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Cassar T, Lapeva-Gjonova A, Mifsud D. The Intranidal Myrmecophiles of the Maltese Islands with Notes on Messor Nests as Repositories of Biodiversity. INSECTS 2023; 14:45. [PMID: 36661973 PMCID: PMC9864695 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The intranidal myrmecophilous arthropod fauna of the Maltese Islands is reviewed. Thirty species from nine orders are found to be obligate myrmecophiles, of which four species are recorded from the Maltese archipelago for the first time: Phrurolithus sp. (Araneae: Phrurolithidae), Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese, 1904), Gymnolaelaps messor Joharchi, Halliday, Saboori & Kamali, 2011 and G. myrmecophilus (Berlese, 1892) (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae). Phrurolithus also represents the first record of the family Phrurolithidae in Malta. Notes on the biology and local distribution of each species are provided, including ant-myrmecophile associations, of which two appear to be previously unknown: the occurrence of Smynthurodes betae Westwood, 1849 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the nest of Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille, 1798) and Phrurolithus in the nest of Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849). Fourteen additional species are found to be either only occasionally myrmecophilic, accidental ant-guests or potentially myrmecophilous, the latter remaining ambiguous due to a lack of knowledge of their biology. Of these, the family Caeculidae (Arachnida: Trombidiformes) represents a new record for the Maltese Islands, on the basis of Microcaeculus sp. occurring in a nest of Camponotus barbaricus Emery, 1905. Preliminary results indicate that Messor nests may be repositories of considerable myrmecophile diversity, with the most unique symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cassar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
| | - Albena Lapeva-Gjonova
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - David Mifsud
- Institute of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
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von Beeren C, Brückner A, Hoenle PO, Ospina-Jara B, Kronauer DJC, Blüthgen N. Multiple phenotypic traits as triggers of host attacks towards ant symbionts: body size, morphological gestalt, and chemical mimicry accuracy. Front Zool 2021; 18:46. [PMID: 34538256 PMCID: PMC8451089 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00427-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ant colonies are plagued by a diversity of arthropod guests, which adopt various strategies to avoid or to withstand host attacks. Chemical mimicry of host recognition cues is, for example, a common integration strategy of ant guests. The morphological gestalt and body size of ant guests have long been argued to also affect host hostility, but quantitative studies testing these predictions are largely missing. We here evaluated three guest traits as triggers of host aggression—body size, morphological gestalt, and accuracy in chemical mimicry—in a community of six Eciton army ant species and 29 guest species. We quantified ant aggression towards 314 guests in behavioral assays and, for the same individuals, determined their body size and their accuracy in mimicking ant cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. We classified guests into the following gestalts: protective, myrmecoid, staphylinid-like, phorid-like, and larval-shaped. We expected that (1) guests with lower CHC mimicry accuracy are more frequently attacked; (2) larger guests are more frequently attacked; (3) guests of different morphological gestalt receive differing host aggression levels. Results Army ant species had distinct CHC profiles and accuracy of mimicking these profiles was variable among guests, with many species showing high mimicry accuracy. Unexpectedly, we did not find a clear relationship between chemical host similarity and host aggression, suggesting that other symbiont traits need to be considered. We detected a relationship between the guests’ body size and the received host aggression, in that diminutive forms were rarely attacked. Our data also indicated that morphological gestalt might be a valuable predictor of host aggression. While most ant-guest encounters remained peaceful, host behavior still differed towards guests in that ant aggression was primarily directed towards those guests possessing a protective or a staphylinid-like gestalt. Conclusion We demonstrate that CHC mimicry accuracy does not necessarily predict host aggression towards ant symbionts. Exploitation mechanisms are diverse, and we conclude that, besides chemical mimicry, other factors such as the guests’ morphological gestalt and especially their body size might be important, yet underrated traits shaping the level of host hostility against social insect symbionts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00427-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph von Beeren
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Adrian Brückner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
| | - Philipp O Hoenle
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York City, USA
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Háva J, Abdel-Dayem MS, Aldhafer HM. The subfamily Thorictinae (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) from Saudi Arabia. Zookeys 2021; 1029:155-174. [PMID: 33935554 PMCID: PMC8050014 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1029.63940] [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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the Saudi Arabian Thorictinae beetle species, Thorictusriyadhensis Háva & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov., T.shadensis Háva & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov., T.sharafi Háva & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov., T.hanifahensis Háva & Abdel-Dayem, sp. nov. are described, illustrated, and compared with related species. Three other species: T.castaneus Germar, 1834; T.foreli Wasmann, 1894; and T.peyerimhoffi Chobaut, 1904 are excluded from the fauna of Saudi Arabia. A list of Thorictinae species from the Arabian Peninsula is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Háva
- Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady 136, CZ-252 02 Praha 5 - Zbraslav, Czech Republic Forestry and Game Management Research Institute Zbraslav Czech Republic
