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Gao Q, Long J, Liu C, Liu H, Ran H, Lacy KD, Kronauer DJC. Ooceraeahainingensis sp. nov.: A new Chinese Ooceraea (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) species with a dealate queen, closely allied to the queenless clonal raider ant O.biroi. Zookeys 2024; 1205:101-113. [PMID: 38947166 PMCID: PMC11211655 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1205.118358] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The clonal raider ant, Ooceraeabiroi, is a queenless species that reproduces asexually, and these traits make it an attractive model system for laboratory research. However, it is unclear where on the ant phylogeny these traits evolved, partly because few closely related species have been described and studied. Here, we describe a new raider ant species, Ooceraeahainingensis sp. nov., from Zhejiang, China. This species is closely related to O.biroi but can be distinguished by the following features: 1) workers of O.hainingensis sp. nov. have an obvious promesonotal suture and a metanotal groove, whereas these characters are ambiguous in O.biroi; and 2) the subpetiolar process of O.hainingensis is prominent and anteroventrally directed like a thumb with sublinear posteroventral margin, while in O.biroi, it is anteroventrally directed but slightly backward-bent. Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirm that O.hainingensis is genetically distinct from O.biroi. Importantly, unlike O.biroi, O.hainingensis has a queen caste with wings and well-developed eyes. This suggests that the loss of the queen caste and transition to asexual reproduction by workers is specific to O.biroi and occurred after that species diverged from closely related congeneric species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qionghua Gao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agri-Environmental and Agri-Products Safety/National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Jiliang Long
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agri-Environmental and Agri-Products Safety/National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Chengyuan Liu
- Center for Evolutionary and Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Haoyu Liu
- Haining Ziwei Senior High School, Haining, 314400, China
| | - Hao Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China
| | - Kip D. Lacy
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J. C. Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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2
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Camacho C, Vidal‐Cordero JM, Sáez‐Gómez P, Hidalgo‐Rodríguez P, Rabadán‐González J, Molina C, Edelaar P. The nightjar and the ant: Intercontinental migration reveals a cryptic interaction. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11113. [PMID: 38770123 PMCID: PMC11103455 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Birds and ants co-occur in most terrestrial ecosystems and engage in a range of interactions. Competition, mutualism and predation are prominent examples of these interactions, but there are possibly many others that remain to be identified and characterized. This study provides quantitative estimates of the frequency of toe amputations resulting from ant bites in a population of migratory red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis) monitored for 15 years (2009-2023) in S Spain, and identifies the attacker(s) based on taxonomic analyses of ant-mandible remains found on injured toes. Less than 1% of examined adults (N = 369) missed one or more toes. The analysis of ant remains identified African army ants (Dorylus sp.) as the primary cause of toe amputations in nightjars and revealed that body parts of the attacker may remain attached to the birds even after intercontinental migration. No cases of severe damage were observed in juveniles (N = 269), apart from the mandible of a Messor barbarus - a local ant species - attached to one of the teeth of the characteristic comb of the medial toe of nightjars. The incidence of ant-bite damage may appear unimportant for nightjar populations, but this might not be true if only birds that manage to survive their injuries and potential complications (e.g. severe bleeding and sepsis from opportunistic infections) return from the tropics. More field studies, ideally in tropical areas, that incorporate routine examination of ant-induced injuries into their protocols are needed to understand the true incidence and eco-evolutionary implications of antagonistic ant-bird interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Camacho
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionEstación Biológica de Doñana–CSICSevillaSpain
| | | | - Pedro Sáez‐Gómez
- Department of Ecology, Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG‐UAM)Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Paula Hidalgo‐Rodríguez
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionEstación Biológica de Doñana–CSICSevillaSpain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical EngineeringUniversidad Pablo de OlavideSevillaSpain
| | | | - Carlos Molina
- SEO/BirdLife, Doñana Technical OfficeEl Rocío, HuelvaSpain
| | - Pim Edelaar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical EngineeringUniversidad Pablo de OlavideSevillaSpain
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Jimoh BO, Gómez K, Kemabonta KA, Wakanjuola WA, Phiri EE, Mothapo PN. A checklist of Nigerian ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): a review, new records and exotic species. Biodivers Data J 2024; 12:e99555. [PMID: 38328409 PMCID: PMC10848766 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.12.e99555] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Ants are one of the most ubiquitous, widespread and abundant groups of animals on Earth. They are eusocial and are well noted for their important ecosystem services such as nutrient recycling, seed dispersal, engaging in mutualistic associations with other organisms, as well as serving as predators and scavengers. Although Africa has been recognised as a global hotspot for ant diversity, African ant genera are not as well-known when compared with other regions. The last checklist of Nigerian ants was compiled and published in the 1970s. To contribute to new knowledge on West African ant genera and Nigeria in particular, we conducted a review of the ant species of Nigeria using 132 scientific publications mostly compiled in the database www.antmaps.org, along with a survey of ant species of Lagos and Oyo States in Nigeria which was conducted between 2018 and 2020. The study aimed to ascertain the diversity of Nigerian ant genera, as well as to confirm the presence of previously recorded species and add new species to the current checklist of Nigerian ants, based on the 1970 survey. New information As many as 106 species were recorded from the survey in the current study, of which 28 are new to Nigeria and additional 28 are identified to the morphospecies level. In total, 317 species from 10 subfamilies and 64 genera are now recorded from Nigeria, including 11 invasive ants, of which six are new to Nigeria. The following eleven species that were included in the 1970 checklist were excluded from the current list, mostly due to previous misidentifications: Aenictusrotundatus Mayr, 1901; Anochetusjonesi Arnold, 1926; Camponotusbarbarossamicipsa Wheeler, 1992; Camponotusforaminosusdorsalis Santschi, 1926; Camponotusrufoglaucus (Jerdon, 1851); Cardiocondylazoserka Bolton, 1982; Messorbarbarus (Linnaeus, 1767); Odontomachushaematodus (Linnaeus, 1758); Technomyrmexalbipes (Smith, 1861); Tetramoriumdecem Forel, 1913 and Tetraponerapenzigi (Mayr, 1907).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kiko Gómez
