Ecological, behavioural and chemical adaptations to ant predation in species of Thermophilum andGraphipterus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Sahara desert

Dinter, Karin; Paarmann, Wilfried; Peschke, Klaus; Arndt, Erik

doi:10.1006/jare.2001.0850

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Akino and Yamaoka described hydrocarbons of L. niger from Japan, which are completely different from European ones, but this species is now considered as a different twin species named Lasius japonicus (Akino and Yamaoka 2005). L. niger cuticular profiles appear to be stable in various areas in France, and also in Germany (Dinter et al 2002), Belgium (A.L. unpublished) and Denmark (Dreier and D'Ettorre 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Hydrocarbons in the Ant Lasius niger: From the Cuticle to the Nest and Home Range Marking

Lenoir

Depickère²,

Devers

et al. 2009

J Chem Ecol

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The cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of the ant Lasius niger are described. We observe a high local colony specificity of the body cuticular profile as predicted for a monogynous and multicolonial species. The CHCs show a low geographical variation among different locations in France. The CHCs on the legs also are colony specific, but their relative quantities are slightly different from those on the main body. For the first time, we demonstrate that the inner walls of the ant nest are coated with the same hydrocarbons as those found on the cuticle but in different proportions. The high amount of inner-nest marking and its lack of colony-specificity may explain why alien ants are not rejected once they succeed in entering the nest. The cuticular hydrocarbons also are deposited in front of the nest entrance and on the foraging arena, with a progressive increase in n-alkanes relative amounts. Chemical marks laid over the substrate are colony specific only when we consider methyl-branched alkanes. Our data confirm that these "footprint hydrocarbons" are probably deposited passively by the contact of ant tarsae with the substrate. These results suggest that the CHCs chemical profiles used by ants in colony recognition are much more complex than a single template: ants have to learn and memorize odors that vary depending on their context of perception.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Hydrocarbons in the Ant Lasius niger: From the Cuticle to the Nest and Home Range Marking

Lenoir

Depickère²,

Devers

et al. 2009

J Chem Ecol

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“…To illustrate the temperature induced shift in chain length of the cuticular hydrocarbons in the 20°C and 30°C-type of E. barbatus, we plotted the cumulative distribution functions of the relative peak areas versus the increasing retention index (Dinter et al 2002;Hadley 1977;Toolson and Hadley 1977). For quantification of the similarities of different cuticular hydrocarbon patterns, we calculated the Nei's indices (I) for all species pairs (Gush et al 1985;Kaib et al 1991;Nowbahari et al 1990):…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adaptation of the intruder's cuticular hydrocarbons to the pattern of the host can be obtained in different ways: substances can be taken over by means of physical contact (e.g. Dinter et al 2002;Vander Meer et al 1989;Vander Meer and Wojcik 1982) or less frequently parasites produce the host specific pattern themselves (chemical mimicry according to Dettner and Liepert 1994;e.g. Howard et al 1980 in Trichopsenius frosti).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical mimicry of cuticular hydrocarbons – how does Eremostibes opacus gain access to breeding burrows of its host Parastizopus armaticeps (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?

Geiselhardt

Peschke

2006

Chemoecology

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Breeding burrows of Parastizopus armaticeps armaticeps, a fossorial desert tenebrionid beetle, are cleptoparasitised by the closely related Eremostibes opacus. Gas chromatographic analyses show a high congruity of the cuticular hydrocarbons of both species. We compare these hydrocarbon patterns with those of four other Stizopina species and the Scaurini Herpiscius sommeri. In a bioassay, dummies treated with cuticular hydrocarbon extracts of E. opacus and the P. a. bifidus parasite E. bushmanicus were mostly ignored by P. a. armaticeps, whereas dummies with applied extracts of the remaining species were heavily attacked. We show that there is a correlation between agonistic behaviour of P. a. armaticeps towards the intruder and the chemical similarity of the cuticular hydrocarbons of the two species. Furthermore, we produced quantitatively modified hydrocarbon patterns of E. barbatus by changing the temperature at which this species was kept. The new 30°C-type was chemically similar to E. opacus, and was frequently ignored by P. a. armaticeps, whereas a reduction of the temperature to 20°C only had minor effects on the hydrocarbon pattern. Furthermore, we show that the addition of one single component, heptacosane, to the cuticular hydrocarbon extract of E. opacus alters the host's reaction. We discuss the role of cuticular hydrocarbons for the recognition of this host-parasite system and the relevance of quantitative characters in the hydrocarbon pattern for the discrimination of the host.

