Colony genetic structure in the Australian jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula

Qian, Z.-Q.; Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C.; Steiner, Florian M.; Robson, Simon K. A.; Schlüns, Helge; Schlüns, Ellen A.; Crozier, Ross H.

doi:10.1007/s00040-011-0196-4

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Arlequin v3.5 (Excoffier & Lischer 2010) was used to calculate an exact probability test for deviations from linkage equilibrium (LE) and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) using the Markov chain method with default parameters. To decrease the effect of relatedness of individuals, two subsets consisting of either four or one randomly chosen worker(s) per nest were used for these tests (Qian et al 2012). Arlequin was further used to calculate observed (H O ) and expected (H E ) heterozygosities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Alpine ant’s behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression inTetramorium alpestre

Krapf

Russo

Arthofer

et al. 2017

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Social structure influences animal societies on various levels (e.g., relatedness, behaviour). In ants, both the number of matings per queen and the number of queens per colony can vary strongly. While workers from both monogynous and polygynous colonies often fight fiercely, in supercolonies (an extreme form of polygyny comprising thousands of queens in spatially separated but interconnected nests), non-nestmates interact peacefully. Studies on social and behavioural polymorphism within ant species can help elucidate their influence on genetic diversity and behaviour and the factors triggering variation in social structure and behaviour. Here, we reveal a behavioural and social polymorphism comprising monogyny with and without internest aggression in Tetramorium alpestre sampled in Tyrol, Austria. The social polymorphism is based on genetic and behavioural evidence and contrasts with the supercolonial organisation known from another location in Austria (Carinthia), 150 km away. Microsatellite genotyping using eight polymorphic loci revealed monogyny-monandry and high intranest pairwise relatedness. Interestingly, various experimental one-on-one worker encounters revealed only occasional aggressive behaviour between monogynous colonies, and thus a behavioural polymorphism. Mantel tests revealed a significant negative correlation between spatial distance and relatedness, while worker behaviour was not correlated with relatedness or spatial distance. These results indicate that behaviour might be influenced by other factors – for example, the experience of workers, ecological, chemical, and/or genetic factors not characterised in this study. However, workers distinguished nestmates from non-nestmates also when aggression was lacking. We hypothesise an adaptive value of reduced aggression. We speculate that the non-aggressive and partly aggressive encounters observed represent different options in the social structure of T. alpestre, the non-aggressiveness possibly also promoting supercolony development. The social and behavioural polymorphisms observed offer opportunities to identify the factors triggering these changes and thus further explore the behavioural and social polymorphism of this ant species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Alpine ant’s behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression inTetramorium alpestre

Krapf

Russo

Arthofer

et al. 2017

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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“…Primary polygyny has also been confirmed via microsatellite analysis in two species of the Myrmeciinae: the Australian jumper ant Myrmicia pilosula (Qian et al, 2012) and the red ant Myrmicia rubra (Pearson, 1982(Pearson, , 1983Seppä and Walin, 1996).…”

Section: Ants: Foundress Associations and Primary Polygynymentioning

confidence: 84%

Ecological Drivers of Non-kin Cooperation in the Hymenoptera

2022

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Despite the prominence of kin selection as a framework for understanding the evolution of sociality, many animal groups are comprised of unrelated individuals. These non-kin systems provide valuable models that can illuminate drivers of social evolution beyond indirect fitness benefits. Within the Hymenoptera, whose highly related eusocial groups have long been cornerstones of kin selection theory, groups may form even when indirect fitness benefits for helpers are low or absent. These non-kin groups are widespread and abundant, yet have received relatively little attention. We review the diversity and organization of non-kin sociality across the Hymenoptera, particularly among the communal bees and polygynous ants and wasps. Further, we discuss common drivers of sociality across these groups, with a particular focus on ecological factors. Ecological contexts that favor non-kin sociality include those dominated by resource scarcity or competition, climatic stressors, predation and parasitism, and/or physiological constraints associated with reproduction and resource exploitation. Finally, we situate Hymenopteran non-kin sociality within a broader biological context by extending insights from these systems across diverse taxa, especially the social vertebrates. Non-kin social groups thus provide unique demonstrations of the importance of ecological factors in mediating the evolutionary transition from solitary to group living.

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“…d Regression between intranest relatedness and tree sharing index T S (for definition, see "Materials and methods") for each nest. All regressions were fit using a general linear model with a binomial error structure comparing the results in detail, intracolony relatedness was higher in Myrmecia pyriformis (0.51 ± 0.04; Sanetra 2011), lower in Myrmecia brevinoda (0.29 ± 0.01; Qian et al 2011c), and lower in Myrmecia pilosula (0.31 ± 0.01; Qian et al 2011b) than that in M. nigriceps. The first evidence of facultative polygyny in the Myrmecia gulosa group was found by Dietemann et al (2002), who identified two queens in Myrmecia gulosa in two instances.…”

Section: Colony Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Colony structure, population structure, and sharing of foraging trees in the ant Myrmecia nigriceps (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

et al. 2021

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Foraging ants face many dangers in search of food and often need to defend their prey to ensure the colony’s survival, although ants may also follow a peaceful foraging strategy. A non-aggressive approach is seen in the Australian bull ant Myrmecia nigriceps, in that workers of neighboring nests sometimes share foraging trees. In this study, we observed 31 nests at Mount Majura Nature Reserve in Canberra (Australia), 12 of which shared a foraging tree with at least one other nest in at least one of three nights. We genotyped 360 individuals at five published microsatellite loci and further established a set of nine polymorphic loci for M. nigriceps. Our results revealed a significant correlation between tree sharing and geographical distance between nests. We found no correlation between internest relatedness and tree sharing, geographical distance between nests and internest relatedness, and intranest relatedness and tree sharing. We further investigated the colony structure of M. nigriceps. All colonies were monodomous; the number of queens per colony ranged from one to two, and the number of fathers from one to three. No instances of worker drifting were found in this study.

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Colony genetic structure in the Australian jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula

Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

An Alpine ant’s behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression inTetramorium alpestre

An Alpine ant’s behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression inTetramorium alpestre

Ecological Drivers of Non-kin Cooperation in the Hymenoptera

Colony structure, population structure, and sharing of foraging trees in the ant Myrmecia nigriceps (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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