Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

Adams, Rachelle M. M.; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A.; Jones, Tappey H.; Nash, David R.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1311654110

Cited by 39 publications

(43 citation statements)

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“…This commitment to farming later led to the emergence of the "higher attines," including the Acromyrmex and Atta leafcutter ants that rear truly domesticated and coevolving cultivars on fresh plant-material substrates (22)(23)(24)(25). However, it has remained underappreciated that relatively unproductive farming in the lower attines has otherwise been very successful in coping with the nutritional challenges of an exclusive fungal diet, in maintaining homeostatic growth conditions for small gardens, and in controlling fungal pathogens and social parasites (26)(27)(28). The continued survival and diversification of these small-scale farming mutualisms over evolutionary time thus suggests that these ants have found ways to control potential conflicts emanating from the unavoidable sexual inclinations of their symbiotic cultivars.…”

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confidence: 99%

Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar–farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant

Shik

Gomez

Kooij

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Attine ants evolved farming 55-60 My before humans. Although evolutionarily derived leafcutter ants achieved industrial-scale farming, extant species from basal attine genera continue to farm loosely domesticated fungal cultivars capable of pursuing independent reproductive interests. We used feeding experiments with the basal attine Mycocepurus smithii to test whether reproductive allocation conflicts between farmers and cultivars constrain crop yield, possibly explaining why their mutualism has remained limited in scale and productivity. Stoichiometric and geometric framework approaches showed that carbohydrate-rich substrates maximize growth of both edible hyphae and inedible mushrooms, but that modest protein provisioning can suppress mushroom formation. Worker foraging was consistent with maximizing long-term cultivar performance: ant farmers could neither increase carbohydrate provisioning without cultivars allocating the excess toward mushroom production, nor increase protein provisioning without compromising somatic cultivar growth. Our results confirm that phylogenetically basal attine farming has been very successful over evolutionary time, but that unresolved host-symbiont conflict may have precluded these wildtype symbioses from rising to ecological dominance. That status was achieved by the evolutionarily derived leafcutter ants following full domestication of a coevolving cultivar 30-35 Mya after the first attine ants committed to farming. social evolution | crop domestication | symbiosis | geometric framework | Mycocepurus smithii

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar–farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant

Shik

Gomez

Kooij

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…One of these, Megalomyrmex symmetochus Wheeler, will defend host attine nests against attack by G. hartmani, act ing as "mercenaries" to drive off the invading predators. Adams et al (2013) also found that G. hartmani workers selectively avoid attacking attine nests occupied by M. sym metochus. The closest relatives of M. symmetochus (e.g., its sister species, Megalomyrmex wettereri Brandao; see Adams 2012) are all agro-predators like G. hartmani, indicating that that M. symmetochus apparently evolved from an agro-predator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Echols (1964) reported finding G. hartmani on four occasions in Lucky, Louisiana while examining nests of the attine ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook): "In all cases G. hartmani had killed most or all of the Trachymyrmex workers, and were occupying the entire nest." Other researchers have documented that G. hartmani is an "agro-predator" that attacks attine ants in the genera Trachymyrmex, Sericomyrmex, and Myrmicocrypta (Dijkstra and Boomsma, 2003;Adams et al, 2013;R. Adams pers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This observation confirms the difficulty of a single G. hartmani queen attacking an established attine colony, but leaves uncertain whether or not this is the usual means of colony foundation. Adams et al (2013) discovered that attine ants have allies in their battles with G. hartmani. Several species of Megalomyrmex ants (Subfamily Myrmicinae, Tribe Solenopsini) live within the fungus gardens of attine ants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geographic distribution of Gnamptogenys hartmani (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), an agro-predator that attacks fungus-growing ants

Wetterer

2014

Terr Arthropod Rev

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Gnamptogenys hartmani is a specialist predator that attacks colonies of fungus-growing ants. To examine the biogeography of G. hartmani, I compiled specimen records of G. hartmani from 36 sites, and records of Gnamptogenys bruchi (a possible junior synonym) from seven sites. Records of Gnamptogenys hartmani ranged from Lucky, Louisiana (32.2°N) in the north to Villa Nougués, Argentina (26.9°S) in the south. If G. bruchi proves to be a synonym of G. hartmani, this would extend the known range as far south as Alta Gracia, Argentina (31.7°S). In the US, G. hartmani populations are known only from Texas and Louisiana, yet there is much apparently suitable habitat along the Gulf coast of Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Given the remarkable scarcity of G. hartmani records throughout its known range, it remains possible that G. hartmani populations occur all along the Gulf coast of the US, but have been overlooked.

