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Carpenter ants in the genus Camponotus are large, conspicuous ants that are abundant and ecologically influential in many terrestrial ecosystems. The bicolored carpenter ant, Camponotus vicinus Mayr, is distributed across a wide range of elevations and latitudes in western North America, where it is a prominent scavenger and predator. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of C. vicinus from a sample collected in Sonoma County, California, near the type locality of the species. This genome assembly consists of 38 scaffolds spanning 302.74 Mb, with contig N50 of 15.9 Mb, scaffold N50 of 19.9 Mb, and BUSCO completeness of 99.2%. This genome sequence will be a valuable resource for exploring the evolutionary ecology of C. vicinus and carpenter ants generally. It also provides an important tool for clarifying cryptic diversity within the C. vicinus species complex, a genetically diverse set of populations, some of which are quite localized and of conservation interest.

Nestmate recognition is a widespread phenomenon and evolutionary important trait in the social insects. Yet evidence accumulates that the responses to non‐nestmates varies more than previously thought. We present a simple frequency‐dependent cost‐benefit model of nestmate recognition to understand conditions that might or might not favor the evolution of nestmate recognition that is based on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Costs accounted for are costs for 1) maintaining a functional recognition system and 2) keeping a CHC profile that may be sub‐optimal regarding other functionalities like desiccation control, whereas the benefit of recognition is the prevention of nest raiding by other colonies. Unsurprisingly, the model indicates that recognition systems only evolve if costs are sufficiently low and benefits sufficiently high. In addition, the model suggests that nestmate recognition is more likely to evolve if colony turnover is fast (colony life‐expectancy is low). Our model creates evolutionary cycles that are typically longest under parameter combinations that just allow the evolution of recognition systems at all; the system expresses attributes of a rock‐paper‐scissors game. The model shows that a breakdown of nestmate recognition may occur under changing ecological situations, e.g. as a result of reduced intraspecific competition or increased abiotic stress. We speculate that such effects may be involved in the formation of supercolonies during invasions. Nestmate recognition may have evolved more to prevent interspecific predation or parasitism by antagonists that managed to mimic their host's CHC profile than as a mechanism to prevent exploitation by conspecific colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nestmate recognition in ants is regulated through the detection of cuticular hydrocarbons by odorant receptors (ORs) in the antennae. These ORs are crucial for maintaining colony cohesion that allows invasive ant species to dominate colonized environments. In the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, ORs regulating nestmate recognition are thought to be present in a clade of nine-exon odorant receptors, but the identity of the specific genes remains unknown. We sought to narrow down the list of candidate genes using transcriptomics and phylostratigraphy. Comparative transcriptomic analyses were conducted on the antennae, head, thorax, and legs of Argentine ant workers. We have identified a set of twenty-one nine-exon odorant receptors enriched in the antennae compared to the other tissues, allowing for downstream verification of whether they can detect Argentine ant cuticular hydrocarbons. Further investigation of these ORs could allow us to further understand the mechanisms underlying nestmate recognition and colony cohesion in ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical and common, but much ignored, plant-animal interaction is primary seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory). Ants are ubiquitous across many landscapes, so it may not be surprising that many plants have evolved to utilize them to move their seeds. In fact, myrmecochory has independently evolved over 100 times. Myrmecochory carries all the usual benefits of biotic seed dispersal, such as reduction of competition with siblings, as well as a few more (notably, escape from fire). Seeds dispersed by ants generally possess an attached food body (elaiosome), which attracts and rewards ants. Elaiosomes are commonly described as fat bodies comprising lipids. However, their nutritional and chemical composition can vary widely, with some plant species producing elaiosomes with higher concentrations of protein or carbohydrates than of lipids. Elaiosomes of even quite closely related plant species can vary in chemical composition. Once ants encounter a seed with an elaiosome, they generally return to the nest with that seed, remove the elaiosome, and consume it, although which individuals within the nest consume the elaiosome is in many cases unclear. Once the elaiosomes have been removed, seeds are then disposed of either within the nest or outside of the nest, where they can be potentially secondarily dispersed by wind, water, or animals, including other ant species. This primer will focus on primary dispersal, the initial movement of seeds away from a parent plant. This primer defines myrmecochory, provides an overview of elaiosome traits, summarizes how ants choose and interact with elaiosome-bearing seeds, describes the current understanding of how elaiosomes evolved, and touches on how ant seed dispersal may respond to anthropogenic changes, such as the introduction of invasive species and climate change. This primer is guided by five major questions: (i) What is seed dispersal and myrmecochory? (ii) What are the benefits of myrmecochory? (iii) What is an elaiosome? (iv) How do ants choose and interact with seeds? (v) How did elaiosomes and myrmecochory evolve? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutualistic symbioses between ants and plants are widespread in nature. Ants can deter unwanted pests and provide protection for plants in return for food or housing rewards. Using a long‐term demographic dataset in a tropical seasonal rain forest in Southwest China, we found that associations with ants positively influenced seedling survival and adult growth, and also, species with extrafloral nectaries experienced weaker conspecific negative density dependence compared with species without extrafloral nectaries. Furthermore, we found strong evidence suggesting that species in our forest experienced conspecific density dependence, which we interpreted as heavy pest pressure that may drive the development of anti‐pest symbioses such as the plant–ant relationship. Our findings suggest that ants and conspecific neighbors play important but inverse roles on plant survival and growth and that ants can buffer tree neighborhood interactions in this tropical forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a mathematical approach to formally proving that certain neural computations and representations exist based on patterns observed in an organism's behaviour. To illustrate, we provide a simple set of conditions under which an ant's ability to determine how far it is from its nest would logically imply neural structures isomorphic to the natural numbers ℕ. We generalise these results to arbitrary behaviours and representations and show what mathematical characterisation of neural computation and representation is simplest while being maximally predictive of behaviour. We develop this framework in detail using a path integration example, where an organism's ability to search for its nest in the correct location implies representational structures isomorphic to two‐dimensional coordinates under addition. We also study a system for processing anbn strings common in comparative work. Our approach provides an objective way to determine what theory of a physical system is best, addressing a fundamental challenge in neuroscientific inference. These results motivate considering which neurobiological structures have the requisite formal structure and are otherwise physically plausible given relevant physical considerations such as generalisability, information density, thermodynamic stability and energetic cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Ants, but not mycorrhizae, significantly affected insect leaf-chewing herbivory on potato plants. However, there was no evidence of mutualistic interactive effects on herbivory. Plants associate with both aboveground and belowground mutualists, two prominent examples being ants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), respectively. While both of these mutualisms have been