Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marek L. Borowiec, Stefan P. Cover, Christian Rabeling
Summary: Studying the evolution of social parasitism in the Holarctic ant genus Formica reveals that obligate social parasitism can originate from a facultative parasitic background, with high parasite diversity likely originating via allopatric speciation, demonstrating the diversity of convergent evolutionary trajectories resulting in nearly identical parasitic life history syndromes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felicien Degueldre, Patrick Mardulyn, Alexandre Kuhn, Amelie Pinel, Celal Karaman, Claude Lebas, Enrico Schifani, Gregor Bracko, Herbert C. Wagner, Kadri Kiran, Lech Borowiec, Luc Passera, Silvia Abril, Xavier Espadaler, Serge Aron
Summary: Studies have shown that parasitic social behavior has evolved independently at least 5 times in the genus, and all parasites are associated with one of the descendants of their most related free-living species, indicating that sympatric speciation is the main process leading to the emergence of parasitic species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evelien Jongepier, Alice Seguret, Anton Labutin, Barbara Feldmeyer, Claudia Gstoettl, Susanne Foitzik, Juergen Heinze, Erich Bornberg-Bauer
Summary: The evolution of an obligate parasitic lifestyle often leads to reduction of morphological and physiological traits, including loss of genes and functions. Slave-making ants exploit the work force of related ant species for social behaviors like brood care and foraging, with recent divergence allowing studies on gene family evolution. Chemoreceptor genes multiply during eusocial evolution, but slave-making ants have fewer gustatory receptors than hosts, potentially reflecting outsourcing of foraging tasks. Parasites also have fewer odorant receptors, showing convergent loss patterns across different origins of parasitism, particularly in genes related to social behavior. This rare convergent molecular evolution at the gene level demonstrates evolution can be repeatable and reversible as ants lose important social traits in transition to a parasitic lifestyle.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marah Stoldt, Erwann Collin, Maide Nesibe Macit, Susanne Foitzik
Summary: Insect social parasites exploit the hosts' social behavior. This study on ants revealed that the presence of the social parasite Harpagoxenus sublaevis alters the behavioral and brain gene expression of the host Leptothorax acervorum. The transcriptome analysis showed that the social parasites affect the host's brain activity and potentially lead to behavioral changes. The presence of unrelated individuals (conspecifics or parasites) also resulted in changes in antennal gene expression, suggesting early priming of odor perception.
Article
Ornithology
Laikun Ma, Wei Liang
Summary: Oriental Reed Warblers have a high ability to recognize and reject non-mimetic eggs made of blue soft clay and foreign eggs with nearly 100% accuracy, regardless of the ratio of experimental eggs and its own eggs in the nest. All instances of egg rejections recorded by videos were carried out by females, indicating that the sex for host egg incubation plays a significant role in the evolution of egg recognition mechanisms.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barbara Feldmeyer, Claudia Gstoettl, Jennifer Wallner, Evelien Jongepier, Alice Seguret, Donato A. Grasso, Erich Bornberg-Bauer, Susanne Foitzik, Jurgen Heinze
Summary: The division of labour between queen and workers is crucial for the ecological success of social Hymenoptera. Insect societies are vulnerable to social parasites, but the gene expression differences between queen and worker are conserved across various lifestyles. Caste has a stronger impact on gene expression than lifestyle, indicating a core set of genes linked to caste in this ant taxon.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Canchao Yang, William E. Feeney
Summary: Social learning plays an important role in the egg rejection behaviors of avian brood parasite hosts, facilitating rapid dissemination of behaviors throughout the population. This study demonstrates that access to social information influences the likelihood of egg rejection in barn swallows, with swallows having access to a neighbor that recently rejected an egg being more likely to reject foreign eggs. The study highlights the dynamic nature of host defenses against brood parasitism in the absence of parasites.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Romain A. Dahan, Nathan K. Grove, Martin Bollazzi, Benjamin P. Gerstner, Christian Rabeling
