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Newly Discovered Sister Lineage Sheds Light on Early Ant Evolution
Newly discovered sister lineage sheds light on early ant evolution Christian Rabeling†‡§, Jeremy M. Brown†¶, and Manfred Verhaagh‡ †Section of Integrative Biology, and ¶Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX 78712; and ‡Staatliches Museum fu¨r Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstr. 13, D-76133 Karlsruhe, Germany Edited by Bert Ho¨lldobler, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and approved August 4, 2008 (received for review June 27, 2008) Ants are the world’s most conspicuous and important eusocial insects and their diversity, abundance, and extreme behavioral specializations make them a model system for several disciplines within the biological sciences. Here, we report the discovery of a new ant that appears to represent the sister lineage to all extant ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The phylogenetic position of this cryptic predator from the soils of the Amazon rainforest was inferred from several nuclear genes, sequenced from a single leg. Martialis heureka (gen. et sp. nov.) also constitutes the sole representative of a new, morphologically distinct subfamily of ants, the Martialinae (subfam. nov.). Our analyses have reduced the likelihood of long-branch attraction artifacts that have trou- bled previous phylogenetic studies of early-diverging ants and therefore solidify the emerging view that the most basal extant ant lineages are cryptic, hypogaeic foragers. On the basis of morpho- logical and phylogenetic evidence we suggest that these special- EVOLUTION ized subterranean predators are the sole surviving representatives of a highly divergent lineage that arose near the dawn of ant diversification and have persisted in ecologically stable environ- ments like tropical soils over great spans of time. -
The Functions and Evolution of Social Fluid Exchange in Ant Colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Marie-Pierre Meurville & Adria C
ISSN 1997-3500 Myrmecological News myrmecologicalnews.org Myrmecol. News 31: 1-30 doi: 10.25849/myrmecol.news_031:001 13 January 2021 Review Article Trophallaxis: the functions and evolution of social fluid exchange in ant colonies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Marie-Pierre Meurville & Adria C. LeBoeuf Abstract Trophallaxis is a complex social fluid exchange emblematic of social insects and of ants in particular. Trophallaxis behaviors are present in approximately half of all ant genera, distributed over 11 subfamilies. Across biological life, intra- and inter-species exchanged fluids tend to occur in only the most fitness-relevant behavioral contexts, typically transmitting endogenously produced molecules adapted to exert influence on the receiver’s physiology or behavior. Despite this, many aspects of trophallaxis remain poorly understood, such as the prevalence of the different forms of trophallaxis, the components transmitted, their roles in colony physiology and how these behaviors have evolved. With this review, we define the forms of trophallaxis observed in ants and bring together current knowledge on the mechanics of trophallaxis, the contents of the fluids transmitted, the contexts in which trophallaxis occurs and the roles these behaviors play in colony life. We identify six contexts where trophallaxis occurs: nourishment, short- and long-term decision making, immune defense, social maintenance, aggression, and inoculation and maintenance of the gut microbiota. Though many ideas have been put forth on the evolution of trophallaxis, our analyses support the idea that stomodeal trophallaxis has become a fixed aspect of colony life primarily in species that drink liquid food and, further, that the adoption of this behavior was key for some lineages in establishing ecological dominance. -
James K. Wetterer
