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Harris BA, Stevens DR, Mathis KA. The effect of urbanization and temperature on thermal tolerance, foraging performance, and competition in cavity-dwelling ants. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10923. [PMID: 38384820 PMCID: PMC10880040 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Human disturbance including rapid urbanization and increased temperatures can have profound effects on the ecology of local populations. Eusocial insects, such as ants, have adapted to stressors of increasing temperature and urbanization; however, these evolutionary responses are not consistent among populations across geographic space. Here we asked how urbanization and incubation temperature influence critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and various ecologically relevant behaviors in three ant species in urban and rural locations in Worcester, MA, USA. We did this by incubating colonies of three species of cavity dwelling ant (Aphaenogaster picea, Tapinoma sessile, and Temnothorax longispinosus) from 2 habitat types (Rural and Urban), for 60-days at multiple temperatures. We found that incubation temperature, urbanization, and species of ant all significantly affected overall colony critical thermal maximum. We also found that recruitment time, colonization time, and defense response were significantly affected by incubation temperature and varied between species of ant, while recruitment and colonization time were additionally affected by urbanization. These variable changes in performance and competitive traits across species suggest that responses to urbanization and shifting temperatures are not universal across species. Changes in behavioral responses caused by urbanization may disrupt biodiversity, creating unusual competitive environments as a consequence of natural adaptations and cause both direct and indirect mechanisms for which human disturbance can lead to local species extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dale R. Stevens
- Clark UniversityWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
- Bucknell UniversityLewisburgPennsylvaniaUSA
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Stevens DR, Graham MA, Bardjis CI, Foster SA, Baker JA, Mathis KA. Evolution of chemical-cue-mediated antipredator behavior in threespine stickleback populations experiencing northern pike predation. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-023-02996-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
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Stevens DR, Wund MA, Mathis KA. Integrating environmental complexity and the plasticity-first hypothesis to study responses to human-altered habitats. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Abstract
Commensalisms, interactions between two species in which one species benefits and the other experiences no net effect, are frequently mentioned in the ecological literature but are surprisingly little studied. Here we review and synthesize our limited understanding of commensalism. We then argue that commensalism is not a single type of interaction; rather, it is a suite of phenomena associated with distinct ecological processes and evolutionary consequences. For each form of commensalism we define, we present evidence for how, where, and why it occurs, including when it is evolutionarily persistent and when it is an occasional outcome of interactions that are usually mutualistic or antagonistic. We argue that commensalism should be of great interest in the study of species interactions due to its location at the center of the continuum between positive and negative outcomes. Finally, we offer a roadmap for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A. Mathis
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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Vandermeer J, Armbrecht I, de la Mora A, Ennis KK, Fitch G, Gonthier DJ, Hajian-Forooshani Z, Hsieh HY, Iverson A, Jackson D, Jha S, Jiménez-Soto E, Lopez-Bautista G, Larsen A, Li K, Liere H, MacDonald A, Marin L, Mathis KA, Monagan I, Morris JR, Ong T, Pardee GL, Rivera-Salinas IS, Vaiyda C, Williams-Guillen K, Yitbarek S, Uno S, Zemenick A, Philpott SM, Perfecto I. The Community Ecology of Herbivore Regulation in an Agroecosystem: Lessons from Complex Systems. Bioscience 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWhether an ecological community is controlled from above or below remains a popular framework that continues generating interesting research questions and takes on especially important meaning in agroecosystems. We describe the regulation from above of three coffee herbivores, a leaf herbivore (the green coffee scale, Coccus viridis), a seed predator (the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei), and a plant pathogen (the coffee rust disease, caused by Hemelia vastatrix) by various natural enemies, emphasizing the remarkable complexity involved. We emphasize the intersection of this classical question of ecology with the burgeoning field of complex systems, including references to chaos, critical transitions, hysteresis, basin or boundary collision, and spatial self-organization, all aimed at the applied question of pest control in the coffee agroecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Vandermeer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Inge Armbrecht
- Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Aldo de la Mora
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside
| | - Katherine K Ennis
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz
| | - Gordon Fitch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | | | | | - Hsun-Yi Hsieh
