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Praill LC, Eppley TM, Shanee S, Cunneyworth PMK, Abra FD, Allgas N, Al-Razi H, Campera M, Cheyne SM, Collinson W, Donati G, Linden B, Manson S, Maria M, Morcatty TQ, Nekaris KAI, Oklander LI, Nijman V, Svensson MS. Road Infrastructure and Primate Conservation: Introducing the Global Primate Roadkill Database. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101692. [PMID: 37238122 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101692] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics, previously continuous habitats are being fragmented, resulting in more frequent wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC). Primates are widespread throughout many sub-/tropical countries, and as their habitats are fragmented, they are increasingly at risk of WVC. We created the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD), the largest available standardized database of primate roadkill incidents. We obtained data from published papers, un-published and citizen science databases, anecdotal reports, news reports, and social media posts. Here, we describe the collection methods for the GPRD and present the most up-to-date version of the database in full. For each primate roadkill incident, we recorded the species killed, the exact location, and the year and month the roadkill was observed. At the time of publication, the GPRD includes 2862 individual primate roadkill records from 41 countries. As primates range in more than twice as many countries, the absence of data from these countries is not necessarily indicative of a lack of primate vehicular collisions. Given the value of these data for addressing both local and global research questions, we encourage conservationists and citizen scientists to contribute to the GPRD so that, together, we can better understand the impact road infrastructure has on primates and evaluate measures which may help mitigate risk-prone areas or species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Praill
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Pandrillus Cameroon, Limbe Wildlife Centre, Limbe P.O. Box 878, Cameroon
| | - Timothy M Eppley
- Wildlife Madagascar, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
- Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Sam Shanee
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Moyobamba 22001, Peru
- Neotropical Primate Conservation, Cornwall PL11 3JQ, UK
| | | | - Fernanda D Abra
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute-Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Washington, DC 20560, USA
- ViaFAUNA Estudos Ambientais, São Paulo 04125-120, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia 12945-010, SP, Brazil
| | - Néstor Allgas
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Moyobamba 22001, Peru
| | - Hassan Al-Razi
- Bangladesh Slow Loris Research and Conservation Project, 531/2, Shahidbagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
| | - Marco Campera
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Susan M Cheyne
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Wendy Collinson
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
- The Endangered Wildlife Trust, Wierda Park 0149, South Africa
| | - Giuseppe Donati
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Birthe Linden
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
- Lajuma Research Centre, Louis Trichardt 0920, South Africa
| | - Sophie Manson
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Little Fireface Project, Chipaganti, Cisurupan, Garut 44163, Indonesia
| | - Marjan Maria
- Bangladesh Slow Loris Research and Conservation Project, 531/2, Shahidbagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
| | - Thais Q Morcatty
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - K A I Nekaris
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Little Fireface Project, Chipaganti, Cisurupan, Garut 44163, Indonesia
| | - Luciana I Oklander
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética Aplicada, UNAM-CONICET, Posadas N3304, Argentina
- Neotropical Primate Conservation Argentina, Puerto Iguazú N3370, Argentina
| | - Vincent Nijman
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Magdalena S Svensson
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
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Gibb H, Bishop TR, Leahy L, Parr CL, Lessard J, Sanders NJ, Shik JZ, Ibarra‐Isassi J, Narendra A, Dunn RR, Wright IJ. Ecological strategies of (pl)ants: Towards a world-wide worker economic spectrum for ants. Funct Ecol 2023; 37:13-25. [PMID: 37056633 PMCID: PMC10084388 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14135] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Current global challenges call for a rigorously predictive ecology. Our understanding of ecological strategies, imputed through suites of measurable functional traits, comes from decades of work that largely focussed on plants. However, a key question is whether plant ecological strategies resemble those of other organisms.Among animals, ants have long been recognised to possess similarities with plants: as (largely) central place foragers. For example, individual ant workers play similar foraging roles to plant leaves and roots and are similarly expendable. Frameworks that aim to understand plant ecological strategies through key functional traits, such as the 'leaf economics spectrum', offer the potential for significant parallels with ant ecological strategies.Here, we explore these parallels across several proposed ecological strategy dimensions, including an 'economic spectrum', propagule size-number trade-offs, apparency-defence trade-offs, resource acquisition trade-offs and stress-tolerance trade-offs. We also highlight where ecological strategies may differ between plants and ants. Furthermore, we consider how these strategies play out among the different modules of eusocial organisms, where selective forces act on the worker and reproductive castes, as well as the colony.Finally, we suggest future directions for ecological strategy research, including highlighting the availability of data and traits that may be more difficult to measure, but should receive more attention in future to better understand the ecological strategies of ants. The unique biology of eusocial organisms provides an unrivalled opportunity to bridge the gap in our understanding of ecological strategies in plants and animals and we hope that this perspective will ignite further interest. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloise Gibb