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“…In contrast, larvae of other myrmecophiles, such as lycaenids and some carabid species, enter the colony by themselves so that the adult forms require protective mechanisms only for the short time of eclosion (Dinter et al 2002;Pierce et al 2002). Whereas it is well known how lycaenid caterpillars are adopted by ants (e.g.…”

Section: Interactions Of Ant Nest Beetles and Their Host Antsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Numerous guests of army ants, as well as larvae of the carabid Anthia (Termophilum) sexmaculata Fabricius 1787 follow chemical trails laid by their host (Dinter et al 2002;Wilson 1971), and Paussus favieri adults show this behaviour, too. In the laboratory, the beetles followed trails of the host ant Pheidole pallidula, but ignored trails of the non-host genera, suggesting that ant nest beetles are able to discriminate the trail pheromones of host from non-host ant The sequence of taxa and their nomenclature is based on Bolton (1995Bolton ( , 2003 for ants and Nagel (2003) and Lorenz (2005) for beetles.…”

Section: Host Specificity and Host Location In Ant Nest Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of myrmecophily in ant nest beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Paussinae): linking early observations with recent findings

Geiselhardt

Peschke

Nagel

2007

Naturwissenschaften

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Myrmecophily provides various examples of how social structures can be overcome to exploit vast and well-protected resources. Ant nest beetles (Paussinae) are particularly well suited for ecological and evolutionary considerations in the context of association with ants because life habits within the subfamily range from free-living and predatory in basal taxa to obligatory myrmecophily in derived Paussini. Adult Paussini are accepted in the ant society, although parasitising the colony by preying on ant brood. Host species mainly belong to the ant families Myrmicinae and Formicinae, but at least several paussine genera are not host-specific. Morphological adaptations, such as special glands and associated tufts of hair (trichomes), characterise Paussini as typical myrmecophiles and lead to two different strategical types of body shape: while certain Paussini rely on the protective type with less exposed extremities, other genera access ant colonies using glandular secretions and trichomes (symphile type). We compare these adaptations with other taxonomic groups of insects by joining contemporary research and early sources and discuss the possibility of an attracting or appeasing effect of the secretion. Species that are ignored by their host ants might use chemical mimicry instead. Furthermore, vibrational signals may contribute to ant-beetle communication, and chemical signals have proven to play a role in host finding. The powerful defense chemistry of paussines as "bombardier beetles" is not used in contact with host ants. We attempt to trace the evolution of myrmecophily in paussines by reviewing important aspects of the association between paussine beetles and ants, i.e. morphological and potential chemical adaptations, life cycle, host specificity, alimentation, parasitism and sound production.

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Ecological, behavioural and chemical adaptations to ant predation in species of Thermophilum andGraphipterus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Sahara desert

Cited by 22 publications

References 25 publications

Hydrocarbons in the Ant Lasius niger: From the Cuticle to the Nest and Home Range Marking

Hydrocarbons in the Ant Lasius niger: From the Cuticle to the Nest and Home Range Marking

Chemical mimicry of cuticular hydrocarbons – how does Eremostibes opacus gain access to breeding burrows of its host Parastizopus armaticeps (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)?

A review of myrmecophily in ant nest beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Paussinae): linking early observations with recent findings

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