- Independent Researcher, Barcelona, SpainIndependent ResearcherBarcelonaSpain
| | | | | | - Ethel Emmarantia Phiri
- Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South AfricaStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
| | - Palesa Natasha Mothapo
- Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South AfricaStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
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Raimundo APP, Santos PPD, Cossolin JFS, Dourado LA, Bozdoğan H, Serrão JE. Morphology of the Mandibular and Intramandibular Glands of Army Ant Workers of Labidus praedator (Smith 1858) and Labidus coecus (Latreille 1802) (Formicidae: Dorylinae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:1129-1137. [PMID: 37906377 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01088-4] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Social insects are characterized by having a wide diversity of exocrine glands, with highlights for ants with about 85 glands spreading throughout the body. The mandibular and intramandibular glands are associated with the production of pheromones. The army ants (Dorylinae) play an important role in the structure of the invertebrate community because they are efficient predators and provide suitable conditions for various animals following their invasions in the food search. Labidus coecus (Latreille) is an underground-ameliorating ant and Labidus praedator (Smith) is a generalist surface predator which can deplete invertebrate biomass by up to 75%. This work investigated the morphology of the mandibular and intramandibular glands of L. praedator and L. coecus workers. The glands were analyzed by light microscopy, histochemistry, and scanning electron microscopy. The mandibular and intramandibular glands of the two species were classified as class III glands. The data on the morphology of the mandibular glands has revealed that they have characteristics in common with other subfamilies. The intramandibular glands of the two species of Labidus have similar morphology and chemical composition, which indicates that the components of these glands can have the same function despite their different habits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hakan Bozdoğan
- Department of Plant and Animal Production, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Kirsehir Ahi Evran University, Kirsehir, Turkey
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Yamada A, Nguyen DD, Eguchi K. First discovery of the ant genus Eburopone Borowiec, 2016 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Oriental realm, with description of a new species from Vietnam. Zookeys 2023; 1184:1-17. [PMID: 38314328 PMCID: PMC10838167 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1184.109702] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The doryline ant genus Eburopone Borowiec, 2016 currently contains only one valid species, E.wroughtoni (Forel, 1910) from southern Africa, with a considerable number of undescribed species awaiting formal description in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. In the present paper, Eburoponeeasoanasp. nov. is described based on workers and dealate queens from a colony series collected in an evergreen forest on the Dak Lak Plateau of Vietnam (Ea So Nature Reserve, Dak Lak Province). The worker of the new species is morphologically clearly distinguished from E.wroughtoni by the combination of following characteristics: i) frontal line distinct, extending a little beyond mid-length of cranium; ii) anterior (frontoclypeal) margins of torulo-posttorular complex not forming conspicuous lobes protruding over anterior clypeal margin in full-face view; iii) mandibles when closed in full-face view forming only a little space between anterior clypeal margin and mandibles; iv) promesonotal suture faint and inconspicuous; v) abdominal segment III in dorsal view distinctly wider than long, with lateral margins only feebly convex. This represents the first discovery of the genus Eburopone in the Oriental realm, revealing the disjunct distribution of the genus. A partial sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene (658 bp) is provided as a DNA barcode for the new species. A worker-based key to the doryline genera of the Oriental realm is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiki Yamada
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, JapanTokyo Metropolitan UniversityHachiojiJapan
| | - Dai Dac Nguyen
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, JapanTokyo Metropolitan UniversityHachiojiJapan
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, VietnamInstitute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and TechnologyHanoiVietnam
| | - Katsuyuki Eguchi
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, JapanTokyo Metropolitan UniversityHachiojiJapan
- Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Nagasaki, 852-8523, JapanNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
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Chaul JCM. A revision of the Cretaceous ant genus Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, 2013 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Zigrasimeciinae). Zootaxa 2023; 5325:301-341. [PMID: 38220906 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5325.3.1] [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: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The extinct Cretaceous ant genus Zigrasimecia Barden & Grimaldi, the iron maiden ants from Myanmar, is revised, and five new species are described: Z. boudinoti sp. nov., Z. caohuijiae sp. nov.,Z. chuyangsui sp. nov., Z. perrichoti sp. nov., and Z. thate sp. nov. Zigrasimecia hoelldobleri paratype (CNU-HYM-MA2019054) is removed from the type series. New diagnoses for all species are provided and species boundaries are discussed. Studied specimens that are not ideally preserved are presented and discussed, some of them are putative new species. Two identification keys for the genus are provided, a traditional, dichotomous key and an interactive, multi-entry key hosted online at the website www.Xper3.fr. I briefly discuss the unlikeliness of the genus Boltonimecia to belong to the subfamily Zigrasimeciinae, and also the taxonomic problem caused by the description of species based on alates and poorly preserved fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jlio Cezar Mrio Chaul
- Programa de Ps-Graduao em Ecologia; Departamento de Biologia Geral; Universidade Federal de Viosa; 36570-900; Viosa; Minas Gerais; Brazil.