extensively studied, joint manipulations testing their independent and interactive (non-additive) effects on plants are rare. To address this gap, we conducted a joint test of ant and AMF effects on herbivory by leaf-chewing insects attacking potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants, and further measured plant traits likely mediating mutualist effects on herbivory. In a field experiment, we factorially manipulated the presence of AMF (two levels: control and mycorrhization) and ants (two levels: exclusion and presence) and quantified the concentration of leaf phenolic compounds acting as direct defenses, as well as plant volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions potentially mediating direct (e.g., herbivore repellents) or indirect (e.g., ant attractants) defense. Moreover, we measured ant abundance and performed a dual-choice greenhouse experiment testing for effects of VOC blends (mimicking those emitted by control vs. AMF-inoculated plants) on ant attraction as a mechanism for indirect defense. Ant presence significantly reduced herbivory whereas mycorrhization had no detectable influence on herbivory and mutualist effects operated independently. Plant trait measurements indicated that mycorrhization had no effect on leaf phenolics but significantly increased VOC emissions. However, mycorrhization did not affect ant abundance and there was no evidence of AMF effects on herbivory operating via ant-mediated defense. Consistently, the dual-choice assay showed no effect of AMF-induced volatile blends on ant attraction. Together, these results suggest that herbivory on potato plants responds mainly to top-down (ant-mediated) rather than bottom-up (AMF-mediated) control, an asymmetry in effects which could have precluded mutualist non-additive effects on herbivory. Further research on this, as well as other plant systems, is needed to examine the ecological contexts under which mutualist interactive effects are more or less likely to emerge and their impacts on plant fitness and associated communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of chromosomes varies tremendously across species. It is not clear whether having more or fewer chromosomes could be advantageous. The probability of non-disjunction should theoretically decrease with smaller karyotypes, but too long chromosomes should enforce spatial constraint for their segregation during the mitotic anaphase. Here, we propose a new experimental cell system to acquire novel insights into the mechanisms underlying chromosome segregation. We collected the endemic Australian ant Myrmecia croslandi, the only known species with the simplest possible karyotype of a single chromosome in the haploid males (and one pair of chromosomes in the diploid females), since males are typically haploid in hymenopteran insects. Five colonies, each with a queen and a few hundreds of workers, were collected in the Canberra district (Australia), underwent karyotype analysis to confirm the presence of a single pair of chromosomes in worker pupae, and were subsequently maintained in the laboratory in Paris (France). Starting from dissociated male embryos, we successfully conducted primary cell cultures comprised of single-chromosome cells. This could be developed into a unique model that will be of great interest for future genomic and cell biology studies related to mitosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) may indirectly influence other plant species by sharing protective ants, potentially altering herbivory levels. However, the propagation of indirect effects in this type of mutualism has seldom been investigated. We investigated indirect effects via ant sharing among 21 EFN‐bearing plant species of the tribe Bignonieae distributed on 28 plots in the central Brazilian Amazon. We used an ecological network index to quantify potential indirect effects among plant species through shared dominant and subordinate ant species. Plant species that were more attractive to ants (promoter species) had the highest potential to indirectly influence ant visitation to less attractive plant species (receptor species) in the community, primarily through changes in the attraction of dominant ant species. However, these potential indirect effects did not result in significant differences in herbivory patterns among the studied plants. Ant attendance and herbivory levels were similar among promoter species, neighbouring plants, and non‐neighbouring plants. Unlike other mutualisms involving plants (e.g., pollination), the indirect effects among plant species that share protective ants had limited consequences. The low levels of herbivory and the small foraging areas of shared ant defenders could be responsible for the observed limited impact of indirect interactions among plant species in this system. Synthesis: This study demonstrates that plant species with EFNs can indirectly influence other plant species through ant sharing. The attractiveness of certain plants to ants enables them to affect the ant visitation patterns of less attractive plants in the community. However, these indirect effects did not significantly alter herbivory levels among plants. Overall, this study advances ecological understanding by showing that the sharing of protective ants among plant species can in some cases confer limited costs and benefits, leading indirect interactions to have minimal impact on herbivory patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf-cutting ants are among the most prominent herbivores in neotropical forests and savannas, and Argentina represents the southern limit of their distribution. Despite their importance, few systematic studies analyze the presence and distribution of leaf-cutting ants in Argentina. Our aim was to describe, through an intensive field sampling, the leaf-cutting ant species present in the central Argentine mountains and analyze their distribution along the elevation gradient. We collected ants from 69 nests in 56 out of the 250 plots visited along the study elevation gradient (400–2700 m above sea level) in seven different habitats, from forests to rocky areas. We found six species. The most frequent were Acromyrmex lobicornis and Acromyrmex crassispinus, while Acromyrmex heyeri, Amoimyrmex silvestrii, Amoimyrmex striatus, and Amoimyrmex bruchi were far less frequent. The species distributed at the highest elevation was A. lobicornis (1223 to 2163 m a.s.l.), showing significant differences with the other species. We found leaf-cutting ants in all habitats, with a higher presence in grazing lawns, shrublands, and exotic forests. Our results indicate that leaf-cutting ants are present in most of the mountain range, as the area above their upper limit of distribution represents less than 5% of the total mountain area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental question of ecology is why species coexist in the same habitat. Coexistence can be enabled through niche differentiation, mediated by trait differentiation. Here, behaviour constitutes an often-overlooked set of traits. However, behaviours such as aggression and exploration drive intra- and interspecific competition, especially so in ants, where community structure is usually shaped by aggressive interactions. We studied behavioural variation in three ant species, which often co-occur in close proximity and occupy similar dominance ranks. We analysed how intra- and allospecific aggression, exploration and foraging activity vary under field conditions, namely with temperature and over time. Behaviours were assessed for 12 colonies per species, and four times each during several months. All behavioural traits consistently differed among colonies, but also varied over time and with temperature. These temperature-dependent and seasonal responses were highly species-specific. For example, foraging activity decreased at high temperatures in Formica rufibarbis, but not in Lasius niger; over time, it declined strongly in L. niger but much less in F. rufibarbis. Our results suggest that, owing to these species-specific responses, no species is always competitively superior. Thus, environmental and temporal variation effects a dynamic dominance hierarchy among the species, facilitating coexistence via the storage effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Location Time Period Major Taxa Methods Results Main Conclusions Long‐standing theory predicts that the intensity of biotic interactions increases from high to low latitudes. Studies addressing geographic variation in predation on insect prey have often relied on prey models, which lack many characteristics of live prey. Our goals were to explore global latitudinal patterns of predator attack rates on standardised live insect prey and to compare the patterns in predation on live insects