Summary: Insect societies vary greatly in their social structure, mating biology, and life history. This study focuses on Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants and investigates the independent variations in mating biology and social structure within this genus. The results show that polygyny and polyandry are not necessarily negatively correlated in Acromyrmex species, and variations in mating biology and social structure appear to follow independent evolutionary trajectories in different species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ignacio Crudele, Mark E. Hauber, Juan C. Reboreda, Vanina D. Fiorini
Summary: Eggs are important for avian reproduction and birds can recognize and care for their own eggs. Some avian obligate brood parasites reduce competition by pecking and destroying host eggs. A study using 3D printed models found that natural egg-shaped models were pecked more often compared to thinner models, suggesting that parasitic cowbirds respond to natural variability in egg shape.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jinggang Zhang, Peter Santema, Jianqiang Li, William E. Feeney, Wenhong Deng, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Brood parasitic cuckoos and their hosts serve as model systems for studying host-parasite coevolution. This study found that the mere presence of cuckoos in the environment is sufficient to provoke egg-ejection behavior in Daurian redstarts, even before the arrival of cuckoos. Redstarts exposed to cuckoos were both more likely to eject a foreign egg and to eject it more quickly than redstarts exposed to hoopoes.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jouni Sorvari, Samuel Hartikainen
Summary: The study revealed differences in terpene and fungal biomass levels among different layers of Formica rufa group wood ants' nest mounds, with fungal biomass being highest in the top layer and lowest in the basement. However, terpene concentrations did not have a negative impact on fungal biomass, and fungal biomass was positively associated with moisture and alkalinity in the nest mounds.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniela Mera-Rodriguez, Herve Jourdan, Philip S. Ward, Steven Shattuck, Stefan P. Cover, Edward O. Wilson, Christian Rabeling
Summary: Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions in ants contributes to our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ant genus Myrmecia, endemic to Australia, except for one species in New Caledonia, provides a suitable system for testing evolutionary hypotheses. However, the biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis and the evolution of social parasitism within the genus remain unexplored.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Canchao Yang, Ping Ye, Neng Wu, Xiaogang Yao, Wei Liang
Summary: The escalating interactions between parasitic cuckoos and their hosts in terms of egg mimicry and recognition have long been a topic of interest in the field of coevolution. However, the reasons behind the absence of mimicry and recognition in some cuckoo-host systems have remained unclear. This study provides clear evidence that both egg darkness and nest similarity of cryptic eggs affect host recognition, with egg darkness playing a more influential role.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Igor Siedlecki, Michal Gorczak, Alicja Okrasinska, Marta Wrzosek
Summary: The study revealed a high diversity and frequency of Penicillium strains in the surroundings of Formica polyctena ants in temperate climates, suggesting these fungi may be adapted to survive in ant nests better than others or are preferentially sustained by the insects.
Article
Ecology
David C. Lahti
Summary: The study found that the appearance of Ruppell's weaver eggs varies between individuals but remains consistent within a clutch, with distinctive features. Females typically reject foreign eggs based on differences in brightness and spotting distribution compared to their own eggs.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alan Brelsford, Jessica Purcell, Amaury Avril, Patrick Tran Van, Junxia Zhang, Timothee Brutsch, Liselotte Sundstrom, Heikki Helantera, Michel Chapuisat
Review
Biology
I Satokangas, S. H. Martin, H. Helantera, J. Saramaki, J. Kulmuni
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Biology
Jussi Lehtonen, Heikki Helantera
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Unni Pulliainen, Nick Bos, Patrizia D'Ettorre, Liselotte Sundstrom
Summary: Chemical communication is widespread in organisms, particularly in insects like ants. This study focused on the role of surface chemistry, specifically long-chain cuticular hydrocarbons, in recognition and classification among social insects. Differences in surface chemistry were found among castes and developmental stages, highlighting the complexity and diversity of chemical signals used by ants for recognition.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
U. Pulliainen, C. Morandin, N. Bos, L. Sundstrom, E. Schultner