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7
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Tseng SP, Darras H, Hsu PW, Yoshimura T, Lee CY, Wetterer JK, Keller L, Yang CCS. Genetic analysis reveals the putative native range and widespread double-clonal reproduction in the invasive longhorn crazy ant. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1020-1033. [PMID: 36527320 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Clonal reproduction can provide an advantage for invasive species to establish as it can circumvent inbreeding depression which often plagues introduced populations. The world's most widespread invasive ant, Paratrechina longicornis, was previously found to display a double-clonal reproduction system, whereby both males and queens are produced clonally, resulting in separate male and queen lineages, while workers are produced sexually. Under this unusual reproduction mode, inbreeding is avoided in workers as they carry hybrid interlineage genomes. Despite the ubiquitous distribution of P. longicornis, the significance of this reproductive system for the ant's remarkable success remains unclear, as its prevalence is still unknown. Further investigation into the controversial native origin of P. longicornis is also required to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of double-clonal lineages. Here, we examine genetic variation and characterize the reproduction mode of P. longicornis populations sampled worldwide using microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequences to infer the ant's putative native range and the distribution of the double-clonal reproductive system. Analyses of global genetic variations indicate that the Indian subcontinent is a genetic diversity hotspot of this species, suggesting that P. longicornis probably originates from this geographical area. Our analyses revealed that both the inferred native and introduced populations exhibit double-clonal reproduction, with queens and males around the globe belonging to two separate, nonrecombining clonal lineages. By contrast, workers are highly heterozygous because they are first-generation interlineage hybrids. Overall, these data indicate a worldwide prevalence of double clonality in P. longicornis and support the prediction that the unusual genetic system may have pre-adapted this ant for global colonization by maintaining heterozygosity in the worker force and alleviating genetic bottlenecks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ping Tseng
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA.,Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hugo Darras
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Po-Wei Hsu
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Yoshimura
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chow-Yang Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - James K Wetterer
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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8
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Tozetto L, Forrister DL, Duval M, Hays T, Garwood N, Castro RV, Lattke JE, Sendoya S, Longino JT. Army ant males lose seasonality at a site on the equator. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Tozetto
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Dale L. Forrister
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA
| | - Megan Duval
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA
| | - Tobias Hays
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA
| | - Nancy C. Garwood
- School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
| | - Ronald Vargas Castro
- Texas A&M University Soltis Center San Juan de Peñas Blancas, San Ramón Costa Rica
| | - John E. Lattke
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Sebastian Sendoya
- Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética Universidade Federal de Pelotas Pelotas Brazil
| | - John T. Longino
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah USA
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9
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Sosiak CE, Borowiec ML, Barden P. An Eocene army ant. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220398. [PMID: 36416032 PMCID: PMC9682434 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0398] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Among social insects, army ants are exceptional in their voracious coordinated predation, nomadic life history and highly specialized wingless queens: the synthesis of these remarkable traits is referred to as the army ant syndrome. Despite molecular evidence that the army ant syndrome evolved twice during the mid-Cenozoic, once in the Neotropics and once in the Afrotropics, fossil army ants are markedly scarce, comprising a single known species from the Caribbean 16 Ma. Here we report the oldest army ant fossil and the first from the Eastern Hemisphere (EH), Dissimulodorylus perseus, preserved in Baltic amber dated to the Eocene. Using a combined morphological and molecular ultra conserved elements dataset spanning doryline lineages, we find that D. perseus is nested among extant EH army ants with affinities to Dorylus. Army ants are characterized by limited extant diversification throughout most of the Cenozoic; the discovery of D. perseus suggests an unexpected diversity of now-extinct army ant lineages in the Cenozoic, some of which were present in Continental Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Sosiak
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Marek L. Borowiec
- Department of Agricultural Biology and C. P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Colorado State University, CO 80523, USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
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10
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Xing S, Hood ASC, Dial RJ, Fayle TM. Species turnover in ant assemblages is greater horizontally than vertically in the world's tallest tropical forest. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9158. [PMID: 35919394 PMCID: PMC9336171 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abiotic and biotic factors structure species assembly in ecosystems both horizontally and vertically. However, the way community composition changes along comparable horizontal and vertical distances in complex three‐dimensional habitats, and the factors driving these patterns, remains poorly understood. By sampling ant assemblages at comparable vertical and horizontal spatial scales in a tropical rainforest, we tested hypotheses that predicted differences in vertical and horizontal turnover explained by different drivers in vertical and horizontal space. These drivers included environmental filtering, such as microclimate (temperature, humidity, and photosynthetic photon flux density) and microhabitat connectivity (leaf area), which are structured differently across vertical and horizontal space. We found that both ant abundance and richness decreased significantly with increasing vertical height. Although the dissimilarity between ant assemblages increased with vertical distance, indicating a clear distance‐decay pattern, the dissimilarity was higher horizontally where it appeared independent of distance. The pronounced horizontal and vertical structuring of ant assemblages across short distances is likely explained by a combination of microclimate and microhabitat connectivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering three‐dimensional spatial variation in local assemblages and reveal how highly diverse communities can be supported by complex habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Xing
- School of Ecology Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou P. R. China
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Amelia S. C. Hood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Roman J. Dial
- Institute of Culture and Environment Alaska Pacific University Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Tom M. Fayle
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
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11
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Kalesh Sadasivan, Manoj Kripakaran. First record of Proceratium Roger, 1863, Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918, and Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India, description of three new species, and implications for Indian biogeography. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2022. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7682.14.7.21368-21387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Three new ant species from the genera Proceratium Roger, 1863, Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918, and Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 are described from the Western Ghats of southern India. This is the first report of Proceratium and Zasphinctus from peninsular India and the first record of Vollenhovia from the Western Ghats mountain range proper. Proceratium gibbosum sp. nov. is described from Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, being the first record of the stictum species group from the Indian subcontinent; it differs from other members of the stictum group by the mesonotum bearing a prominent rounded dorsal hump (tumulus) and petiole devoid of ventral tooth. The first record of the genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918 from the Indian region is also presented here, with a description of a new species. Zasphinctus sahyadriensis sp. nov. differs from all known Afrotropical and Asian Zasphinctus by a combination of characters including clypeal area with single median tooth, occipital margin being regular in outline, and head sculpture sparsely punctate. The occurrence of the genus Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 is confirmed from peninsular India, with the description of the female castes of Vollenhovia keralensis sp. nov. We provide ecological notes on these new taxa. In addition, separate identification keys based on the worker caste are also presented to Indo-Malayan species of Proceratium, Afrotropical-Indomalayan species of Zasphinctus, and Vollenhovia of the Indian subcontinent. The biogeographical implications of the presence of these three genera are also discussed in relation to plate tectonics of the Indian subcontinent.
