Article
Environmental Sciences
Andre Rodrigues de Souza, Amanda Prato, Wilson Franca, Sircio Santos, Luan Dias Lima, Denise Araujo Alves, Rodrigo Cupertino Bernardes, Eduardo Fernando Santos, Fabio Santos do Nascimento, Maria Augusta Pereira Lima
Summary: A study has shown that both fungus-based biopesticides and neonicotinoid pesticides have lethal effects on predatory wasps and that the wasps are unable to differentiate between biopesticide-exposed and unexposed conspecifics. This suggests that fungus-based biopesticides may pose a potential threat to colony survival of predatory wasps.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Grayson J. Grume, Seth P. Biedenbender, Clare C. Rittschof, Quantifying Foraging, Simulated Robbing
Summary: When studying honey robbing behavior, it was found that robbing hives increased both foraging activity and nest defense, with guard bees becoming more defensive towards returning nestmates. Despite the aggressive nature of robbing foragers, colonies use social information to dynamically optimize foraging and defense behaviors in order to maximize benefits and minimize costs of this high-risk tactic.
Article
Neurosciences
Hidehiro Watanabe, Shoji Ogata, Nonoka Nodomi, Kosuke Tateishi, Hiroshi Nishino, Ryosuke Matsubara, Mamiko Ozaki, Fumio Yokohari
Summary: To maintain eusociality, ants can recognize subtle differences in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). It is debated whether peripheral or central neural mechanisms are responsible for CHC discrimination. In this study, single basiconic sensilla in Japanese carpenter ants were recorded to determine how CHCs are processed. The results showed that sensory neurons in the sensilla were electrically coupled and had the potential to discriminate different CHCs based on activated neuron patterns.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ellen van Wilgenburg, Mario Mariotta, Neil Durie Tsutsui
Summary: The recognition system of ant colonies is influenced by genetic and diet-derived chemicals. However, dietary changes do not explain the unusual colony structure of introduced Argentine ants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tamara Pokorny, Joachim Ruther
Summary: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are major constituents of insect cuticular lipid layer and play a role in desiccation resistance and intraspecies communication. CHC profiles differ between species and can also vary within populations, colonies, and sexes. In this study, intrasexual CHC variability was found within a population of a solitary insect species that uses CHCs for mate recognition. Three distinct female CHC profile patterns and two male chemotypes were discovered. This study contributes to our understanding of the effects of CHC variability on desiccation resistance and intraspecies communication.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Christopher M. Jernigan, Jay A. Stafstrom, Natalie C. Zaba, Caleb C. Vogt, Michael J. Sheehan
Summary: Visual individual recognition requires animals to distinguish among conspecifics based on appearance. Color plays an important role in the facial recognition system of northern paper wasp females, as grayscale versions of faces cannot be recognized as faces.
Article
Entomology
Helmut Kovac, Helmut Kafer, Iacopo Petrocelli, Astrid B. Amstrup, Anton Stabentheiner
Summary: Paper wasps overwinter in hibernacles to protect themselves from predators and adverse weather conditions. We studied the microclimate conditions of hibernacles in Mediterranean and temperate habitats and found that temperature and environmental adaptation play significant roles in the energetic demand of overwintering paper wasps.
Article
Ecology
Marti Wittke, Lucas Baumgart, Florian Menzel
Summary: Organismal traits may experience conflicting selection pressures when fulfilling different functions simultaneously. In insects, the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer is an important multifunctional trait. Acclimation affects nestmate recognition and inter-individual aggression among ants by influencing CHC composition. However, there is some degree of functional separation among CHC classes, and the role of each CHC is idiosyncratic. The need to maintain a certain phase behaviour of the CHC layer might be the main constraint for insects in optimizing all CHC functions independently.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Johannes Grosch, Bernadette Eberlein, Sebastian Waldherr, Mariona Pascal, Clara San Bartolome, Federico De La Roca Pinzon, Michael Dittmar, Christiane Hilger, Markus Ollert, Tilo Biedermann, Ulf Darsow, Maria Beatrice Bilo, Carsten B. Schmidt-Weber, Simon Blank
Summary: Differentiating between Polistes dominula and Vespula spp. venom allergies is crucial, with potential new allergens identified from P. dominula venom to improve diagnostic accuracy for Hymenoptera venom allergies. The characterization of these venom proteins contributes to a better understanding of molecular mechanisms and allergenic potential.
