1
|
Zhuang Y, Xu W, Zhang G, Mai H, Li X, He H, Ran H, Liu Y. Unparalleled details of soft tissues in a Cretaceous ant. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:146. [PMID: 36526958 PMCID: PMC9756460 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For social insects such as ants, the internal organs are likely important in understanding their eusocial behavior and evolution. Such organs, however, are rarely preserved on fossils. In each of the few cases reporting exceptionally fossilized soft tissues in arthropods, the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems have been described individually, but never in combination. Here, we report a female specimen (gyne) of the extinct ant group-†Zigrasimecia-included in a Cretaceous amber piece from Kachin, Myanmar, with an almost complete system formed by various internal organs. These include the brain, the main exocrine system, part of the digestive tract, and several muscle clusters. This research expands our knowledge of internal anatomy in stem group ants. As the gyne bears a morphologically unique labrum, our specimen's internal and external features support the notion that the early ant may have special ecological habits during the Cretaceous period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhuang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEvolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XVillum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Huijuan Mai
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Hong He
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Hao Ran
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004 China ,Biological Education and Research Laboratory, Mancheng High School of Hebei Province, Baoding, 072150 China
| | - Yu Liu
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kannan K, Galizia CG, Nouvian M. Olfactory Strategies in the Defensive Behaviour of Insects. INSECTS 2022; 13:470. [PMID: 35621804 PMCID: PMC9145661 DOI: 10.3390/insects13050470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Most animals must defend themselves in order to survive. Defensive behaviour includes detecting predators or intruders, avoiding them by staying low-key or escaping or deterring them away by means of aggressive behaviour, i.e., attacking them. Responses vary across insect species, ranging from individual responses to coordinated group attacks in group-living species. Among different modalities of sensory perception, insects predominantly use the sense of smell to detect predators, intruders, and other threats. Furthermore, social insects, such as honeybees and ants, communicate about danger by means of alarm pheromones. In this review, we focus on how olfaction is put to use by insects in defensive behaviour. We review the knowledge of how chemical signals such as the alarm pheromone are processed in the insect brain. We further discuss future studies for understanding defensive behaviour and the role of olfaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Kannan
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - C. Giovanni Galizia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Morgane Nouvian
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Guo X, Lin MR, Azizi A, Saldyt LP, Kang Y, Pavlic TP, Fewell JH. Decoding alarm signal propagation of seed-harvester ants using automated movement tracking and supervised machine learning. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212176. [PMID: 35078355 PMCID: PMC8790334 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alarm signal propagation through ant colonies provides an empirically tractable context for analysing information flow through a natural system, with useful insights for network dynamics in other social animals. Here, we develop a methodological approach to track alarm spread within a group of harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex californicus. We initially alarmed three ants and tracked subsequent signal transmission through the colony. Because there was no actual standing threat, the false alarm allowed us to assess amplification and adaptive damping of the collective alarm response. We trained a random forest regression model to quantify alarm behaviour of individual workers from multiple movement features. Our approach translates subjective categorical alarm scores into a reliable, continuous variable. We combined these assessments with automatically tracked proximity data to construct an alarm propagation network. This method enables analyses of spatio-temporal patterns in alarm signal propagation in a group of ants and provides an opportunity to integrate individual and collective alarm response. Using this system, alarm propagation can be manipulated and assessed to ask and answer a wide range of questions related to information and misinformation flow in social networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Michael R. Lin
- Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Asma Azizi
- Department of Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, Marietta, GA, USA
| | - Lucas P. Saldyt
- School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yun Kang
- Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,Science and Mathematics, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA
| | - Theodore P. Pavlic
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA,School of Complex Adaptive Systems, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mizutani H, Tagai K, Habe S, Takaku Y, Uebi T, Kimura T, Hariyama T, Ozaki M. Antenna Cleaning Is Essential for Precise Behavioral Response to Alarm Pheromone and Nestmate-Non-Nestmate Discrimination in Japanese Carpenter Ants ( Camponotus japonicus). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12090773. [PMID: 34564213 PMCID: PMC8471180 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Grooming is a common behavior in animals. It serves the function of removing foreign materials and excessive amounts of self-secreted materials from the body’s surface. Social insects, such as honeybees or ants, use various types of pheromones, some of which propagate information about the environment to conspecific individuals, for chemical communication. The individuals that receive such information can respond with suitable behaviors to protect themselves and their society. Hence, grooming is important for the maintenance of the correct performance of their sensory organs on antennae for pheromone perception. Here, we experimentally limited self-grooming of the antennae in workers of the Japanese carpenter ant (Camponotus japonicus) by removing a pair of antennal cleaning apparatuses from the forelegs and investigated their behavioral change in response to exposure to the alarm pheromone or to encounters with nestmates or non-nestmates. Comparisons between self-grooming-nonlimited and self-grooming-limited ants showed that the self-grooming-limited ants gradually exhibited decreased locomotion activity in their fight-or-flight response to the alarm pheromone and experienced increased failure in nestmate and non-nestmate discrimination. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that antennal sensory system maintenance supports social communication, which is indispensable not only to the individual workers but also to the survival of their society. Abstract Self-grooming of the antennae is frequently observed in ants. This antennal maintenance behavior is presumed to be essential for effective chemical communication but, to our knowledge, this has not yet been well studied. When we removed the antenna-cleaning apparatuses of the Japanese carpenter ant (C. japonicus) to limit the self-grooming of the antennae, the worker ants demonstrated the self-grooming gesture as usual, but the antennal surface could not be sufficiently cleaned. By using scanning electron microscopy with NanoSuit, we observed the ants’ antennae for up to 48 h and found that the antennal surfaces gradually became covered with self-secreted surface material. Concurrently, the self-grooming-limited workers gradually lost their behavioral responsiveness to undecane—the alarm pheromone. Indeed, their locomotive response to the alarm pheromone diminished for up to 24 h after the antenna cleaner removal operation. In addition, the self-grooming-limited workers exhibited less frequent aggressive behavior toward non-nestmate workers, and 36 h after the operation, approximately half of the encountered non-nestmate workers were accepted as nestmates. These results suggest that the antennal sensing system is affected by excess surface material; hence, their proper function is prevented until they are cleaned.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hitomi Mizutani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan;
| | - Kazuhiro Tagai
- School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo 670-0092, Japan; (K.T.); (T.K.)
| | - Shunya Habe
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 616-8354, Japan;
| | - Yasuharu Takaku
- Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Institute for NanoSuit Research & NanoSuit Inc., Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.H.)
| | - Tatsuya Uebi
- KYOUSEI Science Center for Life and Nature, Nara Women’s University, Nara 630-8263, Japan;
| | - Toshifumi Kimura
- School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo 670-0092, Japan; (K.T.); (T.K.)
| | - Takahiko Hariyama
- Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center, Institute for NanoSuit Research & NanoSuit Inc., Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.H.)
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- KYOUSEI Science Center for Life and Nature, Nara Women’s University, Nara 630-8263, Japan;
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
- Morphogenetic Signaling Team, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-742-20-3687
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Friedman DA, Tschantz A, Ramstead MJD, Friston K, Constant A. Active Inferants: An Active Inference Framework for Ant Colony Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:647732. [PMID: 34248515 PMCID: PMC8264549 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.647732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we introduce an active inference model of ant colony foraging behavior, and implement the model in a series of in silico experiments. Active inference is a multiscale approach to behavioral modeling that is being applied across settings in theoretical biology and ethology. The ant colony is a classic case system in the function of distributed systems in terms of stigmergic decision-making and information sharing. Here we specify and simulate a Markov decision process (MDP) model for ant colony foraging. We investigate a well-known paradigm from laboratory ant colony behavioral experiments, the alternating T-maze paradigm, to illustrate the ability of the model to recover basic colony phenomena such as trail formation after food location discovery. We conclude by outlining how the active inference ant colony foraging behavioral model can be extended and situated within a nested multiscale framework and systems approaches to biology more generally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ari Friedman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Active Inference Lab, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Alec Tschantz
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Maxwell J. D. Ramstead
- Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Culture, Mind, and Brain Program, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Spatial Web Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Constant
- Theory and Method in Biosciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ants Can Anticipate the Following Quantity in an Arithmetic Sequence. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:bs11020018. [PMID: 33525422 PMCID: PMC7911458 DOI: 10.3390/bs11020018] [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: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti have been previously shown to be able to add and subtract numbers of elements and to expect the time and location of the next food delivery. We wanted to know if they could anticipate the following quantity of elements present near their food when the number of these elements increases or decreases over time according to an arithmetic sequence. Two experiments were therefore carried out, one with an increasing sequence, the other with a decreasing sequence. Each experiment consisted of two steps, one for the ants to learn the numbers of elements successively present near their food, the other to test their choice when they were simultaneously in the presence of the numbers from a previously learned sequence and the following quantity. The ants anticipated the following quantity in each presented numerical sequence. This forethinking of the next quantity applies to numerosity, thus, to concrete items. This anticipatory behavior may be explained by associative learning and by the ants’ ability to memorize events and to estimate the elapsing time.