- Department of Environment and Genetics and Centre for Future LandscapesLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVic.Australia
| | - Tom R. Bishop
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Lily Leahy
- Department of Environment and Genetics and Centre for Future LandscapesLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVic.Australia
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Jonathan Z. Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of BiologyUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Ajay Narendra
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNSWAustralia
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Ian J. Wright
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNSWAustralia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNSWAustralia
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Fayle TM, Klimes P. Improving estimates of global ant biomass and abundance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2214825119. [PMID: 36197959 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214825119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Schultheiss P, Nooten SS, Wang R, Wong MKL, Brassard F, Guénard B. The abundance, biomass, and distribution of ants on Earth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201550119. [PMID: 36122199 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201550119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge on the distribution and abundance of organisms is fundamental to understanding their roles within ecosystems and their ecological importance for other taxa. Such knowledge is currently lacking for insects, which have long been regarded as the "little things that run the world". Even for ubiquitous insects, such as ants, which are of tremendous ecological significance, there is currently neither a reliable estimate of their total number on Earth nor of their abundance in particular biomes or habitats. We compile data on ground-dwelling and arboreal ants to obtain an empirical estimate of global ant abundance. Our analysis is based on 489 studies, spanning all continents, major biomes, and habitats. We conservatively estimate total abundance of ground-dwelling ants at over 3 × 1015 and estimate the number of all ants on Earth to be almost 20 × 1015 individuals. The latter corresponds to a biomass of ∼12 megatons of dry carbon. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals and is equivalent to ∼20% of human biomass. Abundances of ground-dwelling ants are strongly concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions but vary substantially across habitats. The density of leaf-litter ants is highest in forests, while the numbers of actively ground-foraging ants are highest in arid regions. This study highlights the central role ants play in terrestrial ecosystems but also major ecological and geographic gaps in our current knowledge. Our results provide a crucial baseline for exploring environmental drivers of ant-abundance patterns and for tracking the responses of insects to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Marín
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC) Universidad Santo Tomás Av. Ramón Picarte 1130 5090000 Valdivia Chile
| | - Javiera Rubio
- Escuela de Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
| | - Roberto Godoy
- Instituto Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Austral de Chile Valdivia Chile
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Kass JM, Guénard B, Dudley KL, Jenkins CN, Azuma F, Fisher BL, Parr CL, Gibb H, Longino JT, Ward PS, Chao A, Lubertazzi D, Weiser M, Jetz W, Guralnick R, Blatrix R, Lauriers JD, Donoso DA, Georgiadis C, Gomez K, Hawkes PG, Johnson RA, Lattke JE, MacGown JA, Mackay W, Robson S, Sanders NJ, Dunn RR, Economo EP. The global distribution of known and undiscovered ant biodiversity. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabp9908. [PMID: 35921404 PMCID: PMC9348798 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abp9908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning and services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns and their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve the first high-resolution (~20-km) global diversity map for a major invertebrate clade, ants, using biodiversity informatics, range modeling, and machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge and predict the distribution of undiscovered diversity. We find that ants and different vertebrate groups have distinct features in their patterns of richness and rarity, underscoring the need to consider a diversity of taxa in conservation. However, despite their phylogenetic and physiological divergence, ant distributions are not highly anomalous relative to variation among vertebrate clades. Furthermore, our models predict that rarity centers largely overlap (78%), suggesting that general forces shape endemism patterns across taxa. This raises confidence that conservation of areas important for small-ranged vertebrates will benefit invertebrates while providing a "treasure map" to guide future discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M. Kass
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Kenneth L. Dudley