Article
Entomology
Helmut Kovac, Julia Magdalena Nagy, Helmut Kaefer, Anton Stabentheiner
Summary: The heat-loving paper wasp Polistes dominula builds nests in sheltered places to maintain a favorable microclimate for brood development. Measurement of microclimate data is crucial for assessing the vulnerability of insects to climate change.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Arthur de Fouchier, Chloe Leroy, Abderrahman Khila, Patrizia d'Ettorre
Summary: Brood plays a critical role in social insect colonies as it contributes to the colony's fitness by producing future reproductive adults and increasing the workforce. Ant workers have evolved the ability to distinguish between nestmate and non-nestmate brood, especially in the early stages that require more resources. However, the chemical basis of this recognition and discrimination behavior remains understudied. In this study, we investigated the chemical cues and discrimination behavior of six ant species towards early brood, finding species-specific cues and discrimination against hetero-specific brood. We propose that the discrimination against non-nestmate brood may be an adaptation against brood parasitism.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Andre Rodrigues de Souza, Wilson Franca, Amanda Prato, Markus J. Rantala, Fabio Santos do Nascimento
Summary: Social wasps can recognize the immunological status of conspecifics through chemical cues and adjust their behavior to minimize infection risk. Activation of the immune system leads to changes in body surface compounds, which allow wasps to identify wounded individuals and avoid physical contact with them, reducing the risk of parasite transmission.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Sara E. Miller, Andrew W. Legan, Floria M. K. Uy, Michael J. Sheehan
Summary: This paper presents draft genome assemblies for two paper wasp species, Polistes exclamans and Mischocyttarus mexicanus, and discusses the importance of genomic resources in studying the molecular basis of social evolution. It identifies a loss of a DNA methyltransferase gene in the evolution of Polistinae and another independent loss in hornets.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ken Sasaki, Hideto Yoshimura, Masakazu Nishimura
Summary: In this study, the storage and usage of dopamine-related substances in different castes of paper wasps were compared. The results showed that there were differences in head widths, lipid stores, and levels of biogenic amines in the brains between workers and gynes. The levels of dopamine precursors were higher in gynes, while dopamine and its metabolites did not differ between castes in most species. These findings suggest that dopamine precursors are stored in the brain without biosynthesis at emergence and then converted into dopamine during colony founding in Polistes species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabrazane V. M. Teixeira, Andre R. De Souza, Wagner F. Barbosa, Rodrigo C. Bernardes, Maria Augusta P. Lima
Summary: Studies have shown that the biopesticide azadirachtin and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid have detrimental effects on the survival, reproduction, and colonies of social wasps maintained in the laboratory, possibly reducing biological control effectiveness.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
A. Masoni, F. Frizzi, S. Turillazzi, G. Santini
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Federico Cappa, Iacopo Petrocelli, Francesca Romana Dani, Leonardo Dapporto, Michele Giovannini, Jeferson Silva-Castellari, Stefano Turillazzi, Rita Cervo
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Biology
Alessandro Cini, Seirian Sumner, Rita Cervo
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Article
Entomology
Federico Cappa, Giulia Torrini, Giuseppe Mazza, Alberto Francesco Inghilesi, Claudia Benvenuti, Leonardo Viliani, Pio Federico Roversi, Rita Cervo
Article
Entomology
A. Bordoni, G. Mocilnik, G. Forni, M. Bercigli, C. D. V. Giove, A. Luchetti, S. Turillazzi, L. Dapporto, M. Marconi
Article
Entomology
Federico Cappa, A. Cini, I. Pepiciello, I. Petrocelli, A. F. Inghilesi, G. Anfora, F. R. Dani, L. Bortolotti, P. Wen, R. Cervo
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adele Bordoni, Zuzana Matejkova, Lorenzo Chimenti, Lorenzo Massai, Brunella Perito, Leonardo Dapporto, Stefano Turillazzi
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Federico Cappa, Iacopo Petrocelli, Alessandro Cini, Irene Pepiciello, Michele Giovannini, AnnaMarta Lazzeri, Brunella Perito, Stefano Turillazzi, Rita Cervo
ETHOLOGY ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Adele Bordoni, Irene Tatini, Cristina Puente Romero, Brunella Perito, Stefano Turillazzi, Leonardo Dapporto
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alessandro Cini, Adele Bordoni, Federico Cappa, Iacopo Petrocelli, Martina Pitzalis, Immacolata Iovinella, Francesca Romana Dani, Stefano Turillazzi, Rita Cervo
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Review
Biology
Steve Kett, Ayush Pathak, Stefano Turillazzi, Duccio Cavalieri, Massimiliano Marvasi
Summary: Arthropods are able to produce a variety of antifungal compounds, but some taxa, particularly eusocial insects, also acquire additional compounds through mutualistic associations with microbes. These associations have been maintained for over 50 million years, indicating the continued effectiveness of the compounds and suggesting potential strategies for reducing antifungal resistance in clinical settings.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. Masoni, F. Frizzi, R. Nieri, L. P. Casacci, V. Mazzoni, S. Turillazzi, G. Santini
Summary: The study shows that vibrational signaling can transmit information in ant societies and can be modulated based on different contexts and needs, providing a flexible communication channel parallel to the well-known chemical communication system.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anton Stabentheiner, Julia Magdalena Nagy, Helmut Kovac, Helmut Kaefer, Iacopo Petrocelli, Stefano Turillazzi