Collapse
|
7
|
Basu S, Clark RE, Fu Z, Lee BW, Crowder DW. Insect alarm pheromones in response to predators: Ecological trade-offs and molecular mechanisms. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 128:103514. [PMID: 33359575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect alarm pheromones are chemical substances that are synthesized and released in response to predators to reduce predation risk. Alarm pheromones can also be perceived by predators, who take advantage of alarm cues to locate prey. While selection favors evolution of alarm pheromone signals that are not easily detectable by predators, predator evolution selects for better prey detection ability. Here, we review the diversity of alarm signals, and consider the behavioral and ecological conditions under which they have evolved. We show that components of alarm pheromones are similar across many insects, although aphids exhibit different behavioral responses to alarm cues compared to social insects. The effects of alarm pheromones on prey behavior depend on factors such as the concentration of pheromones and the density of conspecifics. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms of alarm pheromone perception underlying the evolutionary arms race between predators and prey, and the function of olfactory proteins and receptors in particular. Our review provides a novel synthesis of the diversity and function of insect alarm pheromones, while suggesting avenues that might better allow researchers to exploit population-level responses to alarm signaling for the sustainable management of pests and vector-borne pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saumik Basu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
| | - Robert E Clark
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin W Lee
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Muratore IB, Traniello JFA. Fungus-Growing Ants: Models for the Integrative Analysis of Cognition and Brain Evolution. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:599234. [PMID: 33424560 PMCID: PMC7793780 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.599234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - James F. A. Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Goes AC, Barcoto MO, Kooij PW, Bueno OC, Rodrigues A. How Do Leaf-Cutting Ants Recognize Antagonistic Microbes in Their Fungal Crops? Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
|
10
|
Rossi N, Baracchi D, Giurfa M, d'Ettorre P. Pheromone-Induced Accuracy of Nestmate Recognition in Carpenter Ants: Simultaneous Decrease in Type I and Type II Errors. Am Nat 2018; 193:267-278. [PMID: 30720368 DOI: 10.1086/701123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The ecological and evolutionary success of social insects relies on their ability to efficiently discriminate between group members and aliens. Nestmate recognition occurs by phenotype matching, the comparison of the referent (colony) phenotype to the one of an encountered individual. Based on the level of dissimilarity between the two, the discriminator accepts or rejects the target. The tolerated degree of mismatch is predicted by the acceptance threshold model, which assumes adaptive threshold shifts depending on the costs of discrimination errors. Inherent in the model is that rejection (type I) and acceptance (type II) errors are reciprocally related: if one type decreases, the other increases. We studied whether alarm pheromones modulate the acceptance threshold. We exposed Camponotus aethiops ants to formic acid and subsequently measured aggression toward nestmates and nonnestmates. Formic acid induced both more nonnestmate rejection and more nestmate acceptance than a control treatment, thus uncovering an unexpected effect of an alarm pheromone on responses to nestmates. Nestmate discrimination accuracy was improved via a decrease in both types of errors, a result that cannot be explained by a shift in the acceptance threshold. We propose that formic acid increases the amount of information available to the ants, thus decreasing the perceived phenotypic overlap between nestmate and nonnestmate recognition cues. This mechanism for improved discrimination reveals a novel function of alarm pheromones in recognition processes and may have far-reaching implications in our understanding of the modus operandi of recognition systems in general.