James K. Wetterer Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458 Phone: (561) 799-8648; FAX: (561) 799-8602; e-mail: [email protected] EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, Seattle, WA, 9/83 - 8/88 Ph.D., Zoology: Ecology and Evolution; Advisor: Gordon H. Orians. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, East Lansing, MI, 9/81 - 9/83 M.S., Zoology: Ecology; Advisors: Earl E. Werner and Donald J. Hall. CORNELL UNIVERSITY, Ithaca, NY, 9/76 - 5/79 A.B., Biology: Ecology and Systematics. UNIVERSITÉ DE PARIS III, France, 1/78 - 5/78 Semester abroad: courses in theater, literature, and history of art. WORK EXPERIENCE FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, Wilkes Honors College 8/04 - present: Professor 7/98 - 7/04: Associate Professor Teaching: Biodiversity, Principles of Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Human Ecology, Environmental Studies, Tropical Ecology, Field Biology, Life Science, and Scientific Writing 9/03 - 1/04 & 5/04 - 8/04: Fulbright Scholar; Ants of Trinidad and Tobago COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, Department of Earth and Environmental Science 7/96 - 6/98: Assistant Professor Teaching: Community Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, and Tropical Ecology WHEATON COLLEGE, Department of Biology 8/94 - 6/96: Visiting Assistant Professor Teaching: General Ecology and Introductory Biology HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Museum of Comparative Zoology 8/91- 6/94: Post-doctoral Fellow; Behavior, ecology, and evolution of fungus-growing ants Advisors: Edward O. Wilson, Naomi Pierce, and Richard Lewontin 9/95 - 1/96: Teaching: Ethology PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 7/89 - 7/91: Research Associate; Ecology and evolution of leaf-cutting ants Advisor: Stephen Hubbell 1/91 - 5/91: Teaching: Tropical Ecology, Introduction to the Scientific Method VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, Department of Psychology 9/88 - 7/89: Post-doctoral Fellow; Visual psychophysics of fish and horseshoe crabs Advisor: Maureen K. -
Symbiotic Adaptations in the Fungal Cultivar of Leaf-Cutting Ants
ARTICLE Received 15 Apr 2014 | Accepted 24 Oct 2014 | Published 1 Dec 2014 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6675 Symbiotic adaptations in the fungal cultivar of leaf-cutting ants Henrik H. De Fine Licht1,w, Jacobus J. Boomsma2 & Anders Tunlid1 Centuries of artificial selection have dramatically improved the yield of human agriculture; however, strong directional selection also occurs in natural symbiotic interactions. Fungus- growing attine ants cultivate basidiomycete fungi for food. One cultivar lineage has evolved inflated hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Here we show extensive regulation and molecular signals of adaptive evolution in gene trancripts associated with gongylidia biosynthesis, morphogenesis and enzymatic plant cell wall degradation in the leaf-cutting ant cultivar Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. Comparative analysis of staphylae growth morphology and transcriptome-wide expressional and nucleotide divergence indicate that gongylidia provide leaf-cutting ants with essential amino acids and plant-degrading enzymes, and that they may have done so for 20–25 million years without much evolutionary change. These molecular traits and signatures of selection imply that staphylae are highly advanced coevolutionary organs that play pivotal roles in the mutualism between leaf-cutting ants and their fungal cultivars. 1 Microbial Ecology Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden. 2 Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. w Present Address: Section for Organismal Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to H.H.D.F.L. -
Myrmecological News
ISSN 1994-4136 (print) ISSN 1997-3500 (online) Myrmecological News Volume 26 February 2018 Schriftleitung / editors Florian M. STEINER, Herbert ZETTEL & Birgit C. SCHLICK-STEINER Fachredakteure / subject editors Jens DAUBER, Falko P. DRIJFHOUT, Evan ECONOMO, Heike FELDHAAR, Nicholas J. GOTELLI, Heikki O. HELANTERÄ, Daniel J.C. KRONAUER, John S. LAPOLLA, Philip J. LESTER, Timothy A. LINKSVAYER, Alexander S. MIKHEYEV, Ivette PERFECTO, Christian RABELING, Bernhard RONACHER, Helge SCHLÜNS, Chris R. SMITH, Andrew V. SUAREZ Wissenschaftliche Beratung / editorial advisory board Barry BOLTON, Jacobus J. BOOMSMA, Alfred BUSCHINGER, Daniel CHERIX, Jacques H.C. DELABIE, Katsuyuki EGUCHI, Xavier ESPADALER, Bert HÖLLDOBLER, Ajay NARENDRA, Zhanna REZNIKOVA, Michael J. SAMWAYS, Bernhard SEIFERT, Philip S. WARD Eigentümer, Herausgeber, Verleger / publisher © 2018 Österreichische Gesellschaft für Entomofaunistik c/o Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Österreich (Austria) Myrmecological News 26 65-80 