Summary: Through RNAseq analysis, it was found that social stimulation led to higher expression of sensory-related genes in larvae of the ant Formica fusca. These larvae expressed similar sensory-related genes as adult ants and larvae of other insects, including genes belonging to major insect chemosensory gene families. This study provides insights into the molecular changes associated with social information perception in social insect larvae.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Stafva Lindstrom, Sari Timonen, Liselotte Sundstrom
Summary: In a subarctic climate, seasonal shifts in temperature, precipitation, and plant cover drive temporal changes in microbial communities in topsoil. Ant nests harbor significantly different microbial communities compared to surrounding bulk soil, with some taxa consistently present over years and enriched compared to reference soils. Bacterial communities in ant nests show temporal stability, while fungal communities exhibit greater variation, potentially due to unique biochemical processes influenced by ant activities.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heikki Helantera
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Heikki Helantera, Martina Ozan, Liselotte Sundstrom
Summary: In ant societies, multiple queens may compete over reproduction. The study shows that in Formica fusca ants, queens adjust their egg laying rate based on the kinship of their nestmates. When exposed to odor of a highly fecund non-kin queen, queens increase their egg laying rate, while if the queen is a close relative, queens decrease their egg laying rate to reduce competition. This demonstrates that cooperative breeding behaviors in Formica fusca queens are influenced by kinship and fecundity of others.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Stafva Lindstrom, Sari S. Timonen, Liselotte Sundstrom
Summary: In this study, the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of the ant Formica exsecta were investigated, finding that the microbial communities inside the ants differ from those in their nest material. The bacterial species diversity, species richness, ? diversity, evenness, and fungal species richness were found to be lower in ants compared to the nest material. The fungal communities in the ants were also found to be less stable than the bacterial ones.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
I. Satokangas, P. Nouhaud, B. Seifert, P. Punttila, R. Schultz, M. M. Jones, J. Siren, H. Helantera, J. Kulmuni
Summary: The study reveals extensive hybridization between five wood ant species in Finland, with hybrids occupying warmer microhabitats. This suggests that extensive hybridization may promote wood ant persistence in a changing climate.
Review
Biology
Topi K. Lehtonen, Heikki Helantera, Cwyn Solvi, Bob B. M. Wong, Olli J. Loukola
Summary: Nests are crucial for the reproductive success of many animals, and cognitive abilities play a significant role in various nesting behaviors. This review examines the evidence linking cognition to nesting behaviors across different taxa and discusses how cognitive abilities can enhance nesting success. The review also emphasizes the importance of combining experimental and comparative research to understand the evolutionary pathways underlying the associations between cognitive abilities and nesting behaviors.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Martina Ozan, Heikki Helantera, Patrizia d'Ettorre, Liselotte Sundstrom
Summary: Cooperative breeding in ants involves conflicts over reproductive shares, which can be resolved in different ways. This study examined how the reproductive success of queens in the ant Formica fusca is influenced by the size of their worker entourage, their fecundity, and their cuticular hydrocarbon profile. The results showed that queen fecundity and egg hatching success increased with the size of their entourage, and newly hatched larvae from highly fecund queens were smaller. Additionally, higher relatedness among workers was found to increase queen fecundity, and queens with a large worker entourage had different cuticular chemistry compared to those with a small worker entourage. These findings highlight the important role of workers in determining queen fitness and the impact of relatedness on colony reproductive output.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jason Rissanen, Danae Nyckees, Torsten Will, Heikki Helanterae, Dalial Freitak
Summary: Animals modulate their nutritional intake to combat pathogens. Formica fusca ants adjust their diet to include more aphid-supplemented foods when exposed to a fungal pathogen, reducing mortality. However, a varied diet is necessary for this benefit.
Review
Entomology
Liselotte Sundstrom, Emma Vitikainen
Summary: This study summarizes a 28-year research on monogyne colonies of the narrow-headed ant and discusses the ecological and genetic consequences arising from fragmented landscapes and conflicting selection pressures.
MYRMECOLOGICAL NEWS
(2022)