Salinity and Temperature Affect the Symbiont Profile and Host Condition of Florida USA Blue Crabs 
&lt;i&gt;Callinectes sapidus&lt;/i&gt;

Walters, Erin A.; Bojko, Jamie; Crowley, Claire E.; Gandy, Ryan L.; Martin, Chester; Shea, Colin P.; Bateman, Kelly S.; Stentiford, Grant D.; Behringer, Donald C.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4329879

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, the presence of other symbiotic organisms can either support or hinder the successful establishment of a symbiont in a host environment (McIlroy et al., 2019). Furthermore, environmental and microclimatic preferences that do not completely overlap with the host may affect symbiont distribution (De Kesel, 1996; Frade et al., 2007; Walters et al., 2023). The role of these environmental effects on symbiont distribution has been extensively studied in various symbiotic associations, such as those of herbivores with their host plant (Braem & Van Dyck, 2023; Klop et al., 2015; Wiklund et al., 1978), hosts with their endosymbionts (Cooper et al., 2011; Finney et al., 2010; Liu et al., 2019) and ectoparasites (Gippet et al., 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural variation of ant nests mediates the local distribution and abundance of an associate

Parmentier,

Braem

2024

Entomologia Exp Applicata

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Symbionts form intricate associations with their hosts. They can only establish when potential hosts are present, but in addition, their distribution is often influenced by microhabitat preferences, which may not overlap those of their hosts. This leads to a patchy local distribution of the symbiont, being present with some hosts and absent with others. We studied this effect of microhabitat preferences on symbiont distribution by examining the occurrence and density of the obligately ant‐associated springtail Cyphoderus albinus Nicolet (Collembola: Paronellidae) across a mosaic of ant nests. Nest structure strongly varied both within and between ant species and included sand, dead wood, arboreal and thatch mound nests. We hypothesized that the symbiotic springtail would show the strongest preference for thermoregulated and organic‐rich nests such as thatch mounds. The springtail was found in all thatch mound nests of red wood ants and in all arboreal nests of Lasius fuliginosus (Latreille). A high occurrence (75%) was recorded in the smaller thatch nests of Formica sanguinea Latreille. Lasius, Myrmica and Formica species exhibited variation in nest structures on the ground, establishing nests in both sand and wood. For each of these three host taxa, encountering the springtail was more likely in their wood nests (medium‐to‐high occurrence), than in their sand nests where the occurrence was low. Nest structure did not only impact springtail occurrence, but their densities as well. The densities within thatch nests were much higher than those in other nest types, achieving the highest densities (1148 individuals per litre of nest material) observed for a social insect symbiont. Our findings emphasize that host nests with wood structures and thatch material provide a more favourable habitat for the springtail compared with soil nests. Overall, this study underscores the role of microhabitat variation in the spatial distribution and density of a symbiotic species.

show abstract