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Clinton N. Jenkins
- Department of Earth and Environment and Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Fumika Azuma
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Brian L. Fisher
- Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - Heloise Gibb
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, and Center for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - John T. Longino
- School of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Philip S. Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Anne Chao
- Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu 30043, Taiwan
| | - David Lubertazzi
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Michael Weiser
- Department of Biology and Geographical Ecology Group, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Walter Jetz
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Robert Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rumsaïs Blatrix
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | - David A. Donoso
- Departamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Christos Georgiadis
- Section of Zoology–Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou 15772, Greece
| | | | - Peter G. Hawkes
- AfriBugs CC, 341 27th Avenue, Villieria, Pretoria, Gauteng Province 0186, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa
| | - Robert A. Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 852787-4501, USA
| | - John E. Lattke
- Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, CEP 81531-980, PR, Brazil
| | - Joe A. MacGown
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - William Mackay
- Biodiversity Collections, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Simon Robson
- College of Science and Engineering, Central Queensland University, Townsville, QLD 4812, Australia
| | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Zhang X, Lu ZX, Zhang NN, Chen YQ. Data of ant community compositions and functional traits responding to land-use change at the local scale. Biodivers Data J 2022; 10:e85119. [PMID: 36761575 PMCID: PMC9848497 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.10.e85119] [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: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Off-reserve conservation is a major contributor to China biodiversity conservation efforts, biodiversity conservation being achieved within afforestation and low-intensity agriculture in fragmented landscapes. Functional trait is more strongly related to ecological processes than taxonomic diversity and reflects ecosystem functioning and species responses to environmental changes. In this study, we selected five habitats that differ in degree of disturbance to explore the effects of land use on ant community compositions, traits distributions and functional diversity change. We assessed how habitat disturbance affects the ant community compositions and traits distributions and asked if ant functional diversity respond to disturbance at the local scale? Location: Lüchun County, Yunnan Province, southwest China. Methods: Pitfall traps were used to survey ant communities. Additionally, we measured four ant morphological traits (eyes diameter, distance between eyes, femur length of the hind-leg and Weber's length) to assess the functional traits distributions and functional diversity. Shade plot of ant relative abundance was used to explore species distribution amongst different habitats. Kernel density plot was used to explore ant traits distribution patterns amongst different habitats. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordination, based on ant Weber's length, was used to explore the ant traits compositions amongst different habitats. The fourth corner model was used to evaluate the association between ant traits and environmental variables. The FRic, RaoQ and FEve indices were selected as three complementary measures of the multivariate functional traits space and functional redundancy of different habitats. Results: We collected 14258 ants, representing 89 species, 40 genera and seven subfamilies. Aphaenogasterschurri and Tetramoriumciliatum were the common species of secondary forest; P.sagei, P.pieli, Cardiocondylawroughtonii, Recurvidrisnuwa, Tapinnomamelanocephalum, Monomoriumpharaonis and M.orientale were the common species in plantations; and Iridomyrmexanceps and Cardiocondylanuda were the common species in managed farms. Ants had medium eye diameters, narrow distances between eyes, medium leg lengths and smaller body sizes in greatly-disturbed habitats; and ants had an increasing eye diameter and narrowing of the space between eyes, while the leg length and Weber's length became shorter in moderately-disturbed habitats. Ant trait composition, based on Weber's length, showed significantly differences amongst five habitats. The fourth corner analysis indicated that ant species traits were significantly correlated with environmental variables. The functional diversity of secondary forest, lac plantation and lac plantation-corn agroforest were higher than those in dryland farm and rice paddy. Functional diversities were significantly negatively correlated with bare ground cover and significantly positively correlated with leaf-litter cover, leaf-litter thickness and plant cover. Main conclusion: Our results indicated that ant traits distribution patterns were affected by land-use changes, followed by anthropogenic disturbance pressures at the local scale. Ant traits compositions in greatly-disturbed habitats also differed from the habitats with less disturbance. It is unfavourable for the survival of the large body-size ants in more open habitats with more anthropogenic disturbance. Compared with secondary forest, dryland farm and rice paddies were less resistant and more vulnerable and lac plantations had approximately functional diversity of ant communities, suggesting that lac plantations might be resistant as secondary forest to species loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhang