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12
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Lieberman ZE, Billen J, Kamp T, Boudinot BE. The ant abdomen: the skeletomuscular and soft tissue anatomy of
Amblyopone australis
workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Morphol 2022; 283:693-770. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Ellis Lieberman
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, U. S. A. 95616
| | - Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2466, B‐3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Thomas 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), Kaiserstraße 12 Karlsruhe Germany
| | - Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich‐Schiller‐Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomologie Gruppe, Erbertstraße 1 07743 Jena Germany
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13
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La Richelière F, Muñoz G, Guénard B, Dunn RR, Economo EP, Powell S, Sanders NJ, Weiser MD, Abouheif E, Lessard JP. Warm and arid regions of the world are hotspots of superorganism complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211899. [PMID: 35135345 PMCID: PMC8832517 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Biologists have long been fascinated by the processes that give rise to phenotypic complexity of organisms, yet whether there exist geographical hotspots of phenotypic complexity remains poorly explored. Phenotypic complexity can be readily observed in ant colonies, which are superorganisms with morphologically differentiated queen and worker castes analogous to the germline and soma of multicellular organisms. Several ant species have evolved 'worker polymorphism', where workers in a single colony show quantifiable differences in size and head-to-body scaling. Here, we use 256 754 occurrence points from 8990 ant species to investigate the geography of worker polymorphism. We show that arid regions of the world are the hotspots of superorganism complexity. Tropical savannahs and deserts, which are typically species-poor relative to tropical or even temperate forests, harbour the highest densities of polymorphic ants. We discuss the possible adaptive advantages that worker polymorphism provides in arid environments. Our work may provide a window into the environmental conditions that promote the emergence of highly complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédérique La Richelière
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Canada, H4B 1R6,Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Canada, H3A 1B1
| | - Gabriel Muñoz
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Canada, H4B 1R6
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, 3510 Thomas Hall, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Scott Powell
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1105 North University Ave Biological Sciences Building, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1085, USA
| | - Michael D. Weiser
- Geographical Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Canada, H3A 1B1
| | - Jean-Philippe Lessard
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Canada, H4B 1R6
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14
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Aswaj P, Sahanashree R, Udayakantha WS, Aniruddha M, Priyadarsanan DR. Two new species of doryline ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with 11-segmented antennae from India. Zookeys 2021; 1056:59-72. [PMID: 34512091 PMCID: PMC8387304 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1056.68722] [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: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two new species of the subfamily Dorylinae Leach, 1815 namely Parasysciaganeshaiahi sp. nov. and Sysciaindica sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on the worker caste. These species were collected in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Keys to Parasyscia of India and Syscia of Asia are provided based on the worker caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punnath Aswaj
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
| | - Ramakrishnaiah Sahanashree
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
| | | | - Marathe Aniruddha
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru - 560012, Karnataka, India Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru India
| | - Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bengaluru - 560064, Karnataka, India Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bengaluru India
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15
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Boudinot BE, Moosdorf OTD, Beutel RG, Richter A. Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex- and caste-limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant. J Morphol 2021; 282:1616-1658. [PMID: 34427942 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ants are highly polyphenic Hymenoptera, with at least three distinct adult forms in the vast majority of species. Their sexual dimorphism, however, is overlooked to the point of being a nearly forgotten phenomenon. Using a multimodal approach, we interrogate the near total head microanatomy of the male of Dorylus helvolus, the "sausagefly," and compare it with the conspecific or near-conspecific female castes, the "driver ants." We found that no specific features were shared uniquely between the workers and males to the exclusion of the queens, indicating independence of male and worker development; males and queens, however, uniquely shared several features. Certain previous generalizations about ant sexual dimorphism are confirmed, while we also discover discrete muscular presences and absences, for which reason we provide a coarse characterization of functional morphology. Based on the unexpected retention of a medial carinate line on the structurally simplified mandible of the male, we postulate a series of developmental processes to explain the patterning of ant mandibles. We invoke functional and anatomical principles to classify sensilla. Critically, we observe an inversion of the expected pattern of male-queen mandible development: male Dorylus mandibles are extremely large while queen mandibles are poorly developed. To explain this, we posit that the reproductive-limited mandible phenotype is canalized in Dorylus, thus partially decoupling the queen and worker castes. We discuss alternative hypotheses and provide further comparisons to understand mandibular evolution in army ants. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the expression of the falcate phenotype in the queen is coincidental, that is, a "spandrel," and that the form of male mandibles is also generally coincidental across the ants. We conclude that the theory of ant development and evolution is incomplete without consideration of the male system, and we call for focused study of male anatomy and morphogenesis, and of trait limitation across all castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Elias Boudinot
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Olivia Tikuma Diana Moosdorf
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Rolf Georg Beutel
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian Richter
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Entomology Group, Erbertstraße, Jena, Germany
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16
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Soil-litter ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) community response to reforested lands of Gishwati tropical montane forest, northern-western part of Rwanda. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467421000237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRecently, human activities have impacted biodiversity-rich forest in western Rwanda, creating a need to enhance restoration activities of degraded lands in the region. To evaluate the effects of reforestation activities on the community composition of soil-litter ants, research was conducted in Gishwati tropical montane forest, located in northern-western part of Rwanda. The ant fauna was studied in reforested lands dominated by regenerated native species and exotic tree species. Further, a primary forest made of native trees served as a reference. In each forest type, nine sampling points were used to sample ants. Ant specimens were collected using pitfalls, hand sampling and Winkler extractor. They were identified to subfamilies, genus and species levels using dichotomous keys, and also statistically analysed for species richness, diversity, evenness and community composition. We collected a total of 2,481 individuals from 5 subfamilies, 18 genera and 35 species. Higher abundance, diversity and species richness were found in soil-litter under natural primary and secondary forests dominated by regenerated native plant species compared to exotic tree forest. The ant community composition analysis indicated higher similarities in ant species sampled under primary native forest and secondary forest dominated by regenerated native species. Reforestation by regenerating native species may be given priority in restoration of degraded lands due to their importance in species richness and species diversity.
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Abstract
The mass raids of army ants are an iconic collective phenomenon, in which many thousands of ants spontaneously leave their nest to hunt for food, mostly other arthropods. While the structure and ecology of these raids have been relatively well studied, how army ants evolved such complex cooperative behavior is not understood. Here, we show that army ant mass raiding has evolved from a different form of cooperative hunting called group raiding, in which a scout directs a small group of ants to a specific target through chemical communication. We describe the structure of group raids in the clonal raider ant, a close relative of army ants in the subfamily Dorylinae. We find evidence that the coarse structure of group raids and mass raids is highly conserved and that all doryline ants likely follow similar behavioral rules for raiding. We also find that the evolution of army ant mass raiding occurred concurrently with expansions in colony size. By experimentally increasing colony size in the clonal raider ant, we show that mass raiding gradually emerges from group raiding without altering individual behavioral rules. This suggests that increasing colony size can explain the evolution of army ant mass raids and supports the idea that complex social behaviors may evolve via mechanisms that need not alter the behavioral interaction rules that immediately underlie the collective behavior of interest.