Vienna, February 2018 Natural history and nest architecture of the fungus-farming ant genus Sericomyrmex (Hymeno ptera: Formicidae) Ana JEšOVNIK, Júlio CHAUL & Ted SCHULTZ Abstract The fungus-farming ant genus Sericomyrmex (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) contains 11 species distributed from northern Mexico to southern Brazil. Within their nests, all Sericomyrmex species grow highly specialized, obligately symbiotic fungi, which they use for food. Sericomyrmex is the youngest fungus-farming ant genus, the product of a recent, rapid radiation, with a crown-group age estimate of 4.3 million years. We review the literature and report newly acquired data on the natural history of Sericomyrmex, with a focus on nesting biology. We present data for 19 collected nests (16 complete and three partial excavations) of seven different Sericomyrmex species from Mexico, Costa Rica, Guyana, Peru, and Brazil. -
Borowiec Et Al-2020 Ants – Phylogeny and Classification
A Ants: Phylogeny and 1758 when the Swedish botanist Carl von Linné Classification published the tenth edition of his catalog of all plant and animal species known at the time. Marek L. Borowiec1, Corrie S. Moreau2 and Among the approximately 4,200 animals that he Christian Rabeling3 included were 17 species of ants. The succeeding 1University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA two and a half centuries have seen tremendous 2Departments of Entomology and Ecology & progress in the theory and practice of biological Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, classification. Here we provide a summary of the NY, USA current state of phylogenetic and systematic 3Social Insect Research Group, Arizona State research on the ants. University, Tempe, AZ, USA Ants Within the Hymenoptera Tree of Ants are the most ubiquitous and ecologically Life dominant insects on the face of our Earth. This is believed to be due in large part to the cooperation Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which also allowed by their sociality. At the time of writing, includes wasps and bees. ▶ Eusociality, or true about 13,500 ant species are described and sociality, evolved multiple times within the named, classified into 334 genera that make up order, with ants as by far the most widespread, 17 subfamilies (Fig. 1). This diversity makes the abundant, and species-rich lineage of eusocial ants the world’s by far the most speciose group of animals. Within the Hymenoptera, ants are part eusocial insects, but ants are not only diverse in of the ▶ Aculeata, the clade in which the ovipos- terms of numbers of species. -
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ISSN 1997-3500 Myrmecological News myrmecologicalnews.org Myrmecol. News 30: 27-52 doi: 10.25849/myrmecol.news_030:027 16 January 2020 Original Article Unveiling the morphology of the Oriental rare monotypic ant genus Opamyrma Yamane, Bui & Eguchi, 2008 (Hymeno ptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae) and its evolutionary implications, with first descriptions of the male, larva, tentorium, and sting apparatus Aiki Yamada, Dai D. Nguyen, & Katsuyuki Eguchi Abstract The monotypic genus Opamyrma Yamane, Bui & Eguchi, 2008 (Hymeno ptera, Formicidae, Leptanillinae) is an ex- tremely rare relictual lineage of apparently subterranean ants, so far known only from a few specimens of the worker and queen from Ha Tinh in Vietnam and Hainan in China. The phylogenetic position of the genus had been uncertain until recent molecular phylogenetic studies strongly supported the genus to be the most basal lineage in the cryptic subterranean subfamily Leptanillinae. In the present study, we examine the morphology of the worker, queen, male, and larva of the only species in the genus, Opamyrma hungvuong Yamane, Bui & Eguchi, 2008, based on colonies newly collected from Guangxi in China and Son La in Vietnam, and provide descriptions and illustrations of the male, larva, and some body parts of the worker and queen (including mouthparts, tentorium, and sting apparatus) for the first time. The novel morphological data, particularly from the male, larva, and sting apparatus, support the current phylogenetic position of the genus as the most basal leptanilline lineage. Moreover, we suggest that the loss of lancet valves in the fully functional sting apparatus with accompanying shift of the venom ejecting mechanism may be a non-homoplastic synapomorphy for the Leptanillinae within the Formicidae. -