Collapse
|
11
|
Hu L, Balusu RR, Zhang WQ, Ajayi OS, Lu YY, Zeng RS, Fadamiro HY, Chen L. Intra- and inter-specific variation in alarm pheromone produced by Solenopsis fire ants. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 108:667-673. [PMID: 29223179 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485317001201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Some fire ants of the genus Solenopsis have become invasive species in the southern United States displacing native species by competition. Although the displacement pattern seems clear, the mechanisms underlying competitive advantage remain unclear. The ability of ant workers to produce relatively larger amount of alarm pheromone may correspond to relative greater fitness among sympatric fire ant species. Here we report on quantitative intra-specific (i.e. inter-caste) and inter-specific differences of alarm pheromone component, 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (2E36DMP), for several fire ant species. The alarm pheromone component was extracted by soaking ants in hexane for 48 h and subsequently quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at single ion monitoring mode. Solenopsis invicta workers had more 2E36DMP than male or female alates by relative weight; individual workers, however, contained significantly less pyrazine. We thus believe that alarm pheromones may serve additional roles in alates. Workers of Solenopsis richteri, S. invicta, and hybrid (S. richteri × S. invicta) had significantly more 2E36DMP than a native fire ant species, Solenopsis geminata. The hybrid fire ant had significantly less 2E36DMP than the two parent species, S. richteri and S. invicta. It seems likely that higher alarm pheromone content may have favored invasion success of exotic fire ants over native species. We discuss the potential role of inter-specific variation in pyrazine content for the relationship between the observed shifts in the spatial distributions of the three exotic fire ant species in southern United States and the displacement of native fire ant species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
| | - R R Balusu
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - W-Q Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
| | - O S Ajayi
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - Y-Y Lu
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,PR China
| | - R-S Zeng
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510642,PR China
| | - H Y Fadamiro
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama 36849,USA
| | - L Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,PR China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Takeichi Y, Uebi T, Miyazaki N, Murata K, Yasuyama K, Inoue K, Suzaki T, Kubo H, Kajimura N, Takano J, Omori T, Yoshimura R, Endo Y, Hojo MK, Takaya E, Kurihara S, Tatsuta K, Ozaki K, Ozaki M. Putative Neural Network Within an Olfactory Sensory Unit for Nestmate and Non-nestmate Discrimination in the Japanese Carpenter Ant: The Ultra-structures and Mathematical Simulation. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:310. [PMID: 30283303 PMCID: PMC6157317 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants are known to use a colony-specific blend of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as a pheromone to discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates and the CHCs were sensed in the basiconic type of antennal sensilla (S. basiconica). To investigate the functional design of this type of antennal sensilla, we observed the ultra-structures at 2D and 3D in the Japanese carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus, using a serial block-face scanning electron microscope (SBF-SEM), and conventional and high-voltage transmission electron microscopes. Based on the serial images of 352 cross sections of SBF-SEM, we reconstructed a 3D model of the sensillum revealing that each S. basiconica houses > 100 unbranched dendritic processes, which extend from the same number of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). The dendritic processes had characteristic beaded-structures and formed a twisted bundle within the sensillum. At the "beads," the cell membranes of the processes were closely adjacent in the interdigitated profiles, suggesting functional interactions via gap junctions (GJs). Immunohistochemistry with anti-innexin (invertebrate GJ protein) antisera revealed positive labeling in the antennae of C. japonicus. Innexin 3, one of the five antennal innexin subtypes, was detected as a dotted signal within the S. basiconica as a sensory organ for nestmate recognition. These morphological results suggest that ORNs form an electrical network via GJs between dendritic processes. We were unable to functionally certify the electric connections in an olfactory sensory unit comprising such multiple ORNs; however, with the aid of simulation of a mathematical model, we examined the putative function of this novel chemosensory information network, which possibly contributes to the distinct discrimination of colony-specific blends of CHCs or other odor detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Takeichi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Uebi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | | | | | - Kouji Yasuyama
- Division of Biology, Department of Natural Sciences, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Kanako Inoue
- Research Center for Ultra-High Voltage Electron Microscopy, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toshinobu Suzaki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hideo Kubo
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Naoko Kajimura
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Jo Takano
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Omori
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Yoshimura
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Endo
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masaru K Hojo
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Eichi Takaya
- Graduate School of Information Systems, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kurihara
- Graduate School of Information Systems, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Japan
| | - Kenta Tatsuta
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Koichi Ozaki