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18
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Aguilar-Méndez MJ, Rosas-Mejía M, Vásquez-Bolaños M, González-Hernández GA, Janda M. New distributional records for ants and the evaluation of ant species richness and endemism patterns in Mexico. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e60630. [PMID: 34012314 PMCID: PMC8128848 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e60630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ants (Formicidae) in Mexico have usually been undersampled despite their ecological significance and their utility as environmental service providers and bioindicators. This study estimates the species richness and the narrow endemic species number of ants across Mexico. It also documents the presence of one species newly recorded in Mexico and 19 new state-based records of 14 species from central and north Mexico. No surveys have been performed in most of the localities where we report those records, suggesting the need for a higher sampling effort across the country. New information We present an ant species richness estimation and a narrow endemic ant species estimation in a grid of 0.5 degrees in Mexico. Stenammaschmitii is recorded for the first time from Mexico. Additionally, new state-based records of Aztecavelox, Dorymyrmexinsanus, Camponotuscoruscus, Camponotusstriatus, Formicapropatula, Lasiuslatipes, Neivamyrmexmelanocephalus, Neivamyrmexrugulosus, Sysciaaugustae, Attatexana, Cephalotesscutulatus, Crematogastercrinosa and Temnothoraxandrei are recorded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario J Aguilar-Méndez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato Guanajuato, Guanajuato Mexico.,Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería Campus Guanajuato (UPIIG), Silao de la Victoria, Guanajuato, Mexico Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería Campus Guanajuato (UPIIG) Silao de la Victoria, Guanajuato Mexico
| | - Madai Rosas-Mejía
- Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas Mexico
| | - Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños
- Entomología, Departamento de Boátanica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico Entomología, Departamento de Boátanica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara Zapopan, Jalisco Mexico
| | - Gloria Angélica González-Hernández
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato Guanajuato, Guanajuato Mexico
| | - Milan Janda
- Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic.,Cátedras CONACYT, Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, ENES, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico Cátedras CONACYT, Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, ENES, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia Mexico
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19
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Nsengimana V, Vanderheyden A, Gombeer S, Smitz N, Meganck K, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Fisher BL, Dekoninck W. First record of the ant Pheidole megatron Fischer and Fisher, 2013 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Rwanda. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2021.1901605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Venuste Nsengimana
- Department of Mathematics, Science and Physical Education, College of Education, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (CoEB), College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brian L Fisher
- Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service), Brussels, Belgium
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20
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Billen J, Khalife A, Ito F, Anh ND, Esteves FA. The basitarsal sulcus gland, a novel exocrine structure in ants. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 61:101041. [PMID: 33667897 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2021.101041] [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: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The basitarsus of the mid- and/or hindlegs of several Amblyoponinae ants shows a deep longitudinal groove or sulcus on its anterior face in workers and queens. Histological examination reveals this sulcus is associated with a conspicuous novel epithelial gland, which brings the number of exocrine glands in the legs of ants to 25. The ultrastructural characteristics of the gland show the presence of a well-developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This is indicative for the elaboration of a non-proteinaceous and thus possibly pheromonal secretion. Behavioural observations show that this secretion is collected by the tarsomeres and spread onto the brood and nest, suggesting a role in nestmate recognition. A similar basitarsal sulcus gland was also found in Nothomyrmecia, Paraponera and Tetraponera, which represents both a wide phylogenetic and ecological distribution, as it includes arboreal, ground-dwelling as well as subterranean taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2466, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Adam Khalife
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Ikenobe, Miki 761-0795, Japan
| | - Nguyen Duc Anh
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Flavia A Esteves
- California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., San Francisco, CA 94941, USA
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21
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Foraging and feeding are independently regulated by social and personal hunger in the clonal raider ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02985-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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22
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Bharti H, Rilta JS, Dhadwal T. Two new species of Ooceraea (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) from India with ten-segmented antennae. Zookeys 2021; 1010:165-183. [PMID: 33531861 PMCID: PMC7817653 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1010.58436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Two new species, O.decamerasp. nov. and O.joshiisp. nov., of the ant genus Ooceraea are described from India. These species differ from other known congeners on the basis of number of antennal segments. An illustrated key to the known species based on the worker caste is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himender Bharti
- Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India Punjabi University Patiala India
| | - Joginder Singh Rilta
- Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India Punjabi University Patiala India
| | - Tarun Dhadwal
- Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, 147002, India Punjabi University Patiala India
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23
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Khachonpisitsak S, Yamane S, Sriwichai P, Jaitrong W. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zookeys 2020; 998:1-182. [PMID: 33335444 PMCID: PMC7714773 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.998.54902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thailand has a great diversity of ant fauna as a zoogeographical crossroads and biodiversity hotspot. The last publication presenting a Thai ant checklist was published in 2005. In the present paper, based on an examination of museum specimens and published records, a comprehensive and critical species list of Thai ants is synthesized. Currently, 529 valid species and subspecies in 109 genera among ten subfamilies are known from Thailand with their diversity and distribution within 77 provinces presented and assigned to six geographical regions. Furthermore, Thailand is the type locality for 81 ant species. Forty-one species are here newly recorded for Thailand with photographs illustrating these species. The checklist provides information on distribution and a comprehensive bibliography. This study will also serve as a guide for the upper northeast and central Thailand, which are poorly sampled; a comprehensive reference list relating to endemic taxa and localities where conservation is an important priority, thus an essential resource for policy makers and conservation planners concerned with the management of insect diversity in Thailand; and a list of exotic ant species found in Thailand, which could possibly impact the ecological balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salinee Khachonpisitsak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Burapha University, 169 Long Hard Bangsaen Road, Sanesuk, Mueang, Chon Buri, 20131 ThailandBurapha UniversityChon BuriThailand
| | - Seiki Yamane
- Kagoshima University Museum, Korimoto 1-21-30, Kagoshimashi, 890-0065 JapanKagoshima UniversityKagoshimaJapan
| | - Patchara Sriwichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 ThailandMahidol UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Weeyawat Jaitrong
- Thailand Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, Technopolis, Khlong 5, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120 ThailandThailand Natural History MuseumPathum ThaniThailand
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24
