Multifunctional mandibles of ants: Variation in gripping behavior facilitated by specific microstructures and kinematics

Zhang, Wei; Li, Minghao; Zheng, Guodong; Guan, Zijin; Wu, Jianing; Wu, Zhigang

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103993

Cited by 28 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Additional processes must be necessary to cause development of other mandibular structures, including specification the submarginal sensilla line, diffusion of a sensilla‐differentiating morphogen across the frontal and abfrontal mandibular fields, specification of the mandalus position and its subsequent differentiation, and critically, the development of the craniomandibular articulations and mandibular apodemes, among others. Developmental experimentation on mandible growth and patterning will have significant explanatory power, given critical role of mandibles in evolution of the ants (e.g., Booher et al, 2021; Wilson, 1987), and their vast range of structural and functional variation (e.g., Bolton, 1994; Gronenberg et al, 1997; Perrichot et al, 2020; Zhang et al, 2020,b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to realizing unappreciated variation of the tentoria (e.g., Kubota et al, 2019), three innovations documented in these studies are here recognized as of key interest for developmental and evolutionary study: the newly discovered torular apodemes (Richter et al, 2020), the “frontal triangle” or “supraclypeal area” (e.g., Keller, 2011), and the highly modified and variable anterior (dorsal) craniomandibular articulation (Richter et al, 2019, 2021). The latter anatomical complex is of special importance due to the critical ecological value and mechanical importance of ant mandibles (Wilson, 1987; Gronenberg et al, 1998; Zhang, Li, et al, 2020). Further anatomical variation was also observed in the development of the pharyngeal and labial muscles, as well as in muscular proportions and origin points.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex‐ and caste‐limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant

Boudinot

Moosdorf

Beutel

et al. 2021

Journal of Morphology

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Ants are highly polyphenic Hymenoptera, with at least three distinct adult forms in the vast majority of species. Their sexual dimorphism, however, is overlooked to the point of being a nearly forgotten phenomenon. Using a multimodal approach, we interrogate the near total head microanatomy of the male of Dorylus helvolus, the “sausagefly,” and compare it with the conspecific or near‐conspecific female castes, the “driver ants.” We found that no specific features were shared uniquely between the workers and males to the exclusion of the queens, indicating independence of male and worker development; males and queens, however, uniquely shared several features. Certain previous generalizations about ant sexual dimorphism are confirmed, while we also discover discrete muscular presences and absences, for which reason we provide a coarse characterization of functional morphology. Based on the unexpected retention of a medial carinate line on the structurally simplified mandible of the male, we postulate a series of developmental processes to explain the patterning of ant mandibles. We invoke functional and anatomical principles to classify sensilla. Critically, we observe an inversion of the expected pattern of male‐queen mandible development: male Dorylus mandibles are extremely large while queen mandibles are poorly developed. To explain this, we posit that the reproductive‐limited mandible phenotype is canalized in Dorylus, thus partially decoupling the queen and worker castes. We discuss alternative hypotheses and provide further comparisons to understand mandibular evolution in army ants. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the expression of the falcate phenotype in the queen is coincidental, that is, a “spandrel,” and that the form of male mandibles is also generally coincidental across the ants. We conclude that the theory of ant development and evolution is incomplete without consideration of the male system, and we call for focused study of male anatomy and morphogenesis, and of trait limitation across all castes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex‐ and caste‐limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant

Boudinot

Moosdorf

Beutel

et al. 2021

Journal of Morphology

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“…compressus , respectively, indicate their scavenging and liquid food collecting habits, both of which do not involve active resistance from a struggling prey as is found in the case of the predatory weaver ant species. Further, the distribution of the bristles is of importance in this respect, as they seem to aid the ants in better gripping of the foraged items (Zhang et al 2020) and this presumably explains the larger number of bristles recorded along the cutting margin of mandibles in arboreal, predatory ant species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like other eusocial insects, ants often construct elaborate nests, using their mandibles to dig into the dirt or wood and to carry and dump the debris outside the nest. Attendant ant workers frequently move brood to other nest chambers using their mandibles and in some species, social carrying of workers by means of mandibles is also reported (Zhang et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of mandible morphology in four ant species with different foraging and nesting habits