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nouvian M, Reinhard J, Giurfa M. The defensive response of the honeybee Apis mellifera. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:3505-3517. [PMID: 27852760 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are insects living in colonies with a complex social organization. Their nest contains food stores in the form of honey and pollen, as well as the brood, the queen and the bees themselves. These resources have to be defended against a wide range of predators and parasites, a task that is performed by specialized workers, called guard bees. Guards tune their response to both the nature of the threat and the environmental conditions, in order to achieve an efficient trade-off between defence and loss of foraging workforce. By releasing alarm pheromones, they are able to recruit other bees to help them handle large predators. These chemicals trigger both rapid and longer-term changes in the behaviour of nearby bees, thus priming them for defence. Here, we review our current understanding on how this sequence of events is performed and regulated depending on a variety of factors that are both extrinsic and intrinsic to the colony. We present our current knowledge on the neural bases of honeybee aggression and highlight research avenues for future studies in this area. We present a brief overview of the techniques used to study honeybee aggression, and discuss how these could be used to gain further insights into the mechanisms of this behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Nouvian
- Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia .,Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse cedex 9, 31062, France
| | - Judith Reinhard
- Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse cedex 9, 31062, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Schultzhaus JN, Saleem S, Iftikhar H, Carney GE. The role of the Drosophila lateral horn in olfactory information processing and behavioral response. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 98:29-37. [PMID: 27871975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Animals must rapidly and accurately process environmental information to produce the correct behavioral responses. Reactions to previously encountered as well as to novel but biologically important stimuli are equally important, and one understudied region in the insect brain plays a role in processing both types of stimuli. The lateral horn is a higher order processing center that mainly processes olfactory information and is linked via olfactory projection neurons to another higher order learning center, the mushroom body. This review focuses on the lateral horn of Drosophila where most functional studies have been performed. We discuss connectivity between the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, and the lateral horn and mushroom body. We also present evidence for the lateral horn playing roles in innate behavioral responses by encoding biological valence to novel odor cues and in learned responses to previously encountered odors by modulating neural activity within the mushroom body. We describe how these processes contribute to acceptance or avoidance of appropriate or inappropriate mates and food, as well as the identification of predators. The lateral horn is a sexually dimorphic and plastic region of the brain that modulates other regions of the brain to ensure that insects produce rapid and effective behavioral responses to both novel and learned stimuli, yet multiple gaps exist in our knowledge of this important center. We anticipate that future studies on olfactory processing, learning, and innate behavioral responses will include the lateral horn in their examinations, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of olfactory information relay and resulting behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janna N Schultzhaus
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Sehresh Saleem
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Hina Iftikhar
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Ginger E Carney
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kee T, Sanda P, Gupta N, Stopfer M, Bazhenov M. Feed-Forward versus Feedback Inhibition in a Basic Olfactory Circuit. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004531. [PMID: 26458212 PMCID: PMC4601731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons play critical roles in shaping the firing patterns of principal neurons in many brain systems. Despite difference in the anatomy or functions of neuronal circuits containing inhibition, two basic motifs repeatedly emerge: feed-forward and feedback. In the locust, it was proposed that a subset of lateral horn interneurons (LHNs), provide feed-forward inhibition onto Kenyon cells (KCs) to maintain their sparse firing—a property critical for olfactory learning and memory. But recently it was established that a single inhibitory cell, the giant GABAergic neuron (GGN), is the main and perhaps sole source of inhibition in the mushroom body, and that inhibition from this cell is mediated by a feedback (FB) loop including KCs and the GGN. To clarify basic differences in the effects of feedback vs. feed-forward inhibition in circuit dynamics we here use a model of the locust olfactory system. We found both inhibitory motifs were able to maintain sparse KCs responses and provide optimal odor discrimination. However, we further found that only FB inhibition could create a phase response consistent with data recorded in vivo. These findings describe general rules for feed-forward versus feedback inhibition and suggest GGN is potentially capable of providing the primary source of inhibition to the KCs. A better understanding of how inhibitory motifs impact post-synaptic neuronal activity could be used to reveal unknown inhibitory structures within biological networks. Understanding how inhibitory neurons interact with excitatory neurons is critical for understanding the behaviors of neuronal networks. Here we address this question with simple but biologically relevant models based on the anatomy of the locust olfactory pathway. Two ubiquitous and basic inhibitory motifs were tested: feed-forward and feedback. Feed-forward inhibition typically occurs between different brain areas when excitatory neurons excite inhibitory cells, which then inhibit a group of postsynaptic excitatory neurons outside of the initializing excitatory neurons’ area. On the other hand, the feedback inhibitory motif requires a population of excitatory neurons to drive the inhibitory cells, which in turn inhibit the same population of excitatory cells. We found the type of the inhibitory motif determined the timing with which each group of cells fired action potentials in comparison to one another (relative timing). It also affected the range of inhibitory neurons’ activity, with the inhibitory neurons having a wider range in the feedback circuit than that in the feed-forward one. These results will allow predicting the type of the connectivity structure within unexplored biological circuits given only electrophysiological recordings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Kee