Summary: Polistes paper wasps exhibit behavioral plasticity to adapt to environmental variation, with differential thermoregulatory behaviors between Polistes biglumis from cool Alpine climate and Polistes gallicus from warm Mediterranean climate.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Turillazzi, Giuseppe Pieraccini, Stefano Turillazzi, Neri Orsi Battaglini, Maurizio Severino
Summary: Specific Venom Immunotherapy (VIT) is a specific treatment for patients highly allergic to social insect stings. To overcome the shortage of vespid species in the local environment, we combined vespiculture techniques with a venom collection procedure that allows for the extraction of venom containing all allergens necessary for VIT.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
James A. Klarevas-Irby, Damien R. Farine
Summary: Little is known about how animals overcome temporal constraints on movement during dispersal. This study used GPS tracking of vulturine guineafowl and found that dispersers showed the greatest increase in movement at the same times of day when they moved the most prior to dispersal. These findings suggest that individuals face the same ecological constraints during dispersal as they do in daily life and achieve large displacements by maximizing movement when conditions are most favorable.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simone Ciaralli, Martina Esposito, Stefano Francesconi, Daniela Muzzicato, Marco Gamba, Matteo Dal Zotto, Daniela Campobello
Summary: Male cuckoos may transfer nest location information to females as a nonmaterial nuptial gift through specific postures and behaviors, potentially influencing mating choices of female cuckoos.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anne E. Aulsebrook, Rowan Jacques-Hamilton, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Accelerometry and machine learning have been used to quantify mating behaviors of captive male ruffs. Different machine learning methods were compared and evaluated for their classification performance. The study highlights the challenges and potential pitfalls in classifying mating behaviors using accelerometry and provides recommendations and considerations for future research.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria G. Smith, Joshua B. LaPergola, Christina Riehl
Summary: This study analyzed individual contributions to parental care in the greater ani bird and found that workload inequality varied between groups of two and three pairs. However, there was no clear evidence of division of labour within the groups, suggesting individual differences in overall work performed.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Noah M. T. Smith, Reuven Dukas
Summary: Winner and loser effects are observed in many animals, and recent experiments suggest that they may also occur in humans. In two experiments involving video games and reading comprehension, participants who won in the first phase performed significantly better in the second phase compared to those who lost. The effect size was larger in the video game experiment, and men and women showed similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bianca J. L. Marcellino, Peri Yee, Shannon J. Mccauley, Rosalind L. Murray
Summary: This study examines the trade-off between mating effort and thermoregulatory behavior in dragonflies in response to temperature changes, and investigates the effect of wing melanin on these behaviors. The results indicate that as temperature increases, dragonflies reduce their mating effort and increase their thermoregulatory behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Rios Moura, Paulo Inacio Prado, Joao Vasconcellos-Neto
Summary: This study examined the escape behavior and decision-making of Aglaoctenus castaneus spiders on different substrates. It was found that spiders inhabiting injurious substrates displayed shorter flight initiation distances and lower sensitivity to predators.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Luigi Baciadonna, Cwyn Solvi, Francesca Terranova, Camilla Godi, Cristina Pilenga, Livio Favaro
Summary: In this study, it was found that African penguins could use ventral dot patterns to recognize their lifelong partner and nonpartner colonymates. This challenges the previous assumption of limited visual involvement in penguin communication, highlighting the complex and flexible recognition process in birds.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nick A. R. Jones, Jade Newton-Youens, Joachim G. Frommen
Summary: Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, have a significant impact on animal behavior. This study focused on aggression in Neolamprologus pulcher fish and found that aggression rates increased with temperature at lower levels, but decreased after reaching a peak. Additionally, the influence of high temperatures on aggression changed over time during the trials. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the short-term effects of temperature on aggression and highlight the importance of considering non-linear changes in thermal performance.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bruno Herlander Martins, Andrea Soriano-Redondo, Aldina M. A. Franco, Ines Carry
Summary: Human activities have affected the availability of resources for wildlife, particularly through the provision of anthropogenic food subsidies at landfill sites. This study explores the influence of age on landfill attendance and foraging behavior in white storks. Adult storks visit landfills more frequently and show dominance over juveniles in food acquisition. Juveniles have limited access to landfill resources and are forced to use lower quality areas.