Trophobiosis in the arboricolous ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)

Schlaghamerský, Jiří; Kašpar, Jan; Petráková, Lenka; Šustr, Vladimír

doi:10.14411/eje.2013.033

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…), but sometimes also elm, common maple, poplar, lime, ash, hornbeam, willow, birch and horse chestnut (Schlaghamerský & Omelková 2007). It is a very efficient predator, but its diet also includes aphid honeydew (Mаkarevich 2003;Schlaghamerský et al 2013), so in order to monopolize these food resources, its colonies often form large polydomous systems extending over several neighboring trees (Forel 1892;Mаkarevich 2003;Petráková & Schlaghamerský 2011, 2014Petráková 2016).…”

Section: Study Species Site and Coloniesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Friend or foe? Differential aggression towards neighbors and strangers in the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Keresztes

Csata

Lunka

et al. 2020

Entomological Science

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Intra-and interspecific aggression is quite common in ants, from occasional conflicts to large-scale territorial disputes. The "nasty neighbor" phenomenon describes the differential aggressive treatment of neighbors versus foreign intruders. Due to the fact that workers of a given colony meet rival neighbors more often at food resources, they treat them as threats to their colony. The reverse can also happen: the "dear enemy" effect arises when an already known rival is treated less aggressively due to accommodation, than an unknown distant one. In the current study, we analyzed the effect of distance on the aggressiveness of Liometopum microcephalum, a territorial arboricolous ant, towards non-nestmates in two large populations. Our results show that aggression did not increase with distance, but it was higher among neighbors than among workers coming from distant nests. The results of the study are consistent with the nasty neighbor scenario, and do not support the hypothesis that the studied populations would be polydomous systems of interconnected nests.

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Section: Study Species Site and Coloniesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Friend or foe? Differential aggression towards neighbors and strangers in the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Keresztes

Csata

Lunka

et al. 2020

Entomological Science

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show abstract

“…Mature colonies consist of hundreds of thousands of workers aggressively defending the nest trees and their surroundings. Thus, they reach high ecological importance, affecting the composition and distribution of invertebrate fauna and nutrient fluxes inside their territories (Petr akov a & Schlaghamersk y, 2011;Schlaghamersk y et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography of the rare velvety tree ant Liometopum microcephalum (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)

Petráková

Tóthová

Schlaghamerský

2017

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim The European velvety tree ant (Liometopum microcephalum), forming large colonies defending territories, has specific habitat requirements and occurs in isolated populations irregularly distributed across its range. Its dispersal is slow and colony numbers have been declining in many areas. We aim to assess the origin of populations across the species range and to reconstruct its distributional and evolutionary history. Location From Italy to Israel in the south, from Czechia to Russia (Lower Volga) in the north. Methods Three mitochondrial and one nuclear DNA markers were sequenced in 157 specimens collected at 42 sites. We constructed haplotype networks, calculated analysis of molecular variance and performed Bayesian evolutionary analysis with lineage divergence time estimations and ancestral area reconstructions. Results We found 39 mitochondrial haplotypes, the nuclear marker had no variability. More than one haplotype was found within six colonies. Two groups, the European and the Asian, diverged genetically. Seven clades were delimited based on Bayesian evolutionary analysis: the Levantine, Western Anatolian, Black Sea, Northern, Balkan, Northwestern Balkan and Western. The species arose during the Pliocene and the youngest divergences within European clades occurred during the last glaciation. The Levantine clade is the basal one, the ancestral area of European populations is probably the Pannonian Basin. Main conclusions Liometopum microcephalum is an ancient species, which speciated probably in Anatolia during the Pliocene. Although the species as such dispersed towards the northwest, reaching the Pannonian Basin, and later also the Italian Peninsula, the Levantine population stayed isolated. The European clades diverged during the Pleistocene climate oscillations, most probably during the Riss glaciation. Parts of the ancestral population survived the glaciations in the Mediterranean (Italian and Balkan Peninsulas), while others survived in extra‐Mediterranean refugia (Carpathian Arc, Black Sea coast) and evolved separately for a long time. Later, the north of the Pannonian Basin was re‐colonized from at least two source populations.

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The topology and drivers of ant–symbiont networks across Europe

2020

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Intimate associations between different species drive community composition across ecosystems. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these symbiotic associations is challenging because their structure eventually determines stability and resilience of the entire species network. Here, we compiled a detailed database on naturally occurring ant–symbiont networks in Europe to identify factors that affect symbiont network topology. These networks host an unrivalled diversity of macrosymbiotic associations, spanning the entire mutualism–antagonism continuum, including: (i) myrmecophiles – commensalistic and parasitic arthropods; (ii) trophobionts – mutualistic aphids, scale insects, planthoppers and caterpillars; (iii) social parasites – parasitic ant species; (iv) parasitic helminths; and (v) parasitic fungi. We dissected network topology to investigate what determines host specificity, symbiont species richness, and the capacity of different symbiont types to switch hosts. We found 722 macrosymbionts (multicellular symbionts) associated with European ants. Symbiont type explained host specificity and the average relatedness of the host species. Social parasites were associated with few hosts that were phylogenetically highly related, whereas the other symbiont types interacted with a larger number of hosts across a wider taxonomic distribution. The hosts of trophobionts were the least phylogenetically related across all symbiont types. Colony size, host range and habitat type predicted total symbiont richness: ant hosts with larger colony size, a larger distribution range or with a wider habitat range contained more symbiont species. However, we found that different sets of host factors affected diversity in the different types of symbionts. Ecological factors, such as colony size, host range and niche width predominantly determined myrmecophile species richness, whereas host phylogeny was the most important predictor of mutualistic trophobiont, social parasite and parasitic helminth species richness. Lastly, we found that hosts with a common biogeographic history support a more similar community of symbionts. Phylogenetically related hosts also shared more trophobionts, social parasites and helminths, but not myrmecophiles. Taken together, these results suggest that ecological and evolutionary processes structure host specificity and symbiont richness in large‐scale ant–symbiont networks, but these drivers may shift in importance depending on the type of symbiosis. Our findings highlight the potential of well‐characterized bipartite networks composed of different types of symbioses to identify candidate processes driving community composition.

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Trophobiosis in the arboricolous ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Friend or foe? Differential aggression towards neighbors and strangers in the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Friend or foe? Differential aggression towards neighbors and strangers in the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Phylogeography of the rare velvety tree ant Liometopum microcephalum (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)

The topology and drivers of ant–symbiont networks across Europe

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