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, ChinaInstitute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of ForestryKunmingChina
| | - Zhi-xing Lu
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, ChinaInstitute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of ForestryKunmingChina
| | - Nian-nian Zhang
- Guizhou Academy of Forestry, Guiyang, ChinaGuizhou Academy of ForestryGuiyangChina
| | - You-qing Chen
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, ChinaInstitute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of ForestryKunmingChina
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Kaspari M, Weiser MD, Marshall KE, Miller M, Siler C, de Beurs K. Activity density at a continental scale: What drives invertebrate biomass moving across the soil surface? Ecology 2021; 103:e03542. [PMID: 34614206 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3542] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Activity density (AD), the rate that an individual taxon or its biomass moves through the environment, is used both to monitor communities and quantify the potential for ecosystem work. The Abundance Velocity Hypothesis posited that AD increases with aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and is a unimodal function of temperature. Here we show that, at continental extents, increasing ANPP may have nonlinear effects on AD: increasing abundance, but decreasing velocity as accumulating vegetation interferes with movement. We use 5 yr of data from the NEON invertebrate pitfall trap arrays including 43 locations and four habitat types for a total of 77 habitat-site combinations to evaluate continental drivers of invertebrate AD. ANPP and temperature accounted for one-third to 92% of variation in AD. As predicted, AD was a unimodal function of temperature in forests and grasslands but increased linearly in open scrublands. ANPP yielded further nonlinear effects, generating unimodal AD curves in wetlands, and bimodal curves in forests. While all four habitats showed no AD trends over 5 yr of sampling, these nonlinearities suggest that trends in AD, often used to infer changes in insect abundance, will vary qualitatively across ecoregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaspari
- Department of Biology, Geographical Ecology Group, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Michael D Weiser
- Department of Biology, Geographical Ecology Group, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Katie E Marshall
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Matthew Miller
- Department of Biology, Geographical Ecology Group, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Cameron Siler
- Department of Biology, Geographical Ecology Group, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA.,Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73072-7029, USA
| | - Kirsten de Beurs
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
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Schifani E, Giannetti D, Csősz S, Castellucci F, Luchetti A, Castracani C, Spotti FA, Mori A, Grasso DA. Is mimicry a diversification-driver in ants? Biogeography, ecology, ethology, genetics and morphology define a second West-Palaearctic Colobopsis species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2022; 194:1424-50. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The West-Palaearctic Colobopsis ant populations have long been considered a single species (Colobopsis truncata). We studied the diversity of this species by employing a multidisciplinary approach and combining data from our surveys, museum and private collections, and citizen science platforms. As a result, we have revealed the existence of a second species, which we describe as Colobopsis imitans sp. nov., distributed allopatrically from Co. truncata and living in the Maghreb, Sicily and southern Iberia. While the pigmentation of Co. truncata is reminiscent of Dolichoderus quadripunctatus, that of Co. imitans is similar to Crematogaster scutellaris, with which Co. imitans lives in close spatial association, and whose foraging trails it habitually follows, similar to Camponotus lateralis and other ant-mimicking ants. The isolation between Co. imitans and Co. truncata seems to have occurred relatively recently because of significant, yet not extreme, morphometric differentiation, and to mtDNA polyphyly. Both Co. imitans and Co. truncata appear to employ mimicry of an unpalatable or aggressive ant species as an important defensive strategy; this ‘choice’ of a different model species is motivated by biogeographic reasons and appears to act as a critical evolutionary driver of their diversification.
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Lim LY, Ab Majid AH. Development and Characterization of Novel Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers for Tapinoma indicum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Insect Sci 2021; 21:6326714. [PMID: 34297812 PMCID: PMC8300939 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab047] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Tapinoma indicum (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a nuisance pest in Asia countries. However, studies on T. indicum are limited, especially in the field of molecular biology, to investigate the species characteristic at the molecular level. This paper aims to provide valuable genetic markers as tools with which to study the T. indicum population. In this study, a total of 143,998 microsatellite markers were developed based on the 2.61 × 106 microsatellites isolated from T. indicum genomic DNA sequences. Fifty selected microsatellite markers were amplified with varying numbers of alleles ranging from 0 to 19. Seven out of fifty microsatellite markers were characterized for polymorphism with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis. All seven microsatellite markers demonstrated a high polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranging from 0.87 to 0.93, with a mean value of 0.90. There is no evidence of scoring errors caused by stutter peaks, no large allele dropout, and no linkage disequilibrium among the seven loci; although loci Ti-Tr04, Ti-Tr09, Ti-Te04, Ti-Te13, and Ti-Pe5 showed signs of null alleles and deviation from the HWE due to excessive homozygosity. In conclusion, a significant amount of microsatellite markers was developed from the data set of next-generation sequencing, and seven of microsatellite markers were validated as informative genetic markers that can be utilized to study the T. indicum population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang Lim