with those on plasticine prey models.Global forested areas.2021–2023.Arthropods, birds.We measured predation rates in 43 forested locations distributed across five continents from 34.1° S to 69.5° N latitude. At each location, we exposed 20 sets of three bait types, one set per tree. Each set included three live fly larvae (maggots), three live fly puparia and three plasticine models of the puparia. We used glue rings to isolate half of the sets from non‐flying predators.Arthropod attack rates on plasticine prey decreased linearly from low to high latitudes, whereas attack rates on maggots had a U shaped distribution, with the lowest predation rates at temperate latitudes and the highest rates at tropical and boreal latitudes. This difference emerged from intensive predator attacks on live maggots, but not on plasticine models, in boreal sites. Site‐specific attack rates of arthropod predators on live and plasticine prey were not correlated. In contrast, bird attack rates on live maggots and plasticine models were positively correlated, but did not show significant latitudinal changes.Latitudinal patterns in predation differ between major groups of predators and between types of prey. Poleward decreases in both arthropod and combined arthropod and bird predation on plasticine models do not mirror patterns of predation on our live prey, the latter likely reflecting real patterns of predation risk better than do patterns of attack on artificial prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal groups need to achieve and maintain consensus to minimize conflict among individuals and prevent group fragmentation. An excellent example of a consensus challenge is cooperative transport, where multiple individuals cooperate to move a large item together. This behaviour, regularly displayed by ants and humans only, requires individuals to agree on which direction to move in. Unlike humans, ants cannot use verbal communication but most likely rely on private information and/or mechanical forces sensed through the carried item to coordinate their behaviour. Here, we investigated how groups of weaver ants achieve consensus during cooperative transport using a tethered-object protocol, where ants had to transport a prey item that was tethered in place with a thin string. This protocol allows the decoupling of the movement of informed ants from that of uninformed individuals. We showed that weaver ants pool together the opinions of all group members to increase their navigational accuracy. We confirmed this result using a symmetry-breaking task, in which we challenged ants with navigating an open-ended corridor. Weaver ants are the first reported ant species to use a 'wisdom-of-the-crowd' strategy for cooperative transport, demonstrating that consensus mechanisms may differ according to the ecology of each species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temnothorax unifasciatus (Latreille, 1798) is a widely distributed pan‐European species from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caucasus. This taxon's relatively high morphological variability prompts the taxonomists of earlier times and today to mention the morphologically different elements at specific or subspecific ranks. This paper aims to understand the population structure and genetic diversity within this lineage via integrative taxonomy, incorporating molecular phylogenetics, species delimitation analyses and multivariate analyses of continuous morphometric data from across the geographic range of the T. unifasciatus complex. Phylogenetic analyses yielded incongruent trees. The genealogical diversity index (gdi) and the confirmatory analyses on morphological data found only weak, ambiguous delimitations within the unifasciatus complex. The most highly supported scenario splits T. brackoi from the remaining unifasciatus complex with ambiguous support (gdi = 0.56). This scenario is supported by multivariate morphometry with 100% accuracy in classification success. Instead, our results suggest complex morphological and genetic population structuring within the broad range of T. unifasciatus. Therefore, we confirm the validity of two species, T. brackoi Salata & Borowiec, 2019 and T. unifasciatus (Latreille, 1798), and propose five new junior synonymies, T. cordieri (Bondroit, 1918) syn. nov., T. tauricus (Ruzsky, 1902) syn. nov., T. berlandi (Bondroit, 1918) syn. nov., T. unifasciatus staegeri (Bondroit, 1918) syn. nov., T. tuberum ciscaucasicus (Arnol'di, 1977) syn. nov. with the latter. To achieve maximal taxonomic stability, we designated a lectotype for Temnothorax unifasciatus (Latreille, 1798). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta diversity measures changes in species composition and, if partitioned, isolates the contributions of turnover and nestedness in such differences. High beta diversity values have been reported to ant assemblages found at the soil surface, tree canopy and underground soil layers. However, studies on ant assemblage at small-scale stratification have drawbacks regarding to sampling designs and on the searching of turnover and nestedness patterns contribution to overall beta diversity. We investigated how ant assemblage beta diversity changes along the epigaeic-hypogaeic and epigaeic-arboreal gradients in a Neotropical rainforest remnant and whether this change is driven by turnover or nestedness. We sampled ants at different depths/heights and calculated the Jaccard index between the ants sampled at these strata and the ones at the soil surface as an overall beta diversity measurement. Then, we partitioned the Jaccard index to account for turnover and nestedness separately. Overall beta diversity values did not significantly change, being consistently high along both gradients. Turnover's proportional contribution to beta diversity significantly increased with increasing height but did not significantly change with increasing depth. Turnover values were high throughout the subterranean gradient. This suggests that epigaeic ants better explore low heights than low depths. Our results revealed that the assemblages from both gradients are continuously different from the soil assemblage, that this difference is mainly due to turnover, and that turnover's importance increases along the epigaeic-arboreal gradient. These conclusions were only possible due to isolating the effects of turnover and nestedness, reinforcing the importance of doing so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas experience higher temperatures compared to rural areas and as such, are increasingly considered places of acclimatization and adaptation to warming. Small ectotherms, such as insects, whose body temperature rises with habitat temperature, are directly affected by temperature changes. Thus, warming could have a profound effect on insect behavior and physiology. To test if the urban heat island effect drives higher thermal tolerance and activity changes, we used globally distributed and abundant insects—ants. We measured the heat and cold tolerance of 14 ant species distributed across urban and peri‐urban areas. As thermal traits are often correlated with ant foraging, we measured foraging activity during three consecutive years across eight sites. Contrary to our prediction, ants exposed to the urban heat island effect did not have a higher heat tolerance than peri‐urban ants. Instead, cold tolerance varied across habitats, with ants from the cooler, peri‐urban habitats being able to tolerate lower temperatures. We recorded the same pattern of invariant heat and higher cold tolerance for ants in the canopy, compared to ground nesting ants. Ant activity was almost 10 times higher in urban sites and best predicted by cold, not heat tolerance. These unexpected results suggest that we need to rethink predictions about urban heat islands increasing insect heat tolerance in urban habitats, as cold tolerance might be a more plastic or adaptable trait, particularly in the temperate zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty‐two species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were intercepted at South Korean points of entry on plants for planting imported from tropical and subtropical Asia from 1996 to 2023. Information on the number of interceptions, host plants, consignment origin and their years of interception is provided. Data on intercepted ant species were analysed to determine potential invasive species of ants that could cause damage not only to agricultural, forestry, and natural ecosystems but also to industry and that could endanger human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutualistic and similar ecological associations between tarantulas (Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) and other animals are reviewed. Such associations are found to occur