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, South Gull Lake
| | - Aaron Iverson
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | | | - Shalene Jha
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin
| | | | | | - Ashley Larsen
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Kevin Li
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Heidi Liere
- Department of Biology, University of Seattle, Seattle, Washington
| | - Andrew MacDonald
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Linda Marin
- Independent consultant, Chiapas and Pueblo, Mexico
| | | | - Ivan Monagan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, in New York, New York
| | - Jonathan R Morris
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Theresa Ong
- Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | | | | | - Chatura Vaiyda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | | | - Senay Yitbarek
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
| | | | | | - Stacy M Philpott
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz
| | - Ivette Perfecto
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Stewart JR, Pyles RA, Mathis KA, Ecay TW. Facultative mobilization of eggshell calcium promotes embryonic growth in an oviparous snake. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.193565. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.193565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The mineralized eggshell of Reptilia was a major innovation in the evolution of the amniotic egg. Inorganic components strengthen the eggshell and are a potential source of nutrients to developing embryos. Embryos of oviparous reptiles do extract calcium from eggshells but vary interspecifically in exploitation of this resource. The pattern of embryonic calcium nutrition of the corn snake, Pantherophis guttatus, is similar to a diversity of squamate species; embryos obtain most calcium from yolk, yet also mobilize calcium from the eggshell. We tested the hypothesis that embryonic development is not dependent on eggshell calcium by manipulating calcium availability. We peeled away the outer calcareous layer of the eggshell of recently oviposited eggs; control eggs were left intact. Eggs were sampled periodically and calcium content of egg compartments (embryo, yolk, eggshell) was measured. We also analyzed skeletal development and size of hatchlings. There was no difference in survivorship or length of incubation between treatments. However, hatchlings from intact eggs contained more calcium and were larger in mass and length than siblings from peeled eggs. There were no observable differences in ossification but hatchlings from intact eggs had larger skeletal elements (skull, vertebrae). Our results indicate that mobilization of eggshell calcium is not a requirement for embryonic development of P. guttatus and that embryos augment yolk calcium by extracting calcium from the eggshell. This pattern of embryonic calcium nutrition would favor embryos with a greater capacity to mobilize calcium from the eggshell by promoting growth and thereby potentially enhance hatchling fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R. Stewart
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Pyles
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614, USA
| | - Kaitlyn A. Mathis
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614, USA
| | - Tom W. Ecay
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614, USA
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Mathis KA, Tsutsui ND. Dead ant walking: a myrmecophilous beetle predator uses parasitoid host location cues to selectively prey on parasitized ants. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.1281. [PMID: 27512148 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Myrmecophiles (i.e. organisms that associate with ants) use a variety of ecological niches and employ different strategies to survive encounters with ants. Because ants are typically excellent defenders, myrmecophiles may choose moments of weakness to take advantage of their ant associates. This hypothesis was studied in the rove beetle, Myrmedonota xipe, which associates with Azteca sericeasur ants in the presence of parasitoid flies. A combination of laboratory and field experiments show that M. xipe beetles selectively locate and prey upon parasitized ants. These parasitized ants are less aggressive towards beetles than healthy ants, allowing beetles to eat the parasitized ants alive without interruption. Moreover, behavioural assays and chemical analysis reveal that M. xipe are attracted to the ant's alarm pheromone, the same secretion used by the phorid fly parasitoids in host location. This strategy allows beetles access to an abundant but otherwise inaccessible resource, as A. sericeasur ants are typically highly aggressive. These results are the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate a predator sharing cues with a parasitoid to gain access to an otherwise unavailable prey item. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of studying ant-myrmecophile interactions beyond just their pairwise context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Mathis
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702-3114, USA
| | - Neil D Tsutsui
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702-3114, USA