- Household & Structural Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800 Minden, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid
- Household & Structural Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800 Minden, Malaysia
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Pietrek AG, Goheen JR, Riginos C, Maiyo NJ, Palmer TM. Density dependence and the spread of invasive big-headed ants (Pheidole megacephala) in an East African savanna. Oecologia 2021; 195:667-76. [PMID: 33506295 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04859-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Supercolonial ants are among the largest cooperative units in nature, attaining extremely high densities. How these densities feed back into their population growth rates and how abundance and extrinsic factors interact to affect their population dynamics remain open questions. We studied how local worker abundance and extrinsic factors (rain, tree density) affect population growth rate and spread in the invasive big-headed ant, which is disrupting a keystone mutualism between acacia trees and native ants in parts of East Africa. We measured temporal changes in big-headed ant (BHA) abundance and rates of spread over 20 months along eight transects, extending from areas behind the front with high BHA abundances to areas at the invasion front with low BHA abundances. We used models that account for negative density dependence and incorporated extrinsic factors to determine what variables best explain variation in local population growth rates. Population growth rates declined with abundance, however, the strength of density dependence decreased with abundance. We suggest that weaker density dependence at higher ant abundances may be due to the beneficial effect of cooperative behavior that partially counteracts resource limitation. Rainfall and tree density had minor effects on ant population dynamics. BHA spread near 50 m/year, more than previous studies reported and comparable to rates of spread of other supercolonial ants. Although we did not detect declines in abundance in areas invaded a long time ago (> 10 years), continued monitoring of abundance at invaded sites may help to better understand the widespread collapse of many invasive ants.
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Giannetti D, Mandrioli M, Schifani E, Castracani C, Spotti FA, Mori A, Grasso DA. First Report on the Acrobat Ant Crematogaster scutellaris Storing Live Aphids in Its Oak-Gall Nests. Insects 2021; 12:108. [PMID: 33513695 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Galls represent an amazing microcosm which contains a variety of multiple interactions among different actors, and therefore, offers the opportunity to observe and investigate phenomena belonging to different areas of biology: from the development process, connected to the interaction between the galligenous agent and the host plant, to the moment of their colonization by different species, since some ants may provide defense against pathogens, certain phytophagous insects or favor mutualists. In the present work we describe some aspects of oak-gall colonization by different ant species, highlighting how the gall’s height on the plant influences ant colonization and how different ant species produce different nest architectures. The most relevant aspect, however, is the discovery of a novel ant-aphid relationship: the transport of living aphids into oak-gall nests. We found no evidence of immediate predation of these aphids inside the galls, so they are likely stored to overwinter due to a mutualistic relationship and/or serve as food storage. This is not only an interesting report on the mutualisms involving ants and their insect partners, but it may also have important consequences on the aphids’ phenology with the host plants. Once more, ants show their relevant impact on multitrophic interactions and ecosystem dynamics. Abstract This study provides new data about the role of ants in mutualistic interactions with aphids mediated by galls. We focused our investigation on galls induced by the cynipid Andricus kollari by conducting a survey and a subsequent experiment in an Italian oak forest. The ants Crematogaster scutellaris, Colobopsis truncata and Temnothorax italicus frequently used the galls as nests: Crematogaster scutellaris occupied galls which were located higher on the oak trees, while C. truncata and T. italicus were located at lower positions. In addition, galls occupied by C. scutellaris showed varied internal architecture in relation to the colony composition. Importantly, field surveys revealed for the first time that C. scutellaris nest galls also contained live individuals of the non-galligenous aphid Panaphis juglandis. Field experiments suggested that the ants actively seek, collect and stock live aphids. No signs of predation and injuries were detected on the stored aphids, which were probably kept for safe overwintering, though we cannot exclude a possible occasional use as food. This report reveals a possible novel relationship which could have important consequences on the phenology and presence of aphids on the host plant.