in at least nine theraphosid subfamilies. We present 63 new cases of theraphosid–anuran associations from 10 countries, documenting these interactions for the first time in Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines. These findings are the first documentation of such associations for 13 theraphosid and 20 anuran taxa. Additionally, we report, for the first time, associations potentially of mutualistic nature between tarantulas and snakes, whip spiders, and harvestmen. Furthermore, we provide new reports of associations with ants and termites. While some of these interactions appear to be merely tolerated cohabitations, those involving anurans and ants seem to be more prevalent and complex, clearly offering benefits for both organisms. Additionally, based on multiple observations and field experiments, we propose a new hypothesis regarding the evolution of hirsuteness in theraphosids as a defensive strategy against predatory ants. This hypothesis supports previous findings that suggest a similar function for urticating setae incorporated into egg sacs and moulting mats. We further document a unique escape strategy against ants in New World arboreal theraphosids. Finally, the possibility of a chemical defence mechanism through specialised epidermal glands in theraphosids is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social insects have developed different nest defence strategies; for example, social wasps use nonaggressive mechanisms or aggressiveness, including stinging. This subject has been widely examined in the literature, and it may help improve our understanding of wasps' ecology. The nesting behaviour of some genera is still poorly known. In this paper, we report new information on the nesting behaviour of the species Clypearia in different Brazilian biomes. We observed six nesting events in natural and anthropic environments of the Amazon rainforest, Atlantic forest, and Cerrado domains, sporadically from 2004 to 2022. From our observations, we suggest that Clypearia nest defence includes (i) preference for nest camouflage rather than aggressive behaviour; (ii) selection of nesting sites close to water sources in natural or anthropic environments, and eventually obtaining food from the substrate; (iii) nesting association with ants for mutual protection against predators; and (iv) variations in the nests' height. Our records suggest nest camouflage and association with ants are strategies for nest defence. These may have influenced nest height in relation to the ground, which may also vary according to the environment explored by the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants can found colonies in different ways. One is by claustral colony foundation, when fertilized queens typically have enough nutrients reserved in their bodies to raise the first 'nanitic' worker generation without any foraging activity. This colony-foundation strategy evolved in response to selective pressures (e.g. predators), but it limits the number of nanitic workers. We, therefore, assumed that fed queens might initially rear more nanitic workers, although feeding might also be associated with risks and stress. In this study, we analysed the effects of stress and different diets during the colony-foundation period on the success of colony founding by claustral black garden ant Lasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) queens. Our findings confirm that regularly fed claustral ant queens raise more pupae and workers, reflecting that limited brood size is a cost of safety behaviour for claustral ant queens. There is another notable aspect of our findings for laboratories: in order to maximize the size of the nanitic worker generation, they can feed claustral ant queens with crickets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of animals and their gut symbionts is a complex phenomenon, obscured by lability and diversity. In social organisms, transmission of symbionts among relatives may yield systems with more stable associations. Here, we study the history of a social insect symbiosis involving cephalotine ants and their extracellular gut bacteria, which come predominantly from host‐specialized lineages. We perform multi‐locus phylogenetics for symbionts from nine bacterial orders, and map prior amplicon sequence data to lineage‐assigned symbiont genomes, studying distributions of rigorously defined symbionts across 20 host species. Based on monophyly and additional hypothesis testing, we estimate that these specialized gut bacteria belong to 18 distinct lineages, of which 15 have been successfully isolated and cultured. Several symbiont lineages showed evidence for domestication events that occurred later in cephalotine evolutionary history, and only one lineage was ubiquitously detected in all 20 host species and 48 colonies sampled with amplicon 16S rRNA sequencing. We found evidence for phylogenetically constrained distributions in four symbionts, suggesting historical or genetic impacts on community composition. Two lineages showed evidence for frequent intra‐lineage co‐infections, highlighting the potential for niche divergence after initial domestication. Nearly all symbionts showed evidence for occasional host switching, but four may, more often, co‐diversify with their hosts. Through our further assessment of symbiont localization and genomic functional profiles, we demonstrate distinct niches for symbionts with shared evolutionary histories, prompting further questions on the forces underlying the evolution of hosts and their gut microbiomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroscale environmental gradients can have contrasting effects on organisms that occupy different vertical niches, but we have little understanding of how this might result in different macroscale diversity patterns in ground and arboreal communities. We also have little understanding of how different dimensions of diversity, such as functional and phylogenetic diversity, vary along macroscale environmental gradients. Here we examine latitudinal and elevational patterns of different dimensions of diversity for both ground and arboreal assemblages in Neotropical savanna ants. The study was based on ant species occurring at 32 sites covering a 22° range of latitude and > 1000 m range in elevation in Brazil. Functional and phylogenetic richness were positively correlated with species richness, all increasing with latitude. However, the greater phylogenetic richness on the ground than in trees did not simply reflect differences in species richness. The mean functional and phylogenetic divergence among species was also greater on the ground than in trees, indicating a stronger role of competition. Both mean functional and phylogenetic divergence showed negative correlations with elevation in trees but not on the ground. In trees, the standardized effect size (taking into account differences in species richness) of mean functional divergence was negatively related to elevation and mean phylogenetic divergence was negatively related to both latitude and elevation. These findings suggest that as temperature decreases the relative importance of environmental filtering in arboreal but not ground communities increases (and that of competition and niche partitioning decreases). Overall, we show that the macroecological patterns of ant species richness that have previously been reported for Brazilian savannas do not adequately represent other dimensions of diversity, and that the representativeness differs between vertical strata. Macroecological patterns of functional and phylogenetic divergence indicate that the relative importance of competition and environmental filtering also differs between vertical strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐use changes and habitat fragmentation can alter biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions.We investigated whether cropland expansion in south‐east Amazonia decreases ecosystem functions performed by ants and dung beetles by altering their communities.We sampled both groups in two forest types, in south‐eastern Amazonia: undisturbed riparian forests and riparian forests surrounded by croplands. We sampled ants and dung beetles with epigaeic pitfall traps, and experimentally assessed seed removal and predation by ants, and faeces and seed removal by dung beetles.Although ant and dung beetle abundance and richness did not differ across riparian forests, species composition of both groups did. Ants found seeds faster in undisturbed riparian forests, but the proportion of seed removal did not differ between forests. The abundance of predatory ants and the predation of termites by ants did not differ between forests.Seed and dung removal by dung beetles did not differ across riparian forests. Despite the observed differences in dung beetle composition, we did not find the effects on ecosystem functions probably due a functional redundancy of species.The quality of ecosystem functions provided by ants is lower in riparian forests surrounded by croplands, while changes in dung beetle diversity did not impact their ecosystem functions, with potential effects on the natural recovery of these disturbed riparian forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Pathogens can play an important role in biological invasions. Introduced populations may be particularly vulnerable to pathogens due to factors such as low genetic diversity and high population density. However, introduced populations that escape their natural pathogens may reallocate resources away from immunity and towards growth and reproduction. Interestingly, introduced ants have been suggested to have increased tolerance to new pathogens, contributing to their success as introduced species. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether introduced Argentine ant populations harbour different viral loads compared to native populations and if these differences were related to immunity‐related gene expression. Location: The study was conducted across the native range of Argentine ants in Argentina and four introduced regions in California, France, Australia and New Zealand. Methods: We used RT‐qPCR to quantify viral loads and gene expression in the ants. We analysed 15 different potentially pathogenic viruses across the Argentine ant's native and introduced ranges. Results: We found that five viruses, LhuPcV1, LhuPiLV1, LhuCV1, Kashmir Bee virus and LHUV‐1, presented high loads in Argentine ants compared to the other viruses we screened. We found a significant effect of range on viral infections: high viral loads were commonly found in ants from introduced populations, which also exhibited increased immune gene expression. We found highly significant correlations between viral loads and expression of immune and metabolic genes. However, these associations were not fully consistent across the studied regions, indicating the complexity of eco‐immunological phenomena. Main Conclusions: Our results suggest that introduced Argentine ant populations host different viral communities compared to native populations and that these differences are correlated with changes in immunity‐related gene expression. The study highlights the complex role of pathogens in biological invasions and the importance of considering eco‐immunological factors when assessing the impact of introduced species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lesser anteater Tamandua tetradactyla is possibly the most common member of the order Pilosa and occurs in almost all tropical environments in South America. Although commonly recorded in mammal inventories, this species is not abundant, and little is known about its ecology. The food habits of the species are mainly based on ants, but the type and contribution of other arthropods to the diet, especially termites, remains a subject little discussed in the literature. In the present study, we carried out a comprehensive assessment of stomach contents of 16 roadkilled anteaters found in grassland ecosystems in the Brazilian Pampa. We found 73,890 prey, with ant and termite species being the most representative dietary resources. Ants were present in 100% of the stomachs and represented more than 85% of all items consumed, totaling 34 species. Termites were present in 62.5% of the stomachs and represented 14.6% of all items consumed and, summed up five species. We also found six other arthropod taxa but with an insignificant proportion of the biomass intake. Our results contribute to increase knowledge on T. tetradactyla feeding habits in the subtropical grasslands of Southern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that urban life and less contact with nature can increase disgust towards insects and gardening reduces the level of disgust towards them. Since animals and plants are part of nature, our hypothesis in this research was that keeping animals and plants in the city is somehow contact with nature and has an effect on reducing disgust towards insects. To test this hypothesis, a questionnaire was distributed to 1092 people randomly in Kabul city. The level of disgust against ants and yellow jackets among those who raise animals and plants is lower than that of those who do not. The reasons for disgusting ants and yellow jackets included fear, contamination, appearance, lack of interaction, and unfamiliarity, and they were different between those who raise animals and plants and those who do not. The motivation to destroy ants and yellow jackets was higher among those who do not raise animals and plants. On the other side, there is a strong association between level of disgust and reaction against yellow jackets and ants. These findings show that raising animals and plants in the city can reduce the level of disgust against insects which supports their conservation. To reduce the disgust towards insects, we suggest encouraging the keeping of animals and plants in the city, and a decrease in the level of disgust will reduce a strong reaction (like killing) towards them. For more clarification, research is needed on the effects of different types of raising animals and plants. Implications for insect conservation: Raising animals and plants can reduce the level of disgust toward insects since the response to insects (No action, Eliminate or Escape, Kill) is closely correlated with that level of disgust. Therefore, encouraging the growth of animals and plants in cities is advised in order to preserve insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unidentified ant species was discovered in the heart of New York City in 2011, which garnered national headlines and created the memorable nickname "ManhattAnt." New York City is one of the oldest and largest cities in North America and has been the site of introduction for some of North America's most damaging invasive pests. Nevertheless, there has been little follow up research on the ManhattAnt since its discovery, and it has yet to be formally identified. Here we use genetic and morphological approaches to confirm the identity of the ManhattAnt and characterize its introduced range and colony structure. Results from genetic analyses placed the ManhattAnt within the Lasius emarginatus species complex, and morphological comparisons ruled out closely related species to identify the ManhattAnt as the European ant L. emarginatus with 93–99% certainty depending on the nest sample. Since its initial discovery in the region, the ManhattAnt has become one of the most common ants in New York City and has spread at a rate of 2 km/yr into New Jersey and onto Long Island. Based on the climate it inhabits within its native range, L. emarginatus could expand to cover much of the eastern United states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Although many successful invasive ants display supercoloniality with little aggression between neighboring nests, we found no evidence that L. emarginatus colonies in New York City are supercolonial. Continued monitoring of L. emarginatus is warranted, as it has been increasingly reported as an indoor pest and is known to form mutualisms with honeydew producing pests of street trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological success of social insects makes their colony organization fascinating to scientists studying collective systems. In recent years, the combination of automated behavioural tracking and social network analysis has deepened our understanding of many aspects of colony organization. However, because studies have typically worked with single species, we know little about interspecific variation in network structure. Here, we conduct a comparative network analysis across five ant species from five subfamilies, separated by more than 100 Myr of evolution. We find that social network structure is highly conserved across subfamilies. All species studied form modular networks, with two social communities, a similar distribution of individuals between the two communities, and equivalent mapping of task performance onto the communities. Against this backdrop of organizational similarity, queens of the different species occupied qualitatively distinct network positions. The deep conservation of the two community structure implies that the most fundamental behavioural division of labour in social insects is between workers that stay in the nest to rear brood, and those that leave the nest to forage. This division has parallels across the animal kingdom in systems of biparental care and probably represents the most readily evolvable form of behavioural division of labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Laelaspis