Nesting Biology and Fungiculture of the Fungus-Growing Ant,<i>Mycetagroicus cerradensis</i>: New Light on the Origin of Higher Attine Agriculture

Solomon, Scott E.; Lopes, Cauê T.; Mueller, Ulrich G.; Rodrigues, André; Sosa‐Calvo, Jeffrey; Schultz, Ted R.; Vasconcelos, Heraldo L.

doi:10.1673/031.011.0112

Cited by 22 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…First, because the most recent common ancestor of all higher-attine ant genera (i.e. Sericomyrmex, Xerolitor, Trachymyrmex, Atta and Acromyrmex) was almost certainly Trachymyrmex-like, a detailed understanding of the evolutionary history of Trachymyrmex could provide some insight into the origin of higher-attine agriculture c. 30 Ma Schultz & Brady, 2008;Solomon et al, 2011;Branstetter et al, 1975). Notably, this transition appears to be correlated with the domestication of a particular lineage of fungal cultivar, as indicated by: (i) the obligate dependence of higher-attine fungi on their ant hosts, in contrast to the lower-attine fungi, which are facultative symbionts, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The molecular phylogenetics ofTrachymyrmexForel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher‐attine’ ant agriculture

Solomon

Rabeling

Sosa‐Calvo

et al. 2019

Systematic Entomology

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The fungus‐growing ants and their fungal cultivars constitute a classic example of a mutualism that has led to complex coevolutionary dynamics spanning c. 55–65 Ma. Of the five agricultural systems practised by fungus‐growing ants, higher‐attine agriculture, of which leaf‐cutter agriculture is a derived subset, remains poorly understood despite its relevance to ecosystem function and human agriculture across the Neotropics and parts of North America. Among the ants practising higher‐attine agriculture, the genus Trachymyrmex Forel, as currently defined, shares most‐recent common ancestors with both the leaf‐cutter ants and the higher‐attine genera Sericomyrmex Mayr and Xerolitor Sosa‐Calvo et al. Although previous molecular‐phylogenetic studies have suggested that Trachymyrmex is a paraphyletic grade, until now insufficient taxon sampling has prevented a full investigation of the evolutionary history of this group and limited the possibility of resolving its taxonomy. Here we describe the results of phylogenetic analyses of 38 Trachymyrmex species, including 27 of the 49 described species and at least 11 new species, using four nuclear markers, as well as phylogenetic analyses of the fungi cultivated by 23 species of Trachymyrmex using two markers. We generated new genetic data for 112 ants (402 new gene sequences) and 95 fungi (153 new gene sequences). Our results corroborate previous findings that Trachymyrmex, as currently defined, is paraphyletic. We propose recognizing two new genera, Mycetomoellerius gen.n. and Paratrachymyrmex gen.n., and restricting the continued use of Trachymyrmex to the clade of nine largely North American species that contains the type species [Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (McCook)] and that is the sister group of the leaf‐cutting ants. Our fungal cultivar phylogeny generally corroborates previously observed broad patterns of ant–fungus association, but it also reveals further violations of those patterns. Higher‐attine fungi are divided into two groups: (i) the single species Leucoagaricus gongylophorus (Möller); and (ii) its sister clade, consisting of multiple species, recently referred to as Leucoagaricus Singer ‘clade B’. Our phylogeny indicates that, although most non‐leaf‐cutting higher‐attine ants typically cultivate species in clade B, some species cultivate L. gongylophorus, whereas still others cultivate fungi typically associated with lower‐attine agriculture. This indicates that the attine agricultural systems, which are currently defined by associations between ants and fungi, are not entirely congruent with ant and fungal phylogenies. They may, however, be correlated with as yet poorly understood biological traits of the ants and/or of their microbiomes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The molecular phylogenetics ofTrachymyrmexForel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher‐attine’ ant agriculture

Solomon

Rabeling

Sosa‐Calvo

et al. 2019

Systematic Entomology

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“…For the ants, five nuclear protein‐coding genes ( EF1α‐F1 , EF1α‐F2 , wg , LW Rh and TOP1 ) were amplified and sequenced following methodologies outlined in previous studies (Schultz & Brady, ; Ward et al ., ). For the fungal cultivar, two ribosomal gene fragments, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU), were amplified and sequenced following previously described methods (Mueller et al ., ; Solomon et al ., ; Mehdiabadi et al ., ). New sequences generated for this study are deposited in GenBank under accession numbers MG607360 for the fungal cultivar and MG642983–MG642987 for the ant.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution, systematics, and natural history of a new genus of cryptobiotic fungus‐growing ants