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13
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Braschler B, Duffy GA, Nortje E, Kritzinger-Klopper S, du Plessis D, Karenyi N, Leihy RI, Chown SL. Realised rather than fundamental thermal niches predict site occupancy: Implications for climate change forecasting. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2863-2875. [PMID: 32981063 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Thermal performance traits are regularly used to make forecasts of the responses of ectotherms to anthropogenic environmental change, but such forecasts do not always differentiate between fundamental and realised thermal niches. Here we determine the relative extents to which variation in the fundamental and realised thermal niches accounts for current variation in species abundance and occupancy and assess the effects of niche-choice on future-climate response estimations. We investigated microclimate and macroclimate temperatures alongside abundance, occupancy, critical thermal limits and foraging activity of 52 ant species (accounting for >95% individuals collected) from a regional assemblage from across the Western Cape Province, South Africa, between 2003 and 2014. Capability of a species to occupy sites experiencing the most extreme temperatures, coupled with breadth of realised niche, explained most deviance in occupancy (up to 75%), while foraging temperature range and body mass explained up to 50.5% of observed variation in mean species abundance. When realised niches are used to forecast responses to climate change, large positive and negative effects among species are predicted under future conditions, in contrast to the forecasts of minimal impacts on all species that are indicated by fundamental niche predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Braschler
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa.,Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Grant A Duffy
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Erika Nortje
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Suzaan Kritzinger-Klopper
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Dorette du Plessis
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Natasha Karenyi
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Rachel I Leihy
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Steven L Chown
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
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14
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Guerra CA, Heintz-Buschart A, Sikorski J, Chatzinotas A, Guerrero-Ramírez N, Cesarz S, Beaumelle L, Rillig MC, Maestre FT, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Buscot F, Overmann J, Patoine G, Phillips HRP, Winter M, Wubet T, Küsel K, Bardgett RD, Cameron EK, Cowan D, Grebenc T, Marín C, Orgiazzi A, Singh BK, Wall DH, Eisenhauer N. Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3870. [PMID: 32747621 PMCID: PMC7400591 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17688-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Soils harbor a substantial fraction of the world's biodiversity, contributing to many crucial ecosystem functions. It is thus essential to identify general macroecological patterns related to the distribution and functioning of soil organisms to support their conservation and consideration by governance. These macroecological analyses need to represent the diversity of environmental conditions that can be found worldwide. Here we identify and characterize existing environmental gaps in soil taxa and ecosystem functioning data across soil macroecological studies and 17,186 sampling sites across the globe. These data gaps include important spatial, environmental, taxonomic, and functional gaps, and an almost complete absence of temporally explicit data. We also identify the limitations of soil macroecological studies to explore general patterns in soil biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, with only 0.3% of all sampling sites having both information about biodiversity and function, although with different taxonomic groups and functions at each site. Based on this information, we provide clear priorities to support and expand soil macroecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Guerra
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle(Saale), Germany.
| | - Anna Heintz-Buschart
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Soil Ecology, 06108, Halle(Saale), Germany
| | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nathaly Guerrero-Ramírez
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Léa Beaumelle
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Biologie, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 34, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número, Móstoles, 28933, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología and Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - François Buscot
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Soil Ecology, 06108, Halle(Saale), Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany.,Microbiology, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Guillaume Patoine
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helen R P Phillips
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marten Winter
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger-Straße 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Erin K Cameron
- Department of Environmental Science, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Don Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tine Grebenc
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - César Marín
- Instituto de Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias, Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile.,Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.,Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Diana H Wall
- School of Global Environmental Sustainability and Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1036, USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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15
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Kaspari M, Bujan J, Roeder KA, Beurs K, Weiser MD. Species energy and Thermal Performance Theory predict 20‐yr changes in ant community abundance and richness. Ecology 2019; 100:e02888. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaspari
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
| | - Jelena Bujan
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
- Department of Biology University of Louisville Louisville Kentucky 40208 USA
| | - Karl A. Roeder
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
| | - Kirsten Beurs
- Department of Geography and Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
| | - Michael D. Weiser
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
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16
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Pringle EG, Santos TFD, Gonçalves MS, Hawes JE, Peres CA, Baccaro FB. Arboreal ant abundance tracks primary productivity in an Amazonian whitewater river system. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G. Pringle
- Department of Biology Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology University of Nevada, Reno Reno Nevada USA
| | | | | | - Joseph E. Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group School of Life Sciences Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge UK
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia Universidade Federal da Paraíba João Pessoa Brazil