Instituto Tecnológico De Costa Rica
INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO DE COSTA RICA ESCUELA DE BIOLOGÍA INGENIERÍA EN BIOTECNOLOGÍA UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM) Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMic) Grupo Integrado Simbiosis – Hospedero – Microorganismo (GISHM, UCR) Evaluación de la actividad entomopatógena de diversos aislamientos de hongos y cepas de Bacillus thuringiensis para el potencial desarrollo de un bioformulado contra las hormigas cortadoras de hojas de la especie Atta cephalotes Informe presentado a la Escuela de Biología del Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica como requisito parcial para optar por el título de Licenciado en Ingeniería en Biotecnología Esteve Mesén Porras Cartago, Setiembre de 2015 Evaluación de la actividad entomopatógena de diversos aislamientos de hongos y cepas de Bacillus thuringiensis para el potencial desarrollo de un bioformulado contra las hormigas cortadoras de hojas de la especie Atta cephalotes Esteve Mesén Porras1 RESUMEN Las hormigas cortadoras de hojas (Atta y Acromyrmex) son una de las plagas más relevantes del Neotrópico debido a su compleja organización jerárquica en castas, la forma de vida claustral, el comportamiento eusocial para cuidar larvas y proteger su hongo simbionte, y la capacidad de forrajeo diurno y nocturno. Debido a estos aspectos y a su habilidad para reconocer y remover patículas dañinas de su jardín fúngico, el control con agroquímicos ha sido una tarea difícil. Por ello, el objetivo de este proyecto fue reconocer si aislamientos de Bacillus thuringiensis y hongos recuperados de colonias de zompopas podrían ser agentes de biocontrol de obreras de Atta cephalotes. El bioensayo de ingestión con Bt permitió reconocer 3 aislamientos que produjeron mortalidades de 45 a 54%, concentraciones subletales entre 9,97×101 y 5,86×107 µg mL-1 y tiempos de muerte de 5 y 6 días; valores que coincidieron con los reportes de algunos autores que han investigado la entomotoxidad de δ-endotoxinas sobre himenópteros. -
A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname
Rapid Assessment Program A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname Editors: Leeanne E. Alonso and Trond H. Larsen 67 CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL - SURINAME CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ANTON DE KOM UNIVERSITY OF SURINAME THE SURINAME FOREST SERVICE (LBB) NATURE CONSERVATION DIVISION (NB) FOUNDATION FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION CONTROL (SBB) SURINAME CONSERVATION FOUNDATION THE HARBERS FAMILY FOUNDATION Rapid Assessment Program A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Upper Palumeu River Watershed RAP (Grensgebergte and Kasikasima) of Southeastern Suriname Bulletin of Biological Assessment 67 Editors: Leeanne E. Alonso and Trond H. Larsen CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL - SURINAME CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ANTON DE KOM UNIVERSITY OF SURINAME THE SURINAME FOREST SERVICE (LBB) NATURE CONSERVATION DIVISION (NB) FOUNDATION FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION CONTROL (SBB) SURINAME CONSERVATION FOUNDATION THE HARBERS FAMILY FOUNDATION The RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment is published by: Conservation International 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500 Arlington, VA USA 22202 Tel : +1 703-341-2400 www.conservation.org Cover photos: The RAP team surveyed the Grensgebergte Mountains and Upper Palumeu Watershed, as well as the Middle Palumeu River and Kasikasima Mountains visible here. Freshwater resources originating here are vital for all of Suriname. (T. Larsen) Glass frogs (Hyalinobatrachium cf. taylori) lay their -
Zootaxa, Revision of the Fungus-Growing Ant Genera Mycetophylax Emery
