Austria. The social polymorphism is based on genetic and behavioural evidence and contrasts with the supercolonial organisation known from another location in Austria (Carinthia), 150 km away. Microsatellite genotyping using eight polymorphic loci revealed monogyny-monandry and high intranest pairwise relatedness. Interestingly, various experimental one-on-one worker encounters revealed only occasional aggressive behaviour between monogynous colonies, and thus a behavioural polymorphism. Mantel tests revealed a significant negative correlation between spatial distance and relatedness, while worker behaviour was not correlated with relatedness or spatial distance. These results indicate that behaviour might be influenced by other factors - for example, the experience of workers, ecological, chemical, and/or genetic factors not characterised in this study. However, workers distinguished nestmates from non-nestmates also when aggression was lacking. We hypothesise an adaptive value of reduced aggression. We speculate that the non-aggressive and partly aggressive encounters observed represent different options in the social structure of T. alpestre, the non-aggressiveness possibly also promoting supercolony development. The social and behavioural polymorphisms observed offer opportunities to identify the factors triggering these changes and thus further explore the behavioural and social polymorphism of this ant species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Krapf
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Lucia Russo
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Markus Möst
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Florian M. Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Peeters C, Aron S. Evolutionary reduction of female dispersal in Cataglyphis desert ants. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
12
|
Boulay R, Aron S, Cerdá X, Doums C, Graham P, Hefetz A, Monnin T. Social Life in Arid Environments: The Case Study of Cataglyphis Ants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 62:305-321. [PMID: 27860520 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-031616-034941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Unlike most desert-dwelling animals, Cataglyphis ants do not attempt to escape the heat; rather, they apply their impressive heat tolerance to avoid competitors and predators. This thermally defined niche has promoted a range of adaptations both at the individual and colony levels. We have also recently discovered that within the genus Cataglyphis there are incredibly diverse social systems, modes of reproduction, and dispersal, prompting the tantalizing question of whether social diversity may also be a consequence of the harsh environment within which we find these charismatic ants. Here we review recent advances regarding the physiological, behavioral, life-history, colony, and ecological characteristics of Cataglyphis and consider perspectives on future research that will build our understanding of organic adaptive responses to desertification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Boulay
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Institute of Insect Biology, Tours University, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Serge Aron
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050, Belgium
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Claudie Doums
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Institute of Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity, CNRS, UPMC, EPHE, MNHN, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Paul Graham
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France;
- UMR 7618, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75252 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evolution of reproductive traits in Cataglyphis desert ants: mating frequency, queen number, and thelytoky. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
14
|
Jowers MJ, Taheri A, Reyes-López J. The antAnochetus ghilianii(Hymenoptera, Formicidae), not a Tertiary relict, but an Iberian introduction from North Africa: Evidence from mtDNA analyses. SYST BIODIVERS 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2015.1061065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|