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17
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Abstract
The trait-based approach to ecology promises to provide a mechanistic understanding of species distributions and ecosystem functioning. Typically, trait analyses focus on average species trait values and assume that intraspecific variation is small or negligible. Recent work has shown, however, that intraspecific trait variation can often contribute substantially to total trait variation. Whilst many studies have investigated intraspecific variation in plants, very few have done so for invertebrates. There is no research on the level of intraspecific trait variation in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), despite the fact that there is a growing body of literature using ant morphological trait data and demonstrating that these insects play important roles in many ecosystems and food webs. Here, we investigate the intraspecific variability of four commonly used ant morphological traits from 23 species from the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains of southern Africa. In total, we measured 1145 different individuals and made 6870 trait measurements. Intraspecific variation accounted for only 1–4% of total trait variation for each of the four traits we analysed. We found no links between intraspecific variation, phylogeny and elevation. On average, six individuals generated robust species means but under biased sampling scenarios 20 individuals were needed. The low levels of intraspecific morphological variation that we find suggest that the approach of using mean species traits is valid, in this fauna at least. Regardless, we encourage ant trait ecologists to measure greater numbers of individuals, especially across gradients, to shed further light on intraspecific variation in this functionally important group of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara A Gaudard
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Mark P Robertson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Tom R Bishop
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa. .,Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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18
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Kaspari M, Beurs K. On the geography of activity: productivity but not temperature constrains discovery rates by ectotherm consumers. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaspari
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
| | - Kirsten Beurs
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma 73019 USA
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19
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Friedman DA, Pilko A, Skowronska-Krawczyk D, Krasinska K, Parker JW, Hirsh J, Gordon DM. The Role of Dopamine in the Collective Regulation of Foraging in Harvester Ants. iScience 2018; 8:283-294. [PMID: 30270022 PMCID: PMC6205345 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Colonies of the red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) differ in how they regulate collective foraging activity in response to changes in humidity. We used transcriptomic, physiological, and pharmacological experiments to investigate the molecular basis of this ecologically important variation in collective behavior among colonies. RNA sequencing of forager brain tissue showed an association between colony foraging activity and differential expression of transcripts related to biogenic amine and neurohormonal metabolism and signaling. In field experiments, pharmacological increases in forager brain dopamine titer caused significant increases in foraging activity. Colonies that were naturally most sensitive to humidity were significantly more responsive to the stimulatory effect of exogenous dopamine. In addition, forager brain tissue significantly varied among colonies in biogenic amine content. Neurophysiological variation among colonies associated with individual forager sensitivity to humidity may reflect the heritable molecular variation on which natural selection acts to shape the collective regulation of foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Friedman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Anna Pilko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB), University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk
- Shiley Eye Institute, Richard C. Atkinson Lab for Regenerative Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Karolina Krasinska
- Stanford University Mass Spectrometry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jacqueline W Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Jay Hirsh
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Deborah M Gordon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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20
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Arnan X, Andersen AN, Gibb H, Parr CL, Sanders NJ, Dunn RR, Angulo E, Baccaro FB, Bishop TR, Boulay R, Castracani C, Cerdá X, Toro ID, Delsinne T, Donoso DA, Elten EK, Fayle TM, Fitzpatrick MC, Gómez C, Grasso DA, Grossman BF, Guénard B, Gunawardene N, Heterick B, Hoffmann BD, Janda M, Jenkins CN, Klimes P, Lach L, Laeger T, Leponce M, Lucky A, Majer J, Menke S, Mezger D, Mori A, Moses J, Munyai TC, Paknia O, Pfeiffer M, Philpott SM, Souza JLP, Tista M, Vasconcelos HL, Retana J. Dominance-diversity relationships in ant communities differ with invasion. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:4614-4625. [PMID: 29851235 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between levels of dominance and species richness is highly contentious, especially in ant communities. The dominance-impoverishment rule states that high levels of dominance only occur in species-poor communities, but there appear to be many cases of high levels of dominance in highly diverse communities. The extent to which dominant species limit local richness through competitive exclusion remains unclear, but such exclusion appears more apparent for non-native rather than native dominant species. Here we perform the first global analysis of the relationship between behavioral dominance and species richness. We used data from 1,293 local assemblages of ground-dwelling ants distributed across five continents to document the generality of the dominance-impoverishment rule, and to identify the biotic and abiotic conditions under which it does and does not apply. We found that the behavioral dominance-diversity relationship varies greatly, and depends on whether dominant species are native or non-native, whether dominance is considered as occurrence or relative abundance, and on variation in mean annual temperature. There were declines in diversity with increasing dominance in invaded communities, but diversity increased with increasing dominance in native communities. These patterns occur along the global temperature gradient. However, positive and negative relationships are strongest in the hottest sites. We also found that climate regulates the degree of behavioral dominance, but differently from how it shapes species richness. Our findings imply that, despite strong competitive interactions among ants, competitive exclusion is not a major driver of local richness in native ant communities. Although the dominance-impoverishment rule applies to invaded communities, we propose an alternative dominance-diversification rule for native communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, Australia
| | - Heloise Gibb