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Pavel Sanda
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Mark Stopfer
- US National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Maxim Bazhenov
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
|
17
|
Cammaerts MC. Performance of the species-typical alarm response in young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is induced by interactions with mature workers. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:234. [PMID: 25525102 PMCID: PMC4684679 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieu096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Meinert 1861 perceived nestmate alarm pheromone but did not display normal alarm behavior (orientation toward the source of emission, increased running speed). They changed their initial behavior when in the presence of older nestmates exhibiting normal alarm behavior. Four days later, the young ants exhibited an imperfect version of normal alarm behavior. This change of behavior did not occur in young ants, which were not exposed to older ants reacting to alarm pheromone. Queen ants perceived the alarm pheromone and, after a few seconds, moved toward its source. Thus, the ants' ability to sense the alarm pheromone and to identify it as an alarm signal is native, while the adult alarm reaction is acquired over time (= age based polyethism) by young ants. It is possible that the change in behavior observed in young ants could be initiated and/or enhanced (via experience-induced developmental plasticity, learning, and/or other mechanisms) by older ants exhibiting alarm behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claire Cammaerts
- Faculté des Sciences, DBO, CP 160/12, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50, A. F. Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Euzébio DE, Martins GF, Fernandes-Salomão TM. Morphological and morphometric studies of the antennal sensilla from two populations of Atta robusta (Borgmeier 1939) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). BRAZ J BIOL 2013; 73:663-8. [DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842013000300026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ant Atta robusta is endemic to the “restinga” ecosystems where it has an important role in the dynamics of seed dispersal. Despite its importance, A. robusta is considered a threatened species. In this study we analyzed the antennal sensory organs of two different populations of A. robusta (from the cities of São Mateus and Maricá in in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States, respectively) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM revealed different types of sensilla in the A. robusta antennae, i.e., curved and straight trichoid, basiconic, ampullacea and coeloconic, which were highly abundant found in the distal flagellomeres (F) compared with other antenna regions. There were differences in samples collected from two locations in terms of the sensilla number and length. The average numbers of straight and curved trichoid sensillae numbers were different in F9 and F8, respectively, while the average length of the curved trichoid sensilla was only different in F9. These variations in sensory organs between two populations of A. robusta may indicate an adaptation of this species to different environmental conditions. The number of straight trichoid sensilla was only significantly different in F9.
Collapse
|
19
|
LeBoeuf AC, Benton R, Keller L. The molecular basis of social behavior: models, methods and advances. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:3-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2012.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Revised: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
20
|
Nishikawa M, Watanabe H, Yokohari F. Higher brain centers for social tasks in worker ants, Camponotus japonicus. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:1584-98. [PMID: 22102363 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ants, eusocial insects, have highly elaborate chemical communication systems using a wide variety of pheromones. In the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus, workers and queens have the female-specific basiconic sensilla on antennae. The antennal lobe, the primary processing center, in female carpenter ants contains about 480 glomeruli, which are divided into seven groups (T1–T7 glomeruli) based on sensory afferent tracts. The axons of sensory neurons in basiconic sensilla are thought to project to female-specific T6 glomeruli. Therefore, these sensilla and glomeruli are thought to relate to female-specific social tasks in the ants. By using dye filling into local neurons (LNs) and projection neurons (PNs) in the antennal lobe, we neuroanatomically revealed the existence of an isolated processing system for signals probably relating to social tasks in the worker ant. In the antennal lobe, two categories of glomeruli, T6 glomeruli and non-T6 glomeruli, are clearly segregated by LNs. Furthermore, axon terminals of uniglomerular PNs from the respective categories of glomeruli (T6 uni-PNs and non-T6 uni-PNs) are also segregated in the secondary olfactory centers, the calyces of the mushroom body and the lateral horn: T6 uni-PNs terminate in the outer layers of the basal ring and lip of mushroom body calyces and in the posterior region of the lateral horn, whereas non-T6 uni-PNs terminate in the middle and inner layers of the basal ring and lip and in the anterior region of the lateral horn. These findings suggest that information probably relating to social tasks might be isolated from other olfactory information and processed in a separate subsystem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Nishikawa
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|