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Mathis KA, Philpott SM, Ramirez SR. Variation in spatial scale of competing polydomous twig-nesting ants in coffee agroecosystems. Insectes Soc 2016; 63:447-456. [PMID: 27795573 PMCID: PMC5082435 DOI: 10.1007/s00040-016-0489-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Arboreal ants are both highly diverse and ecologically dominant in the tropics. This ecologically important group is particularly useful in ongoing efforts to understand processes that regulate species diversity and coexistence. Our study addresses how polydomy can influence patterns of nest occupation in competing arboreal ants. We examined the spatial structure of nest occupation (nest distance, abundance and density) in three polydomous co-occurring twig-nesting ant species (Pseudomyrmex simplex, P. ejectus and P. PSW-53) by mapping twigs occupied by ants from each species within plots in our study site. We then used two colony structure estimators (intraspecific aggression and cuticular hydrocarbon variation) to determine the relative degree of polydomy for each species. All work was conducted in coffee agroforests in Chiapas, Mexico. Our results revealed that the two species with highest abundance and nest density were also highly polydomous, where both species had either single or multiple non-aggressive colonies occupying nests on a large spatial scale (greater than the hectare level). Our results also indicate that the species with the lowest abundance and density is less polydomous, occupying several overlapping and territorial colonies at the hectare level in which multiple colonies never co-occur on the same host plant. These results contribute evidence that successful coexistence and highly polydomous colony structure may allow ants, through reduced intraspecific aggression, to successfully occupy more nests more densely than ant species that have multiple territorial colonies. Furthermore our study highlights the importance of considering intraspecific interactions when examining community assembly of ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Mathis
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley,130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702-3114, USA.
| | - Stacy M Philpott
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1165 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Santiago R Ramirez
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, 2320 Storer Hall, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616
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Mathis KA, Tsutsui ND. Cuticular Hydrocarbon Cues Are Used for Host Acceptance by Pseudacteon spp. Phorid Flies that Attack Azteca sericeasur Ants. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:286-93. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0694-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Mathis KA, Eldredge KT. Descriptions of two new species of Myrmedonota Cameron (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from Mexico with comments on the genus taxonomy and behavior. Zootaxa 2014; 3768:95-100. [PMID: 24871169 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3768.1.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Two new species of Myrmedonota, M. shimmerale n. sp. and M. xipe n. sp., are described, and the genus is recorded from Mexico for the first time. Dorsal habitus photographs, illustrations of the median lobe and spermatheca are presented for diagnostic purposes. We suggest that Myrmedonota is in fact diverse in the New World and that its taxonomy is already in a state of confusion. New behavioral observations show that: (1) Myrmedonota species will aggregate towards agitated ants, possibly to prey on them; (2) Myrmedonota will form mating swarms, either with no apparent landmark or in the vicinity of ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Mathis
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley,130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94702-3114, USA.;
| | - K Taro Eldredge
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Division of Entomology, Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, 1501 Crestline Dr., Lawrence, KS 66045-2811, USA; unknown
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Mathis KA, Philpott SM, Moreira RF. Parasite Lost: Chemical and Visual Cues Used by Pseudacteon in Search of Azteca instabilis. J Insect Behav 2011; 24:186-199. [PMID: 21475689 PMCID: PMC3059819 DOI: 10.1007/s10905-010-9247-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 11/10/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
An undescribed species of phorid fly (genus: Pseudacteon) parasitizes the ant Azteca instabilis F Smith, by first locating these ants through the use of both chemical and visual cues. Experiments were performed in Chiapas, Mexico to examine a) the anatomical source of phorid attractants, b) the specific chemicals produced that attract phorids, and c) the nature of the visual cues used by phorids to locate the ants. We determined that phorid-attracting chemicals were present within the dorsal section of the abdomen, the location of the pygidial gland. Further experiments indicate that a pygidial gland compound, 1-acetyl-2-methylcyclopentane, is at least partially responsible for attracting phorid flies to their host. Finally, although visual cues such as movement were important for host location, size and color of objects did not influence the frequency with which phorids attacked moving targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A. Mathis
- University of California, Berkeley, 137 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Stacy M. Philpott
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606 USA
| | - Rayane F. Moreira
- Department of Natural Science, Hampshire College, 893 West St., Amherst, MA 01002 USA
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