The Social Insects' Bestiary

Kistner, David H.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-342203-3.50008-4

Cited by 165 publications

(251 citation statements)

References 144 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

238

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…With the exception of the nomadic species (dorylimorphs), the nest of most ant species constitutes a relatively stable habitat that provides both food source and protection against other predators for a large range of organisms (Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990;Hughes et al 2008;Lachaud et al 2012bLachaud et al , 2013. However, until very recently (see Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990), it was considered that aggressive species where workers are provided with a powerful sting and exhibit a carnivorous diet, such as species within the genus Ectatomma, were unlikely to provide such services, thus offering an explanation for the lack of reports concerning the presence of associated guests in their nests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Diversity of parasitoids associated with Ectatomma ants families: Chalcididae, Encyrtidae, Eucharitidae, Eulophidae, and Eurytomidae (Chalcidoidea); Diapriidae (Diaprioidea); Braconidae and Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonoidea) (Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990;Schmid-Hempel 1998;Lachaud and Pérez-Lachaud 2012;Pérez-Lachaud et al 2012). Of these families, Eucharitidae is one of the smallest with less than 500 valid species; however, all eucharitids are exclusive, specific parasitoids of ant brood, and the family presents the highest number of known ant-parasitoid associations (Table 1) (Heraty 2002;Lachaud and Pérez-Lachaud 2012).…”

Section: Hymenoptera (Eucharitidae: Eucharitinae)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such relationships include: commensalism, detritivorous and saprophagous habits within the nest refuse (scavengers), thievery of stored food (cleptoparasitism), predation on the adults or the brood, or parasitism of the adults or the brood (Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990;Feener and Brown 1997;Schmid-Hempel 1998;). Nevertheless, examples of primary parasitoid attack on ants are relatively scarce and are restricted, with a very uneven distribution, to only four families (Table 1) (4) numerous phorid species from 38 genera involved in more than 420 associations, all of them are endoparasitoids of adult workers (Disney 1994;Feener and Brown 1997;Brown and Feener 1998;Brown et al 2012;Folgarait 2013) with the exception of a single unidentified species that is endoparasitic in ant larvae (Wheeler and Wheeler 1952, Fig.…”

Section: Diptera (Phoridae: Phorinae)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century numerous studies have been published on the fauna associated with social insects, and particularly with ants (see reviews in Wheeler 1910;Donisthorpe 1927;Wilson 1971;Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990;Schmid-Hempel 1998), few of them focused on the diversity of true parasitoids of ants, bees or wasps. Furthermore, in the few studies that did address this topic, the actual nature of the association with ants remains ambiguous in many cases and prevents determining whether the report is a true case of direct (primary) parasitism or rather is an indirect (interference) association through the primary parasitism of other guests that are present in ant colonies or are associated with them (myrmecophiles).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mymecophiles are supposed to be more abundant and diverse in large colonies of ants (Wilson 1971;Kistner 1982;Hölldobler and Wilson 1990;Schmid-Hempel 1998). Consequently, as for the majority of the poneromorph and ectaheteromorph ants, both the small size of their colonies and the aggressiveness of their workers would lead intuitively to consider that the number of invertebrates associated with Ectatomma ants would be very small.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Ectaheteromorph ants also host highly diverse parasitic communities: a review of parasitoids of the Neotropical genus Ectatomma

Lachaud

Pérez‐Lachaud

2015

Insect. Soc.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the diversity of ant-myrmecophile associations, there are few examples of primary parasitism of ants and these are poorly documented, particularly in genera with only a few species such as the genus Ectatomma. We identified 18 associations that involve at least 16 taxa of primary parasitoids distributed in three families belonging to two invertebrate classes, and five of the 15 valid Ectatomma species. Among these, we report for the first time an endoparasitoid fly (probably a phorid) that attacks E. ruidum larvae and constitutes the second record of ant-larva endoparasitism by a dipteran. We provide a brief account of the interactions of these organisms with their hosts and their possible impact at the colonial or population level. Ectatomma ants, though being a small group, serve as a remarkable resource for the evolution of a wide variety of parasitoid organisms which, comparatively, are much more important than those associated with better-studied ant genera such as Myrmica or Formica. Considering the lack of studies dedicated to their parasites and parasitoids, the available information (almost limited to the three most studied Ectatomma species) suggests that, in spite of both their carnivorous diet and the aggressiveness typical of their workers, the diversity of these associations with Ectatomma might be much more important than previously expected. We stress the urgency of performing detailed inventories focused on these associations, not only for the genus Ectatomma, but for all the poorly studied ant communities (ectaheteromorphs, poneromorphs, arboreal ants) and endangered species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hymenoptera (Eucharitidae: Eucharitinae)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Diptera (Phoridae: Phorinae)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Ectaheteromorph ants also host highly diverse parasitic communities: a review of parasitoids of the Neotropical genus Ectatomma

Lachaud

Pérez‐Lachaud

2015

Insect. Soc.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

References

2010

Beetles in Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Species traits and environmental characteristics together regulate ant‐associated biodiversity

Campbell

Crist

2016

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Host‐associated organisms (e.g., parasites, commensals, and mutualists) may rely on their hosts for only a portion of their life cycle. The life‐history traits and physiology of hosts are well‐known determinants of the biodiversity of their associated organisms. The environmental context may strongly influence this interaction, but the relative roles of host traits and the environment are poorly known for host‐associated communities. We studied the roles of host traits and environmental characteristics affecting ant‐associated mites in semi‐natural constructed grasslands in agricultural landscapes of the Midwest USA. Mites are frequently found in ant nests and also riding on ants in a commensal dispersal relationship known as phoresy. During nonphoretic stages of their development, ant‐associated mites rely on soil or nest resources, which may vary depending on host traits and the environmental context of the colony. We hypothesized that mite diversity is determined by availability of suitable host ant species, soil detrital resources and texture, and habitat disturbance. Results showed that that large‐bodied and widely distributed ant species within grasslands support the most diverse mite assemblages. Mite richness and abundance were predicted by overall ant richness and grassland area, but host traits and environmental predictors varied among ant hosts: mites associated with Aphaenogaster rudis depended on litter depth, while Myrmica americana associates were predicted by host frequency and grassland age. Multivariate ordinations of mite community composition constructed with host ant species as predictors demonstrated host specialization at both the ant species and genus levels, while ordinations with environmental variables showed that ant richness, soil texture, and grassland age also contributed to mite community structure. Our results demonstrate that large‐bodied, locally abundant, and cosmopolitan ant species are especially important regulators of phoretic mite diversity and that their role as hosts is also dependent on the context of the interaction, especially soil resources, texture, site age, and area.

show abstract

The Social Insects' Bestiary

Cited by 165 publications

References 144 publications

Ectaheteromorph ants also host highly diverse parasitic communities: a review of parasitoids of the Neotropical genus Ectatomma

Ectaheteromorph ants also host highly diverse parasitic communities: a review of parasitoids of the Neotropical genus Ectatomma

References

Species traits and environmental characteristics together regulate ant‐associated biodiversity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About