Berlese, L. nematii sp. nov., is described based on adult female specimens collected from ant nest materials, Cataglyphis fritillariae Khalili-Moghadam et al., 2021 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Koohrang County (Dashte Laleh), Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari and from soil in Ahwaz city, Khoozestan Province, southwestern Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce negative effects of floral visitation by ants, which do not serve as reliable cross-pollinators, some plants have developed a non-floral, stem-based defense mechanism called greasy pole syndrome. In the present study, we examined the effects of two surface features (trichomes and three-dimensional epicuticular wax coverage) on stems of Alliaria petiolata plants on visiting frequencies, travelled distances, and running velocities of Lasius niger ants. The experiments were performed with stem samples prepared from different (apical and basal) stem portions showing different surface morphologies (smooth control, covered by wax and trichomes + wax, respectively). The control, mechanically wiped stem samples lacking any surface features were significantly more often visited by ants, where they travelled significantly longer distances and moved with significantly higher velocities, compared to the intact stems. The apical and basal stem portions showed no significant differences in the measured parameters. Based on data obtained, we conclude about the main contribution of the wax to the greasy pole function of the A. petiolata stem via reduction of ant adhesion to the wax-bearing stem surface, whereas trichomes presumably serve as the first barrier for ants approaching usually from the ground level and protect the fragile wax coverage from an excessive deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the challenges in large-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) clusters, specifically the scalability issues and limitations of using reactive routing protocols for inter-cluster routing. These traditional methods place an excessive burden on cluster heads and struggle to adapt to frequently changing topologies, leading to decreased network performance. To solve these problems, we propose an innovative inter-cluster routing protocol (ICRP), which is based on a hybrid ant colony algorithm. During the route establishment phase, ICRP uses this algorithm to identify the optimal relay node. This approach is inspired by the foraging behavior of Physarum polycephalum, combining factors such as the number of hops from the source node, the load condition of the node, and its weight in the pheromone calculation. In the route maintenance phase, ICRP uses a predictive repair and contraction mechanism to dynamically maintain routes, accommodating the high mobility of UAVs. Comparative simulations in OMNeT + + showed that this protocol surpasses ad-hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV), fuzzy-logic-assisted-AODV, and Enhanced-Ant-AODV routing protocols in packet delivery rate and end-to-end transmission delay. Furthermore, it showed superior adaptation to network environments with high-speed node mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a global scale, biodiversity is geographically structured into regions of biotic similarity. Delineating these regions has been mostly targeted for tetrapods and plants, but those for hyperdiverse groups such as insects are relatively unknown. Insects may have higher biogeographic congruence with plants than tetrapods due to their tight ecological and evolutionary links with the former, but it remains untested. Here, we develop a global regionalization for a major and widespread insect group, ants, based on the most comprehensive distributional and phylogenetic information to date, and examine its similarity to regionalizations for tetrapods and vascular plants. Our ant regionalization supports the newly proposed Madagascan and Sino-Japanese realms based on tetrapod delineations, and it recovers clusters observed in plants but not in tetrapods, such as the Holarctic and Indo-Pacific realms. Quantitative comparison suggests strong associations among different groups—plants showed a higher congruence with ants than with tetrapods. These results underscore the wide congruence of diverse distribution patterns across the tree of life and the similarities shared by insects and plants that are not captured by tetrapod groups. Our analysis highlights the importance of developing global biogeographic maps for insect groups to obtain a more comprehensive geographic picture of life on Earth. In this study, the authors delineate a global biogeographic map for ants based on their distributions and phylogenetic relationships. They show that current biogeographic maps based on tetrapod groups fail to capture important regions for biodiversity shared by insects and plants, which are both known to possess strong ecological and evolutionary ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbionts form intricate associations with their hosts. They can only establish when potential hosts are present, but in addition, their distribution is often influenced by microhabitat preferences, which may not overlap those of their hosts. This leads to a patchy local distribution of the symbiont, being present with some hosts and absent with others. We studied this effect of microhabitat preferences on symbiont distribution by examining the occurrence and density of the obligately ant‐associated springtail Cyphoderus albinus Nicolet (Collembola: Paronellidae) across a mosaic of ant nests. Nest structure strongly varied both within and between ant species and included sand, dead wood, arboreal and thatch mound nests. We hypothesized that the symbiotic springtail would show the strongest preference for thermoregulated and organic‐rich nests such as thatch mounds. The springtail was found in all thatch mound nests of red wood ants and in all arboreal nests of Lasius fuliginosus (Latreille). A high occurrence (75%) was recorded in the smaller thatch nests of Formica sanguinea Latreille. Lasius, Myrmica and Formica species exhibited variation in nest structures on the ground, establishing nests in both sand and wood. For each of these three host taxa, encountering the springtail was more likely in their wood nests (medium‐to‐high occurrence), than in their sand nests where the occurrence was low. Nest structure did not only impact springtail occurrence, but their densities as well. The densities within thatch nests were much higher than those in other nest types, achieving the highest densities (1148 individuals per litre of nest material) observed for a social insect symbiont. Our findings emphasize that host nests with wood structures and thatch material provide a more favourable habitat for the springtail compared with soil nests. Overall, this study underscores the role of microhabitat variation in the spatial distribution and density of a symbiotic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation alters biodiversity patterns and threatens to disrupt mutualistic interactions. Aside from pollination, however, little is known about how mutualisms change in cities. Our study aimed to assess how urbanisation affects the protective mutualism between ants and aphids, investigating potential behavioural changes in mutualistic ants and their implications for aphids in urban environments. To do so, we studied the protective mutualism between the pink tansy aphid (Metopeurum fuscoviride) and the black garden ant (Lasius niger) along an urbanisation gradient in Berlin, Germany. In nine locations along this gradient, we measured aphid colony dynamics and proxies for parasitism, quantified the investment of ants in tending aphids and conducted behavioural assays to test the aggressiveness of ant responses to a simulated attack on the aphids. We found that aphid colonies flourished and were equally tended by ants across the urbanisation gradient, with a consistent positive density dependence between aphid and ant numbers. However, ants from more urbanised sites responded more aggressively to the simulated attack. Our findings suggest that this protective mutualism is not only maintained in the city, but that ants might even rely more on it and defend it more aggressively, as other food resources may become scarce and more unpredictable with urbanisation. We thereby provide unique insights into this type of mutualism in the city, further diversifying the growing body of work on mutualisms across urbanisation gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of narrow-waisted bark beetle is described from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine): Diagrypnodes villumi sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Salpingidae). This fossil refutes a