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and the Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Catherine L Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Environmental Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Robert R Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Elena Angulo
- Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fabricio B Baccaro
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Tom R Bishop
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Raphaël Boulay
- Institute of Insect Biology, University François Rabelais of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Cristina Castracani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Xim Cerdá
- Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Israel Del Toro
- Biology Department, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin
| | | | - David A Donoso
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnicamenk Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Emilie K Elten
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tom M Fayle
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Matthew C Fitzpatrick
- Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland
| | - Crisanto Gómez
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Donato A Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Blair F Grossman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and the Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Nihara Gunawardene
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Brian Heterick
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Milan Janda
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- National Laboratory for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (LANASE), ENES, UNAM, Michoacan, Mexico
| | - Clinton N Jenkins
- IPÊ - Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista, SP, Brasil
| | - Petr Klimes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Lori Lach
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas Laeger
- Department of Experimental Diabetology (DIAB), German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Maurice Leponce
- Biodiversity Monitoring & Assessment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrea Lucky
- University of Florida Entomology & Nematology Department,, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Jonathan Majer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of WA, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Sean Menke
- Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois
| | - Dirk Mezger
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Alessandra Mori
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Jimmy Moses
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | | | - Omid Paknia
- ITZ, Ecology and Evolution, TiHo Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Pfeiffer
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Stacy M Philpott
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Jorge L P Souza
- Science and Technology for Amazonian Resources Graduate Program, Institute of Exact Sciences and Technology (ICET), Itacoatiara, AM, Brazil
- Biodiversity Coordination, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Melanie Tista
- Division of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Javier Retana
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Spain
- Univ Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Spain
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21
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Mouhoub-Sayah C, Djoudad-Kadji H, Kletty F, Malan A, Robin JP, Saboureau M, Habold C. Seasonal variations in the diet and food selection of the Algerian hedgehog Atelerix algirus. African Zoology 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2017.1419072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chafika Mouhoub-Sayah
- Laboratoire de Zoologie Appliquée et d’Ecophysiologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaïa, Bejaïa, Algeria
| | - Hafsa Djoudad-Kadji
- Laboratoire de Zoologie Appliquée et d’Ecophysiologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaïa, Bejaïa, Algeria
| | - Florian Kletty
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - André Malan
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Département de Neurobiologie des Rythmes, CNRS UPR-3212, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Michel Saboureau
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Département de Neurobiologie des Rythmes, CNRS UPR-3212, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Caroline Habold
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
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22
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Wang WY, Srivathsan A, Foo M, Yamane SK, Meier R. Sorting specimen-rich invertebrate samples with cost-effective NGS barcodes: Validating a reverse workflow for specimen processing. Mol Ecol Resour 2018; 18:490-501. [PMID: 29314756 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [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: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biologists frequently sort specimen-rich samples to species. This process is daunting when based on morphology, and disadvantageous if performed using molecular methods that destroy vouchers (e.g., metabarcoding). An alternative is barcoding every specimen in a bulk sample and then presorting the specimens using DNA barcodes, thus mitigating downstream morphological work on presorted units. Such a "reverse workflow" is too expensive using Sanger sequencing, but we here demonstrate that is feasible with an next-generation sequencing (NGS) barcoding pipeline that allows for cost-effective high-throughput generation of short specimen-specific barcodes (313 bp of COI; laboratory cost <$0.50 per specimen) through next-generation sequencing of tagged amplicons. We applied our approach to a large sample of tropical ants, obtaining barcodes for 3,290 of 4,032 specimens (82%). NGS barcodes and their corresponding specimens were then sorted into molecular operational taxonomic units (mOTUs) based on objective clustering and Automated Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD). High diversity of 88-90 mOTUs (4% clustering) was found and morphologically validated based on preserved vouchers. The mOTUs were overwhelmingly in agreement with morphospecies (match ratio 0.95 at 4% clustering). Because of lack of coverage in existing barcode databases, only 18 could be accurately identified to named species, but our study yielded new barcodes for 48 species, including 28 that are potentially new to science. With its low cost and technical simplicity, the NGS barcoding pipeline can be implemented by a large range of laboratories. It accelerates invertebrate species discovery, facilitates downstream taxonomic work, helps with building comprehensive barcode databases and yields precise abundance information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Y Wang
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amrita Srivathsan
- Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maosheng Foo
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Rudolf Meier
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Diamond SE, Chick L, Penick CA, Nichols LM, Cahan SH, Dunn RR, Ellison AM, Sanders NJ, Gotelli NJ. Heat tolerance predicts the importance of species interaction effects as the climate changes. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:112-120. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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