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“…As estratégias de defesa podem ocorrer de forma passiva, onde operárias impedem a ação de intrusos bloqueando a entrada da colônia e câmaras internas com o próprio corpo (Wheeler & Hölldobler, 1985;Brandão et al, 2001;Fischer et al, 2015), ou construindo ninhos de difícil acesso com pequenas entradas crípticas (Belchior et al, 2012). A defesa ativa ocorre através do patrulhamento nos arredores do ninho (Yamamoto & Del-Claro, 2008), bombardeamento de químicos defensivos (Sorrells et al, 2011;Adams et al, 2013;Chen et al, 2013) e combate direto corpo a corpo contra os intrusos (Pacheco & Del-Claro, 2015; ver capítulo 4), com destaque para presença de castas de operárias morfologicamente modificadas para funções defensivas . No entanto, como em qualquer fenótipo, as estratégias de defesa de uma colônia de formigas não são perfeitas.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Ecologia comportamental e de interações entre <i>Pseudomyrmex concolor</i> Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Pseudomyrmecinae) e sua planta hospedeira <i>Tachigali myrmecophila</i> Ducke (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) na Amazônia amapaense

Junior¹,

Mendes²

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AGRADECIMENTOSAo meu quarteto amado, Regina Coeli, Tamilly Eunice, Talita Verena e o pequeno Arthurminha família. Sem eles eu seria somente uma ideia.Ao meu pai, Paulo Pacheco, pelo apoio.Ao Professor Dr. Kleber Del Claro, meu orientador, por confiar em mim desde o início e pelos caminhos oferecidos que ajudaram no meu desenvolvimento acadêmico.À Aedra Gemaque por toda paciência e apoio incondicional, e pela sua presença como amiga e amada namorada.Aos queridos amigos Alison Chaves, Arley Costa, Ivagner Ferreira, João Henrique e Sérgio filho pelo incentivo nas horas mais difíceis e pelas discussões constantes sobre ciência que sempre expandem minha visão de homem e de mundo.Ao grande amigo Rodolfo Probst pelo estimulo frequente e pelas sugestões ponderadas e importantes para o Capítulo 1 desta tese.Aos membros da banca Dr. Fábio Nascimento, Dr. Jean Santos, Dr. Roberth Fagundes e Dra. Vanessa Moreira pela expressiva contribuição para o melhoramento do manuscrito.Ao Danilo Gonçalves e a Leiliana Rocha, meus fieis companheiros de campo.Ao amigo botânico Luciano Margalho pela confirmação da espécie de Tachigali.Aos colegas taxonomistas Alexandre Ferreira, Thiago Silva e Rodrigo Feitosa pela ajuda na identificação das espécies de formigas deste trabalho.Ao Lucas Kaminski pelas discussões, materiais fornecidos e identificação da larva de Lepidoptera no Capítulo 1.Aos moradores da comunidade quilombola da APA do Rio Curiaú que sempre estiveram dispostos a me ajudar.A todos que de alguma forma contribuíram para a realização deste trabalho, o meu muito obrigado.What escapes the eye, however, is a much more insidious kind of extinction: the extinction of ecological interactions.Daniel H. Janzen (1974) (Wilson, 1987). Isso configura um paradoxo ecológico já que a quantidade de presas disponíveis para sustentar a biomassa de formigas seria insuficiente (Tobin, 1995;Davidson & Patrell-Kim, 1996). Porém, (Janzen, 1966;1969; (Dwyer, 1954;Pires & Prance, 1985;Funk et al., 2007;Werff, 2008). Essa Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae) possui folhas compostas com folíolos paripenadas cartáceas. Apresenta intumescência típica na base do pecíolo foliar, sua domácia (Wheeler, 1921;1942) acreditam que a planta já emerge colonizada pela formiga (informação pessoal). Em cada domácia de T. myrmecophila é possível encontrar um número variável de operárias, larvas, pupas, alados e reprodutores de P. concolor, além de coccídeos do gênero Catenococcus (Coccidae) que, aparentemente, são utilizados pelas formigas como principal recurso alimentar Wheeler, 1921 myrmecophila. Cada folha possui apenas uma domácia onde são mantidos ovos, larvas, pupas e adultos distribuídos ao longo de todas as domácias da planta. Populações de cochonilhas também são encontradas dentro da colônia, provavelmente como a única fonte de recurso alimentar para P. concolor, já que nenhuma operária foi observada consumindo ou transportando presas para dentro da domácia. Número de folhas, folíolos, altura da planta e o espaço interno da domácia exercem forte influência na estru...

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Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

Cited by 39 publications

References 31 publications

Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar–farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant

Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar–farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant

Geographic distribution of Gnamptogenys hartmani (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), an agro-predator that attacks fungus-growing ants

Ecologia comportamental e de interações entre <i>Pseudomyrmex concolor</i> Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Pseudomyrmecinae) e sua planta hospedeira <i>Tachigali myrmecophila</i> Ducke (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) na Amazônia amapaense

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