Chowdhury

Rastogi

2021

Preprint

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Mandibles of ants can be considered as one of the most vital tools for the survival and success of their colonies since these are extensively utilised for defence, nest maintenance and foraging activities. We hypothesised that mandibular design is strongly dependent on the respective ecological niche and foraging habit of an ant species. In the present study, we compared the external morphology and zinc content in the mandibles of four species of ants by using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The ant mandible morphology varied significantly in accordance with their species-specific foraging and nesting strategies. The sickle-shaped mandibles of the strongly predaceous, Oecophylla smaragdina worker ants were characterised by a large number of pointed teeth which would be of immense utility for subduing the prey, while the shovel-shaped, highly sclerotized mandibles of Cataglyphis longipedem ants appear to be adaptations for the solitary scavenging habit and nest maintenance in arid habitats. The large-sized mandibles of Camponotus compressus ants and the stout mandibles of the predatory, Tetraponera rufonigra forager ants, have apparently evolved for collection of sugary secretions by the former and for the solitary foraging and arboreal nesting habit of the latter. The mandibular zinc content was highest in T. rufonigra ants and the lowest in the mandibles of the sugar-loving Cm. compressus ants. The diversity in the arrangement of bristles and the type of mandibular concavities, have also evolved accordingly. Thus, this study might prove to be instrumental in evaluating the various physical mechanisms involved in the evolution of insect mandibles for their defined function.

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“…However, Richter et al (2019) documented that the secondary (dorsal) mandibular joint is distinctly modified as an elongated sliding surface, indicating that the degrees of freedom for mandibular movement could be increased compared to other dicondylic insects. Indeed, analyses of Zhang et al (2020) suggest that the ant mandible at least in the genus Harpegnathos Jerdon, 1851 has a biaxial rotation in two planes. Two muscles, a large adductor and a smaller abductor are responsible for mandibular movements (Matsuda, 1965;Paul, 2001;Richter et al, 2019Richter et al, , 2020, as it is also the case in other dicondylic insects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology and closing mechanism of the mandibular gland orifice in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Richter¹,

Schoeters

Billen

2021

Journal of Morphology

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The mandibular gland of ants releases chemical compounds with functions ranging from nestmate alarm and recognition to antimicrobial defense. While the morphology of this ethologically important gland is well investigated in several species, the mechanism of secretion release in ants was not explicitly addressed so far. To clarify this question, we examined the anatomy of the gland orifice in ant species from 14 different subfamilies employing different techniques. The orifice close to the mandibular base is located on an area called mandalus. Our investigations revealed variation in mandalar shape, with clear trends in different subfamilies. By contrast, the internal organization is remarkably congruent across all investigated species. The thin external mandalar cuticle is always connected to the mandibular gland duct by a cuticular lamella, visible as a characteristic anchor-shaped structure in cross section. The slit-like gland orifice at the distal end of the mandalus is usually crescent-shaped. In some ant species with specialized mandibles such as trap-jaws, the organization of the orifice area is adapted to the mandibular shape, but always retains the general internal organization. No muscles were found in association with the orifice, nor with any other part of the mandibular gland. However, the base of the mandalus is connected to the prepharyngeal sucking pump by a cuticular ligament. Additionally, it is continuous with the conjunctiva connecting the mandible to the head capsule. We propose that retraction of the sucking pump by the muscle M. tentoriobuccalis, potentially in concert with opening of the mandible, stretches out the ligament and thus pulls on the mandalus and mandalar lamella to open the gland orifice and allow for secretion release. This hypothesis is congruent with findings on other aculeate Hymenoptera and expands our knowledge on the function of an important gland of ants.

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Multifunctional mandibles of ants: Variation in gripping behavior facilitated by specific microstructures and kinematics

Cited by 28 publications

References 18 publications

Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex‐ and caste‐limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant

Anatomy and evolution of the head of Dorylus helvolus (Formicidae: Dorylinae): Patterns of sex‐ and caste‐limited traits in the sausagefly and the driver ant

Comparative analysis of mandible morphology in four ant species with different foraging and nesting habits

Morphology and closing mechanism of the mandibular gland orifice in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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