| | - Mahmoud S Abdel-Dayem
- King Saud University Museum of Arthropods (KSMA), Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agricultral Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460 Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia King Saud University Riyadh Saudi Arabia
| | - Hathal M Aldhafer
- King Saud University Museum of Arthropods (KSMA), Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agricultral Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460 Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia King Saud University Riyadh Saudi Arabia
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Parmentier T, De Laender F, Bonte D. The topology and drivers of ant-symbiont networks across Europe. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1664-1688. [PMID: 32691527 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Intimate associations between different species drive community composition across ecosystems. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these symbiotic associations is challenging because their structure eventually determines stability and resilience of the entire species network. Here, we compiled a detailed database on naturally occurring ant-symbiont networks in Europe to identify factors that affect symbiont network topology. These networks host an unrivalled diversity of macrosymbiotic associations, spanning the entire mutualism-antagonism continuum, including: (i) myrmecophiles - commensalistic and parasitic arthropods; (ii) trophobionts - mutualistic aphids, scale insects, planthoppers and caterpillars; (iii) social parasites - parasitic ant species; (iv) parasitic helminths; and (v) parasitic fungi. We dissected network topology to investigate what determines host specificity, symbiont species richness, and the capacity of different symbiont types to switch hosts. We found 722 macrosymbionts (multicellular symbionts) associated with European ants. Symbiont type explained host specificity and the average relatedness of the host species. Social parasites were associated with few hosts that were phylogenetically highly related, whereas the other symbiont types interacted with a larger number of hosts across a wider taxonomic distribution. The hosts of trophobionts were the least phylogenetically related across all symbiont types. Colony size, host range and habitat type predicted total symbiont richness: ant hosts with larger colony size, a larger distribution range or with a wider habitat range contained more symbiont species. However, we found that different sets of host factors affected diversity in the different types of symbionts. Ecological factors, such as colony size, host range and niche width predominantly determined myrmecophile species richness, whereas host phylogeny was the most important predictor of mutualistic trophobiont, social parasite and parasitic helminth species richness. Lastly, we found that hosts with a common biogeographic history support a more similar community of symbionts. Phylogenetically related hosts also shared more trophobionts, social parasites and helminths, but not myrmecophiles. Taken together, these results suggest that ecological and evolutionary processes structure host specificity and symbiont richness in large-scale ant-symbiont networks, but these drivers may shift in importance depending on the type of symbiosis. Our findings highlight the potential of well-characterized bipartite networks composed of different types of symbioses to identify candidate processes driving community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Parmentier
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium.,Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
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Ruzzier E, Kadej M, Battisti A. Occurrence, ecological function and medical importance of dermestid beetle hastisetae. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8340. [PMID: 32002326 PMCID: PMC6983295 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hastisetae are a specific group of detachable setae characterizing the larvae of Megatominae (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), commonly known as carpet and khapra beetles. These setae are located on both thoracic and abdominal tergites and they are the primary defense of the larva against invertebrate predators. According to previous studies, the main purpose of hastisetae is to work as a mechanical obstacle, but they are also capable to block and kill a predator. Hastisetae, single or aggregate, function as an extremely efficient mechanical trap, based on an entangling mechanism of cuticular structures (spines and hairs) and body appendages (antennae, legs and mouthparts). It is believed that this defensive system evolved primarily to contrast predation by invertebrates, however it has been observed that hastisetae may affect vertebrates as well. Although information on the impacts of vertebrate predators of the beetles is lacking, hastisetae have been shown to be a possible threat for human health as an important contaminant of stored products (food and fabric), work and living environment. Review of past and recent literature on dermestid larvae has revealed that despite these structures indicated as one of the distinctive characters in species identification, very little is known about their ultrastructure, evolution and mechanism of action. In the present work, we will provide the state of knowledge on hastisetae in Dermestidae and we will present and discuss future research perspectives intended to bridge the existing knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Ruzzier
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marcin Kadej
- Department of Invertebrate Biology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Andrea Battisti
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Parmentier T, De Laender F, Wenseleers T, Bonte D. Prudent behavior rather than chemical deception enables a parasite to exploit its ant host. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Parmentier
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Gent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Socioevolution, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, Namur, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, Namur, Belgium
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Socioevolution, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Gent, Belgium