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Sosiak CE, Barden P. Multidimensional trait morphology predicts ecology across ant lineages. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Sosiak
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark NJ USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark NJ USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
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25
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Dias RKS, Guénard B, Akbar SA, Economo EP, Udayakantha WS, Wachkoo AA. The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Sri Lanka: a taxonomic research summary and updated checklist. Zookeys 2020; 967:1-142. [PMID: 32999587 PMCID: PMC7508952 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.967.54432] [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: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An updated checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Sri Lanka is presented. These include representatives of eleven of the 17 known extant subfamilies with 341 valid ant species in 79 genera. Lioponeralongitarsus Mayr, 1879 is reported as a new species country record for Sri Lanka. Notes about type localities, depositories, and relevant references to each species record are given. Accounts of the dubious and some undetermined species from Sri Lanka are also provided. 82 species (24%) are endemic whereas 18 species that are non-native to Sri Lanka are recorded. The list provides a synthesis of the regional taxonomical work carried out to date and will serve as a baseline for future studies on the ant fauna of this biodiversity hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China he University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Shahid Ali Akbar
- Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 191132, India Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Srinagar India
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Kunigamigun Japan
| | | | - Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo
- Department of Zoology, Government Degree College, Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India Government Degree College Jammu and Kashmir India
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26
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Tozetto L, Lattke JE. Revealing male genital morphology in the giant ant genus Dinoponera with geometric morphometrics. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2020; 57:100943. [PMID: 32315936 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.100943] [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: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Genitalia include some of the most complex and morphologically diverse structures in insects, finding extensive use in taxonomy, but ant taxonomy is female biased and knowledge of the males is little explored, potentially depriving ant taxonomy of valuable information. We examine the male genital morphology of six species of Dinoponera and the variation among species and within species is described. We performed geometric morphometric analyses for the penisvalvae and lateropenite of the volsella. The results from the descriptions and statistical analyses show the genitalia offer valuable characters for species delimitation. What is presently known as Dinoponera australis can be differentiated into discrete populations, perhaps some representing cryptic species. The similarities between D. australis and D. snellingi suggest a close relation between them as well as between D. gigantea and D. quadriceps. We conclude that several genital characters, especially those of the penisvalvae, can be used to differentiate the species and might be useful to clarify the taxonomy of Dinoponera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Tozetto
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, S/n, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, CEP: 81531-980, Brazil.
| | - John E Lattke
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, S/n, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba, CEP: 81531-980, Brazil
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27
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Trible W, McKenzie SK, Kronauer DJC. Globally invasive populations of the clonal raider ant are derived from Bangladesh. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200105. [PMID: 32544382 PMCID: PMC7336853 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the native range of invasive species is useful to understand their evolution and natural history, as well as to develop new methods to control potentially harmful introduced organisms. The clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi, is an introduced species and an increasingly important social insect model organism, but its native range remains unknown. Here, we report a new series of O. biroi collections from Bangladesh, Singapore, Vietnam and China. We use a molecular phylogeny constructed with five gene fragments from 27 samples to determine that invasive lineages of O. biroi originated in Bangladesh. These lineages may have spread from Bangladesh via the historically significant Bay of Bengal shipping ports. Ooceraea biroi shares multiple features of its biology with other introduced ants, including parthenogenesis, retention of heterozygosity and presence of multiple egg-layers in the colony. Using laboratory rearing and microsatellite markers, we show that colonies collected from disturbed habitat in Bangladesh have these traits in common with colonies from the invasive range. Ancestral populations with sexual reproduction in primary habitats either remain to be discovered or have gone extinct. Our findings advance our understanding of the global spread of the clonal raider ant and highlight a suite of general traits that make certain ants prone to becoming invasive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waring Trible
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, NW 369.20, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sean K. McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J. C. Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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28
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Manubay JA, Powell S. Detection of prey odours underpins dietary specialization in a Neotropical top-predator: How army ants find their ant prey. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1165-1174. [PMID: 32097493 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the mechanisms that underpin dietary specialization and niche partitioning is crucial to understanding the maintenance of biodiversity. New world army ants live in species-rich assemblages throughout the Neotropics and are voracious predators of other arthropods. They are therefore an important and potentially informative group for addressing how diverse predator assemblages partition available prey resources. New World army ants are largely specialist predators of other ants, with each species specializing on different ant genera. However, the mechanisms of prey choice are unknown. In this study, we addressed whether the army ant Eciton hamatum: (a) can detect potential prey odours, (b) can distinguish between odours of prey and non-prey and (c) can differentiate between different types of odours associated with its prey. Using field experiments, we tested the response of army ants to the following four odour treatments: alarm odours, dead ants, live ants and nest material. Each treatment had a unique combination of odour sources and included some movement in two of the treatments (alarm and live ants). Odour treatments were tested for both prey and non-prey ants. These data were used to determine the degree to which E. hamatum are using specific prey stimuli to detect potential prey and direct their foraging. Army ants responded strongly to odours derived from prey ants, which triggered both increased localized recruitment and slowed advancement of the raid as they targeted the odour source. Odours from non-prey ants were largely ignored. Additionally, the army ants had the strongest response to the nest material of their preferred prey, with progressively weaker responses across the live ant, dead ant and alarm odours treatments respectively. This study reveals that the detection of prey odours, and especially the most persistent odours related to the prey's nest, provides a mechanism for dietary specialization in army ants. If ubiquitous across the Neotropical army ants, then this olfaction-based ecological specialization may facilitate patterns of resource partitioning and coexistence in these diverse predator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Aidan Manubay
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scott Powell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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29