simplistic view of the genus Diagrypnodes as a typical Gondwanan lineage whose extant species are disjunct between Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Diagrypnodes villumi is the first definitive fossil species of the subfamily Inopeplinae, the other being Eopeplus stetzenkoi Kirejtshuk and Nel from lowermost Eocene (53 Ma) Oise amber which was placed in this subfamily, albeit tentatively. Extant inopeplines occur in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. The presence of Diagrypnodes and Eopeplus in Eocene Europe suggest a formerly different and presumably wider distribution of the subfamily. Furthermore, the ant Lasius schiefferdeckeri Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) preserved in the amber piece as a eusyninclusion with D. villumi is a new example of the simultaneous presence of the temperate and frost intolerant elements in European Eocene amber forests.LSID [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvester ants are one of the most extensively studied groups of ants, especially the group foraging ants, Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767), which construct long‐lasting trunk trails. Limited laboratory investigations have delved into head‐on encounters along foraging trails involving workers moving in opposing directions, with fewer corresponding studies conducted in the natural environment. To address this gap, we devised an in‐field experimental design to induce lane segregation on the foraging trunk trail of M. barbarus. Using an image‐based tracking method, we analyzed the foraging behavior of this species to assess the costs associated with head‐on encounters and to figure out the natural coexistence of outgoing and returning workers on a bidirectional route. Our results consistently reveal heightened straightness and speed in unidirectional test lanes, accompanied by an elevated foraging rate compared to bidirectional lanes. This suggests a potential impact of head‐on collisions on foraging behavior, especially on foraging efficiency. Additionally, Kinematic analysis revealed distinct movement patterns between outbound and inbound flows, particularly low speed and sinuous trajectories of inbounding unladen workers. The study of encounter rates in two traffic systems hints at the plausible utilization of individual memory by workers within trails, underscoring the pivotal role of encounters in information exchange and load transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of incomplete path coverage and path redundancy in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) path planning, an Ant Colony Path Planning Optimization Based on Opposition-Based Learning (ACPPO-OBL) is proposed. Firstly, Opposition-Based Learning (OBL) is introduced during the initialization phase of the ant colony. Moreover, the theoretical proof that ant colonies can be distributed near the optimal ant colony has also been proposed, indicating that the ACPPO-OBL algorithm has enhanced global search ability. Secondly, the coefficient for pheromone evaporation is revised. Besides, the proposed method involves a global pheromone update incorporating both best and worst reward mechanisms. Furthermore, it has been theoretically proven that the ACPPO-OBL algorithm has upper and lower bounds on the total pheromone concentration when searching for the optimal path. Additionally, an adaptive coefficient is incorporated into the heuristic function. The theoretical proof of the convergence of ACPPO-OBL has been established. As demonstrated in simulation experiments, ACPPO-OBL increases path coverage rates by 2–6 % and reduces path lengths by 6–11 % compared to ECDM planning. The ACPPO-OBL can be applied to cover irregular areas of various shapes and provides better coverage, improving the efficiency and stability of full-coverage paths in irregular areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban ecosystems are areas subject to constant changes due to human activities, characterized by spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics, which translates into disorder and reduction of biodiversity. Diversity is lower in urban and agroecosystems than in conserved ecosystems, transition zones become highly diverse due to the complexity of vegetation and opportunities as a new environment. Ants can adapt to urban environments, they tend to be generalist, dominant and with aggressive behavior, these environments have a greater number of introduced species. These organisms have been little studied in urban environments despite their importance and interactions they have with other organisms. In order to know the species of ants in parks of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone, 13 parks of Agencia Metropolitana de Bosques Urbanos were selected, one visit was made to each park between February and July 2021. Six points were marked in each park, four baits were placed in each point (two with tuna and two with walnut) and two hours of manual collection were carried out in the morning, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. The material was taken to the laboratory where it was separated and determined and deposited in the Colección Entomológica of Cento de Estudios en Zoología of the Universidad de Guadalajara. An annotated checklist of the ant species found was prepared. 17,677 individuals belonging to 35 species were collected; of which 26 are native species and nine are introduced species. Eight species of ant were found in all the parks, three species were exclusive to only one park. The most diverse park had 26 species, and the least diversity were two parks, with 17 species each one. Paratrechina longicornis was the most abundant species, while Hypoponera opaciceps, Solenopsis subterranea and Strumigenys louisianae were the least abundant species with only one individual each one. Myrmelachista skwarrae is collected for the first time in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a tribute to Dr. Gabriela Castaño Meneses, who has dedicated a large part of her life to the study of arthropods, particularly focused on microarthropods and ants, we present a biographical sketch of her academic and professional career. Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself as a researcher and scholar in entomology, publishing more than 90 articles, 21 book chapters, and teaching more than 81 courses, among others. Her work has been characterized by a wide range of approaches, covering topics such as ecology and taxonomy of different groups of arthropods, including springtails, mites and ants, and covering the different gradients of a wide range of habitats. Undoubtedly, an outstanding researcher characterized by her great passion for study and her admiration for the unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to honor Dr. Gabriela Castaño-Meneses for her remarkable scientific career, which has served as an enduring wellspring of inspiration for the members of the Laboratory of Arthropod Ecology in Extreme Environments. Throughout her professional journey, Dr. Castaño-Meneses has delved into the exploration of arthropod ecology and taxonomy, distinguishing herself particularly in the study of springtails, mites, and ants. Her research has traversed a broad spectrum of habitats, ranging from soil ecosystems to tree canopies, encompassing cave-dwelling and aquatic environments. Her contributions extend nationally and internationally, enriching our comprehension of ecological processes which can promote efforts in biodiversity conservation amidst the challenges posed by climate change and habitat loss. Beyond her scholarly achievements, Dr. Castaño-Meneses stands out as an emblematic reference in our lives, transcending her profound humanity throughout our tenure in her laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Falkland Islands constitute a remote archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean that is about 450 km east of continental South America. The invertebrate fauna of the Falkland Islands is poorly known, and thus far no ants have been reported. We conducted surveys for ants on East Falkland Island during the austral summer 2019. No ants were found during our surveys, such that East Falkland Island is one of few oceanic islands that lack native and non-native ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphisbaenians usually have a diet composed of a wide variety of small arthropods, with some species being more selective in their feeding and others considered more generalist. Using only specimens deposited in scientific collections, the diet composition of Amphisbaena alba Linnaeus, 1758, Amphisbaena pretrei Duméril and Bibron, 1839, and Amphisbaena vermicularis Wagler, 1824 from the Northeast region of Brazil was analyzed. Except for individuals of