Sosa‐Calvo

Schultz

Ješovnik

et al. 2018

Systematic Entomology

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Xerolitor, a new, monotypic genus of fungus‐growing ants, is described to accommodate the phylogenetically isolated, relict species Mycetosoritis explicatus Kempf. We also diagnose the male and the larva of Xerolitor explicatus (Kempf) comb.n. and report ecological observations for the species, including nest architecture and foraging behaviour. Xerolitor explicatus comb.n. inhabits the dry habitats of the Brazilian Cerrado and the Bolivian and Paraguayan Gran Chaco. Bayesian multilocus phylogenetic analyses indicate that X. explicatus comb.n. is, contrary to some prior hypotheses, a member of the ‘higher’ fungus‐growing ants and the sister taxon of the genus Sericomyrmex Mayr. Results from phylogenetic analyses of the fungal cultivar grown by X. explicatus comb.n. in Paraguay, as well as the presence of gongylidia, indicate that the fungal mutualist is a member of the clade of higher fungal cultivar species and that it is probably the same species cultivated by some Trachymyrmex Forel and Sericomyrmex species.

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“…Because in our experiments ants were suddenly confronted with a nest site that needed to be enlarged to house brood or fungus, it is likely that digging activity, and also the refilling of the excavated space with pellets, were higher as compared to natural conditions. However, there have also been reports about pellet deposition inside natural fungus-growing ant nests, where cavities were refilled with soil (Autuori 1942;Solomon et al 2011;Moser, 1963;Moreira et al 2004a;b). In other ant species, pellets are also often deposited in formerly excavated tunnels (Sudd and Franks 1987).…”

Section: Adjustment Of Nest Space By Pellet Depositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Available space, symbiotic fungus and colony brood influence excavation and lead to the adjustment of nest enlargement in leaf-cutting ants

Römer

Roces

2015

Insect. Soc.

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The size of underground ant nests positively correlates with their worker number, suggesting that during colony growth, workers respond to increased space demands by enlarging the existing nest. In leaf-cutting ants, the presence of brood and a growing symbiotic fungus are expected to generate spatial demands workers should respond to. We investigated to what extent the presence of in-nest stores, such as brood and fungus, and actual space availability influence the digging behavior of leaf-cutting ants and lead to the adjustment of nest enlargement. In the laboratory, we offered worker groups of Acromyrmex lundi a nest site consisting of either a tunnel, representing reduced available space, or a tunnel and a small chamber, representing ample available space as a starting point for nest enlargement. Workers could move and store offered brood and fungus into the nest structure, and enlarge it as needed. The presence of brood and fungus influenced digging activity as well as the architecture of the nest. In the presence of relocated brood, digging activity was higher in reduced space than in ample space, suggesting that high worker density stimulated excavation. When workers relocated fungus and brood into ample space, digging activity was similar as in their absence, yet a larger chamber and fewer tunnels were excavated. During the process of nest enlargement, workers were observed to initially excavate space in excess, which was refilled with part of the removed soil pellets, thus leading to a reduction of available space. Pellet deposition seemed to be opportunistic, with workers refilling unused space. Results indicate that the size of a leafcutting ant nest does not simply depend on the number of inhabiting workers. Rather, workers adjust the enlargement of their nest space depending on the current space available and the presence of in-nest stores.

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Nesting Biology and Fungiculture of the Fungus-Growing Ant,Mycetagroicus cerradensis: New Light on the Origin of Higher Attine Agriculture

Cited by 22 publications

References 28 publications

The molecular phylogenetics ofTrachymyrmexForel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher‐attine’ ant agriculture

The molecular phylogenetics ofTrachymyrmexForel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher‐attine’ ant agriculture

Evolution, systematics, and natural history of a new genus of cryptobiotic fungus‐growing ants

Available space, symbiotic fungus and colony brood influence excavation and lead to the adjustment of nest enlargement in leaf-cutting ants

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