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von Beeren C, Brückner A, Maruyama M, Burke G, Wieschollek J, Kronauer DJC. Chemical and behavioral integration of army ant-associated rove beetles - a comparison between specialists and generalists. Front Zool 2018; 15:8. [PMID: 29568316 PMCID: PMC5857133 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0249-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-symbiont interactions are embedded in ecological communities and range from unspecific to highly specific relationships. Army ants and their arthropod guests represent a fascinating example of species-rich host-symbiont associations where host specificity ranges across the entire generalist - specialist continuum. In the present study, we compared the behavioral and chemical integration mechanisms of two extremes of the generalist - specialist continuum: generalist ant-predators in the genus Tetradonia (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), and specialist ant-mimics in the genera Ecitomorpha and Ecitophya (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Ecitocharini). Similar to a previous study of Tetradonia beetles, we combined DNA barcoding with morphological studies to define species boundaries in ant-mimicking beetles. This approach found four ant-mimicking species at our study site at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. Community sampling of Eciton army ant parasites revealed that ant-mimicking beetles were perfect host specialists, each beetle species being associated with a single Eciton species. These specialists were seamlessly integrated into the host colony, while generalists avoided physical contact to host ants in behavioral assays. Analysis of the ants' nestmate recognition cues, i.e. cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), showed close similarity in CHC composition and CHC concentration between specialists and Eciton burchellii foreli host ants. On the contrary, the chemical profiles of generalists matched host profiles less well, indicating that high accuracy in chemical host resemblance is only accomplished by socially integrated species. Considering the interplay between behavior, morphology, and cuticular chemistry, specialists but not generalists have cracked the ants' social code with respect to various sensory modalities. Our results support the long-standing idea that the evolution of host-specialization in parasites is a trade-off between the range of potential host species and the level of specialization on any particular host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph von Beeren
- 1Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,2Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Adrian Brückner
- 1Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Griffin Burke
- 2Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA.,4Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504 USA
| | - Jana Wieschollek
- 1Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- 2Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
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Arthropods Associate with their Red Wood ant Host without Matching Nestmate Recognition Cues. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:644-661. [PMID: 28744733 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0868-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Social insect colonies provide a valuable resource that attracts and offers shelter to a large community of arthropods. Previous research has suggested that many specialist parasites of social insects chemically mimic their host in order to evade aggression. In the present study, we carry out a systematic study to test how common such chemical deception is across a group of 22 arthropods that are associated with red wood ants (Formica rufa group). In contrast to the examples of chemical mimicry documented in some highly specialized parasites in previous studies, we find that most of the rather unspecialized red wood ant associates surveyed did not use mimicry of the cuticular hydrocarbon recognition cues to evade host detection. Instead, we found that myrmecophiles with lower cuticular hydrocarbon concentrations provoked less host aggression. Therefore, some myrmecophiles with low hydrocarbon concentrations appear to evade host detection via a strategy known as chemical insignificance. Others showed no chemical disguise at all and, instead, relied on behavioral adaptations such as particular defense or evasion tactics, in order to evade host aggression. Overall, this study indicates that unspecialized myrmecophiles do not require the matching of host recognition cues and advanced strategies of chemical mimicry, but can integrate in a hostile ant nest via either chemical insignificance or specific behavioral adaptations.
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A cuckoo-like parasitic moth leads African weaver ant colonies to their ruin. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23778. [PMID: 27021621 PMCID: PMC4810499 DOI: 10.1038/srep23778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In myrmecophilous Lepidoptera, mostly lycaenids and riodinids, caterpillars trick ants into transporting them to the ant nest where they feed on the brood or, in the more derived “cuckoo strategy”, trigger regurgitations (trophallaxis) from the ants and obtain trophic eggs. We show for the first time that the caterpillars of a moth (Eublemma albifascia; Noctuidae; Acontiinae) also use this strategy to obtain regurgitations and trophic eggs from ants (Oecophylla longinoda). Females short-circuit the adoption process by laying eggs directly on the ant nests, and workers carry just-hatched caterpillars inside. Parasitized colonies sheltered 44 to 359 caterpillars, each receiving more trophallaxis and trophic eggs than control queens. The thus-starved queens lose weight, stop laying eggs (which transport the pheromones that induce infertility in the workers) and die. Consequently, the workers lay male-destined eggs before and after the queen’s death, allowing the colony to invest its remaining resources in male production before it vanishes.
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Ranganathan Y, Bessière JM, Borges RM. A coat of many scents: Cuticular hydrocarbons in multitrophic interactions of fig wasps with ants. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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