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Treanor D, Hughes WOH. Limited female dispersal predicts the incidence of Wolbachia across ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1163-1170. [PMID: 31334893 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is perhaps the greatest panzootic in the history of life on Earth, yet remarkably little is known regarding the factors that determine its incidence across species. One possibility is that Wolbachia more easily invades species with structured populations, due to the increased strength of genetic drift and higher initial frequency of infection. This should enable strains that induce mating incompatibilities to more easily cross the threshold prevalence above which they spread to either fixation or a stable equilibrium infection prevalence. Here, we provide empirical support for this hypothesis by analysing the relationship between female dispersal (as a proxy for population structure) and the incidence of Wolbachia across 250 species of ants. We show that species in which the dispersal of reproductive females is limited are significantly more likely to be infected with Wolbachia than species whose reproductive ecology is consistent with significant dispersal of females, and that this relationship remains after controlling for host phylogeny. We suggest that structured host populations, in this case resulting from limited female dispersal, may be an important feature determining how easily Wolbachia becomes successfully established in a novel host, and thus its occurrence across a wide diversity of invertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Treanor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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30
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Chen Z, Chen Y, Zhou S. Simoponefisheri sp. n., a new species of Dorylinae ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with an illustrated key to the S.grandidieri-group species. Zookeys 2019; 838:21-33. [PMID: 31048966 PMCID: PMC6477814 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.838.29465] [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: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simoponefisherisp. n., a new species of the subfamily Dorylinae, is described based on the worker caste. The new species is separated easily from the other named congeners by the longitudinally striate sculpture on the posterolateral portion of pronotum. An illustrated key is presented to species of the S.grandidieri group based on the worker caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004, China Guangxi Normal University Guilin China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, China Guangxi Normal University Guilin China
| | - Yazhen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China Guangxi Normal University Guilin China
| | - Shanyi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004, China Guangxi Normal University Guilin China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, China Guangxi Normal University Guilin China
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31
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Borowiec ML. Convergent Evolution of the Army Ant Syndrome and Congruence in Big-Data Phylogenetics. Syst Biol 2019; 68:642-656. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syy088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marek L Borowiec
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, 875 Perimeter Drive, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Social Insect Research Group, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, One Shields Avenue, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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32
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McKenzie SK, Kronauer DJC. The genomic architecture and molecular evolution of ant odorant receptors. Genome Res 2018; 28:1757-1765. [PMID: 30249741 PMCID: PMC6211649 DOI: 10.1101/gr.237123.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The massive expansions of odorant receptor (OR) genes in ant genomes are notable examples of rapid genome evolution and adaptive gene duplication. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to gene family expansion remain poorly understood, partly because available ant genomes are fragmentary. Here, we present a highly contiguous, chromosome-level assembly of the clonal raider ant genome, revealing the largest known OR repertoire in an insect. While most ant ORs originate via local tandem duplication, we also observe several cases of dispersed duplication followed by tandem duplication in the most rapidly evolving OR clades. We found that areas of unusually high transposable element density (TE islands) were depauperate in ORs in the clonal raider ant, and found no evidence for retrotransposition of ORs. However, OR loci were enriched for transposons relative to the genome as a whole, potentially facilitating tandem duplication by unequal crossing over. We also found that ant OR genes are highly AT-rich compared to other genes. In contrast, in flies, OR genes are dispersed and largely isolated within the genome, and we find that fly ORs are not AT-rich. The genomic architecture and composition of ant ORs thus show convergence with the unrelated vertebrate ORs rather than the related fly ORs. This might be related to the greater gene numbers and/or potential similarities in gene regulation between ants and vertebrates as compared to flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
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33
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Libbrecht R, Oxley PR, Kronauer DJC. Clonal raider ant brain transcriptomics identifies candidate molecular mechanisms for reproductive division of labor. BMC Biol 2018; 16:89. [PMID: 30103762 PMCID: PMC6090591 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0558-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Division of labor between reproductive queens and workers that perform brood care is a hallmark of insect societies. However, studies of the molecular basis of this fundamental dichotomy are limited by the fact that the caste of an individual cannot typically be experimentally manipulated at the adult stage. Here we take advantage of the unique biology of the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi, to study brain gene expression dynamics during experimentally induced transitions between reproductive and brood care behavior. RESULTS Introducing larvae that inhibit reproduction and induce brood care behavior causes much faster changes in adult gene expression than removing larvae. In addition, the general patterns of gene expression differ depending on whether ants transition from reproduction to brood care or vice versa, indicating that gene expression changes between phases are cyclic rather than pendular. Finally, we identify genes that could play upstream roles in regulating reproduction and behavior because they show large and early expression changes in one or both transitions. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses reveal that the nature and timing of gene expression changes differ substantially depending on the direction of the transition, and identify a suite of promising candidate molecular regulators of reproductive division of labor that can now be characterized further in both social and solitary animal models. This study contributes to understanding the molecular regulation of reproduction and behavior, as well as the organization and evolution of insect societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Libbrecht
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Peter R Oxley
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Samuel J. Wood Library, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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34
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Teseo S, Delloro F. Reduced foraging investment as an adaptation to patchy food sources: A phasic army ant simulation. J Theor Biol 2017. [PMID: 28624394 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Colonies of several ant species within the subfamily Dorylinae alternate stereotypical discrete phases of foraging and reproduction. Such phasic cycles are thought to be adaptive because they minimize the amount of foraging and the related costs, and at the same time enhance the colony-level ability to rely on patchily distributed food sources. In order to investigate these hypotheses, we use here a simple computational approach to study the population dynamics of two species of virtual ant colonies that differ quantitatively in their foraging investment. One species, which we refer to as "phasic", forages only half of the time, mirroring the phasic activity of some army ants; the other "non-phasic" species forages instead all the time. We show that, when foraging costs are relatively high, populations of phasic colonies grow on average faster than non-phasic populations, outcompeting them in mixed populations. Interestingly, such tendency becomes more consistent as food becomes more difficult to find but locally abundant. According to our results, reducing the foraging investment, for example by adopting a phasic lifestyle, can result in a reproductive advantage, but only in specific conditions. We thus suggest phasic colony cycles to have emerged together with the doryline specialization in feeding on the brood of other eusocial insects, a resource that is hard to obtain but highly abundant if available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Delloro
- MINES ParisTech, PSL Research University, MAT- Centre des matériaux, CNRS UMR 7633, BP 87 91003 Evry, France
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35