Zootaxa 2052: 1–31 (2009) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Revision of the fungus-growing ant genera Mycetophylax Emery and Paramycetophylax Kusnezov rev. stat., and description of Kalathomyrmex n. gen. (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) CHRISTIANA KLINGENBERG1 & C. ROBERTO F. BRANDÃO2 1Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Abteilung Entomologie, Erbprinzenstr. 13, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 2Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, CEP 04313-210 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected] Table of contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Material and methods .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Results and discussion ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Taxonomic synopsis ........................................................................................................................................................... -
Fossil Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Ancient Diversity and the Rise of Modern Lineages
Myrmecological News 24 1-30 Vienna, March 2017 Fossil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ancient diversity and the rise of modern lineages Phillip BARDEN Abstract The ant fossil record is summarized with special reference to the earliest ants, first occurrences of modern lineages, and the utility of paleontological data in reconstructing evolutionary history. During the Cretaceous, from approximately 100 to 78 million years ago, only two species are definitively assignable to extant subfamilies – all putative crown group ants from this period are discussed. Among the earliest ants known are unexpectedly diverse and highly social stem- group lineages, however these stem ants do not persist into the Cenozoic. Following the Cretaceous-Paleogene boun- dary, all well preserved ants are assignable to crown Formicidae; the appearance of crown ants in the fossil record is summarized at the subfamilial and generic level. Generally, the taxonomic composition of Cenozoic ant fossil communi- ties mirrors Recent ecosystems with the "big four" subfamilies Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, and Ponerinae comprising most faunal abundance. As reviewed by other authors, ants increase in abundance dramatically from the Eocene through the Miocene. Proximate drivers relating to the "rise of the ants" are discussed, as the majority of this increase is due to a handful of highly dominant species. In addition, instances of congruence and conflict with molecular- based divergence estimates are noted, and distinct "ghost" lineages are interpreted. The ant fossil record is a valuable resource comparable to other groups with extensive fossil species: There are approximately as many described fossil ant species as there are fossil dinosaurs. The incorporation of paleontological data into neontological inquiries can only seek to improve the accuracy and scale of generated hypotheses. -
The Coexistence
Myrmecological News 13 37-55 2009, Online Earlier Natural history and phylogeny of the fungus-farming ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) Natasha J. MEHDIABADI & Ted R. SCHULTZ Abstract Ants of the tribe Attini comprise a monophyletic group of approximately 230 described and many more undescribed species that obligately depend on the cultivation of fungus for food. In return, the ants nourish, protect, and disperse their fungal cultivars. Although all members of this tribe cultivate fungi, attine ants are surprisingly heterogeneous with regard to symbiont associations and agricultural system, colony size and social structure, nesting behavior, and mating system. This variation is a key reason that the Attini have become a model system for understanding the evolution of complex symbioses. Here, we review the natural-history traits of fungus-growing ants in the context of a recently published phylo- geny, collating patterns of evolution and symbiotic coadaptation in a variety of colony and fungus-gardening traits in a number of major lineages. We discuss the implications of these patterns and suggest future research directions. Key words: Hymenoptera, Formicidae, fungus-growing ants, leafcutter ants, colony life, natural history, evolution, mating, agriculture, review. Myrmecol. News 13: 37-55 (online xxx 2008) ISSN 1994-4136 (print), ISSN 1997-3500 (online) Received 12 June 2009; revision received 24 September 2009; accepted 28 September 2009 Dr. Natasha J. Mehdiabadi* (contact author) & Dr. Ted R. Schultz* (contact author), Department of Entomology and Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, NHB, CE518, MRC 188, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] * Both authors contributed equally to the work.