A. alba, due to the small sample size, we also investigated the possible intersexual difference in the volume, length, and number of prey in the diet of amphisbaenians and the possible relationship between prey volume and body size (snout–vent length) of individuals was analyzed. The diet of worm-lizard in general was composed of termites, cockroaches, ants, and beetle larvae, and no intersexual differences were found in the size, length, and number of consumed prey. The body size of A. pretrei and A. vermicularis showed no relationship with the volume of prey consumed. Amphisbaenians presented a characteristic diet of opportunistic generalist predators, with several food categories in the composition of their diets, indicating that the studied species feed according to the availability and abundance of prey in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocklands are present in South Florida, both on the peninsula and in the Keys. Previous work has shown that extrafloral nectaries on pine rockland plants in the Florida Everglades and surrounding areas play a role in attracting ant protectors. Species with nectaries are more abundant and ant activity greater in more recently burned pine rockland habitats compared with longer undisturbed rockland hammock forest. The floristic composition and prevailing climate of Keys rocklands differs substantially from those on the mainland, so we sought to investigate ant activity and the abundance of plants with extrafloral nectaries in Big Pine Key rockland habitats. Standard baiting methods were used to assess ant abundance and potential predation activity in hardwood hammock, shrubby pine rockland, and open pine rockland sites. Ant activity was the lowest in open pine rockland, greatest in hardwood hammock, and intermediate in shrubby pine rockland, the opposite of what has been observed in previous studies in southern peninsular Florida and on Andros, Bahamas. Sampling vegetation at these same sites revealed a larger proportion of plant species with extrafloral nectaries in the pine rocklands than the hammock, as observed previously in Everglades habitats. Possible reasons for differences in ant activity in Keys rockland habitats are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of ant species collected in caves at different localities of Minas Gerais state, Brazil is presented, based on specimens deposited in the Entomological Collection Padre Jesus Santiago Moure (DZUP). Of the 51 species/morphospecies found, two are new records for the state. We encourage an increase in ant collection efforts in Brazilian caves using different sampling techniques and comparative approaches in order to improve the current knowledge of ant diversity in these environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Wood ants are promising biocontrol agents in fruit plantations because they prey on pest insects and inhibit plant diseases. However, these ants also attend plant‐feeding homopterans to harvest their honeydew secretions, thereby increasing their numbers. This problem can be solved by offering ants alternative sugar sources that are more attractive than honeydew. From natural interactions, it is known that some species manipulate mutualistic partners toward loyalty by adding alkaloids to the food they offer their mutualists. Inspired by this, the addition of alkaloids might be used to make ants loyal to artificial sugar feeders and thus used to reduce populations of ant‐farmed homopterans in ant‐mediated biological control. We aimed to explore whether wood ants (Formica polyctena) would develop a taste preference for morphine‐containing sugar solutions in two‐choice laboratory tests. RESULTS: After having fed on a morphine/sugar solution for 1 week, ants showed a significant preference for morphine solutions compared with equal concentration sugar solutions without morphine. Furthermore, ants lost this preference after 6–9 days on a morphine‐free diet. CONCLUSION: The results show that wood ants react to morphine in their food, enabling chemical manipulation of their behavior, most likely through a taste preference. Thus, ants are susceptible to manipulation by mutualistic partners in natural interactions and furthermore may be manipulated artificially in biocontrol programs to avoid ant‐mediated build‐up of homopteran populations. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the diversity of Hymenoptera in Jai Narain Vyas University new campus in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Analyse their distribution and abundance in different microhabitats. Survey runed over a ten-month period from September 2022 to June 2023. Total 15 species from6 different families (Apidae, Formicidae, Sphecidae, Braconidae, Vespidae, Ichneumonidae) were recorded. The results showed that the diversity of species had different microhabitats, with the highest diversity found in gardens and trees. The results of this study are important for understanding the bee diversity of JNVU and suggesting conservation and management strategies to preserve the rich biodiversity of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antagonistic selection has long been considered a major driver of the formation and expansion of sex chromosomes. For example, sexually antagonistic variation on an autosome can select for suppressed recombination between that autosome and the sex chromosome, leading to a neo-sex chromosome. Autosomal supergenes, chromosomal regions containing tightly linked variants affecting the same complex trait, share similarities with sex chromosomes, raising the possibility that sex chromosome evolution models can explain the evolution of genome structure and recombination in other contexts. We tested this premise in a Formica ant species, wherein we identified four supergene haplotypes on chromosome 3 underlying colony social organization and sex ratio. We discovered a novel rearranged supergene variant (9r) on chromosome 9 underlying queen miniaturization. The 9r is in strong linkage disequilibrium with one chromosome 3 haplotype (P2) found in multi-queen (polygyne) colonies. We suggest that queen miniaturization is strongly disfavored in the single-queen (monogyne) background and is thus socially antagonistic. As such, divergent selection experienced by ants living in alternative social "environments" (monogyne and polygyne) may have contributed to the emergence of a genetic polymorphism on chromosome 9 and associated queen-size dimorphism. Consequently, an ancestral polygyne-associated haplotype may have expanded to include the polymorphism on chromosome 9, resulting in a larger region of suppressed recombination spanning two chromosomes. This process is analogous to the formation of neo-sex chromosomes and consistent with models of expanding regions of suppressed recombination. We propose that miniaturized queens, 16%-20% smaller than queens without 9r, could be incipient intraspecific social parasites.

Vegetation connectivity is an essential aspect of the habitat complexity that impacts species interactions at local scales. However, agricultural intensification reduces connectivity in agroforestry systems, including coffee agroecosystems, which may hinder the movement of natural enemies and reduce the ecosystem services that they provide. Ants play an important role in regulating the coffee berry borer (CBB), which is the most damaging coffee pest. For arboreal ant communities, the connections between trees are important structures that facilitate ant mobility, resource recruitment, foraging success, and pest control ability. To better understand how connectivity impacts arboreal ants in coffee agroecosystems, we conducted an experiment to assess the impact of artificial (string) and naturally occurring vegetation (vines, leaves, branches) connectivity on Azteca sericeasur behavior on coffee plants. We compared ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal rates across three connectivity treatments connecting coffee plants to A. sericeasur nest trees: vegetation connectivity, string, and control (not connected) treatments. We found higher rates of ant activity, resource recruitment, and CBB removal on plants with naturally occurring vegetation connections to A. sericeasur nest trees. Artificial connectivity (string) increased the rates of resource recruitment and CBB removal but to a lesser extent than vegetation connectivity. Moreover, vegetation connectivity buffered reductions in ant activity with distance from the ant nest tree. These results reinforce how habitat complexity in the form of vegetation connectivity impacts interspecific interactions at the local scale. Our results also suggest that leaving some degree of vegetation connectivity between coffee plants and shade trees can promote ant-mediated biological pest control in coffee systems.