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Garcia FH, Fischer G, Liu C, Audisio TL, Economo EP. Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics. Zookeys 2017; 693:33-93. [PMID: 29362522 PMCID: PMC5777420 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.693.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
New technologies for imaging and analysis of morphological characters offer opportunities to enhance revisionary taxonomy and better integrate it with the rest of biology. In this study, we revise the Afrotropical fauna of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, and use high-resolution X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) to analyse a number of morphological characters of taxonomic and biological interest. We recognise and describe three new species: Z. obamaisp. n., Z. sarowiwaisp. n., and Z. wilsonisp. n. The species delimitations are based on the morphological examination of all physical specimens in combination with 3D scans and volume reconstructions. Based on this approach, we present a new taxonomic discrimination system for the regional fauna that consists of a combination of easily observable morphological characters visible at magnifications of around 80-100 ×, less observable characters that require higher magnifications, as well as characters made visible through virtual dissections that would otherwise require destructive treatment. Zasphinctus are rarely collected ants and the material available to us is comparatively scarce. Consequently, we explore the use of micro-CT as a non-invasive tool for the virtual examination, manipulation, and dissection of such rare material. Furthermore, we delineate the treated species by providing a diagnostic character matrix illustrated by numerous images and supplement that with additional evidence in the form of stacked montage images, 3D PDFs and 3D rotation videos of scans of major body parts and full body (in total we provide 16 stacked montage photographs, 116 images of 3D reconstructions, 15 3D rotation videos, and 13 3D PDFs). In addition to the comparative morphology analyses used for species delimitations, we also apply micro-CT data to examine certain traits, such as mouthparts, cuticle thickness, and thoracic and abdominal muscles in order to assess their taxonomic usefulness or gain insights into the natural history of the genus. The complete datasets comprising the raw micro-CT data, 3D PDFs, 3D rotation videos, still images of 3D models, and coloured montage photos have been made available online as cybertypes (Dryad, http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4s3v1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Hita Garcia
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son 904–0495, Japan
| | - Georg Fischer
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son 904–0495, Japan
| | - Cong Liu
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son 904–0495, Japan
| | - Tracy L. Audisio
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son 904–0495, Japan
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919–1 Tancha, Onna-son 904–0495, Japan
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36
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Baudier KM, O'Donnell S. Weak links: how colonies counter the social costs of individual variation in thermal physiology. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 22:85-91. [PMID: 28805644 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Social insect nestmates often differ in thermal tolerance (the range of temperatures at which an individual functions). Worker thermal physiology can covary with body size, development, genetics and gene expression. Because colonies rely on the integration of diverse colony members, individual thermal tolerance differences can affect group performance. The weak link hypothesis states that if workers differ in thermal sensitivity, then in variable thermal environments colonies can incur performance costs due to thermal stress effects on the most thermally sensitive worker types. We discuss possible adaptive colony responses that ameliorate the costs of thermal weak links. Individual differences in thermal tolerance have profound implications for the effects of temperature variation and climate change on animal societies. Social implications of worker weak links potentially drive macroecological patterns in caste ergonomics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean O'Donnell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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37
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Łukasik P, Newton JA, Sanders JG, Hu Y, Moreau CS, Kronauer DJC, O'Donnell S, Koga R, Russell JA. The structured diversity of specialized gut symbionts of the New World army ants. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3808-3825. [PMID: 28393425 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria play important roles in the biology of their arthropod hosts. Yet the microbiota of many diverse and influential groups remain understudied, resulting in a paucity of information on the fidelities and histories of these associations. Motivated by prior findings from a smaller scale, 16S rRNA-based study, we conducted a broad phylogenetic and geographic survey of microbial communities in the ecologically dominant New World army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae). Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene across 28 species spanning the five New World genera showed that the microbial communities of army ants consist of very few common and abundant bacterial species. The two most abundant microbes, referred to as Unclassified Firmicutes and Unclassified Entomoplasmatales, appear to be specialized army ant associates that dominate microbial communities in the gut lumen of three host genera, Eciton, Labidus and Nomamyrmex. Both are present in other army ant genera, including those from the Old World, suggesting that army ant symbioses date back to the Cretaceous. Extensive sequencing of bacterial protein-coding genes revealed multiple strains of these symbionts coexisting within colonies, but seldom within the same individual ant. Bacterial strains formed multiple host species-specific lineages on phylogenies, which often grouped strains from distant geographic locations. These patterns deviate from those seen in other social insects and raise intriguing questions about the influence of army ant colony swarm-founding and within-colony genetic diversity on strain coexistence, and the effects of hosting a diverse suite of symbiont strains on colony ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Łukasik
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Justin A Newton
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jon G Sanders
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Science and Education, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean O'Donnell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryuichi Koga
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Jacob A Russell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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38
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McKenzie SK, Fetter-Pruneda I, Ruta V, Kronauer DJC. Transcriptomics and neuroanatomy of the clonal raider ant implicate an expanded clade of odorant receptors in chemical communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14091-14096. [PMID: 27911792 PMCID: PMC5150400 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610800113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A major aim of sociogenomic research is to uncover common principles in the molecular evolution of sociality. This endeavor has been hampered by the small number of specific genes currently known to function in social behavior. Here we provide several lines of evidence suggesting that ants have evolved a large and novel clade of odorant receptor (OR) genes to perceive hydrocarbon-based pheromones, arguably the most important signals in ant communication. This genomic expansion is also mirrored in the ant brain via a corresponding expansion of a specific cluster of glomeruli in the antennal lobe. We show that in the clonal raider ant, hydrocarbon-sensitive basiconic sensilla are found only on the ventral surface of the female antennal club. Correspondingly, nearly all genes in a clade of 180 ORs within the 9-exon subfamily of ORs are expressed exclusively in females and are highly enriched in expression in the ventral half of the antennal club. Furthermore, we found that across species and sexes, the number of 9-exon ORs expressed in antennae is tightly correlated with the number of glomeruli in the antennal lobe region innervated by odorant receptor neurons from basiconic sensilla. Evolutionary analyses show that this clade underwent a striking gene expansion in the ancestors of all ants and slower but continued expansion in extant ant lineages. This evidence suggests that ants have evolved a large clade of genes to support pheromone perception and that gene duplications have played an important role in the molecular evolution of ant communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065;
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
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