Ontogeny of nestmate recognition cues in the red carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus)

1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Morel ◽  
Robert K. Vander Meer ◽  
Barry K. Lavine
Keyword(s):  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Camponotus Floridanus ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Nestmate Recognition Cues

scholarly journals Reformation process of the neuronal template for nestmate-recognition cues in the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus

2007 ◽  
Vol 193 (9) ◽  
pp. 993-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Diana Leonhardt ◽  
Andreas Simon Brandstaetter ◽  
Christoph Johannes Kleineidam
Keyword(s):  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Camponotus Floridanus ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Nestmate Recognition Cues

Disentangling environmental and heritable nestmate recognition cues in a carpenter ant

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle S. van Zweden ◽  
Stephanie Dreier ◽  
Patrizia d’Ettorre
Keyword(s):  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Nestmate Recognition Cues

scholarly journals Odor Coding of Nestmate Recognition in the Eusocial Ant Camponotus floridanus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.T. Ferguson ◽  
K.Y. Park ◽  
A. Ruff ◽  
I. Bakis ◽  
L.J. Zwiebel
Keyword(s):  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Odorant Receptor ◽  
Mechanical Stimulus ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Camponotus Floridanus ◽  
Odor Coding ◽  
Colony Odor ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
Neuronal Representation

AbstractBackgroundIn eusocial ants, aggressive behaviors require a sophisticated ability to detect and discriminate between chemical signatures such as cuticular hydrocarbons that distinguish nestmate friends from non-nestmate foes. It has been suggested that a mismatch between a chemical signature (label) and the internal, neuronal representation of the colony odor (template) leads to the recognition of and subsequent aggression between non-nestmates. While several studies have demonstrated that ant chemosensory systems, most notably olfaction, are largely responsible for the decoding of these chemical signatures, a definitive demonstration that odorant receptors are responsible for the detection and processing of the pheromonal signals that regulate nestmate recognition has thus far been lacking. To address this, we have developed an aggression-based bioassay incorporating a suite of highly selective odorant receptor modulators to characterize the role of olfaction in nestmate recognition in the formicine ant Camponotus floridanus.ResultsValidation of our aggression-based behavioral assay was carried out by demonstrating an antennal requirement for nestmate recognition. In order to adapt this bioassay for the volatile delivery of Orco modulators, electroantennography was used to show that both a volatilized Orco antagonist (VUANT1) and an Orco agonist (VUAA4) eliminated or otherwise interfered with the electrophysiological responses to the hydrocarbon decane, respectively. Volatilize administration of these compounds to adult workers significantly reduced aggression between non-nestmates without altering aggression levels between nestmates but did not alter aggressive responses towards a mechanical stimulus.ConclusionsOur studies provide direct evidence that the antennae (as olfactory appendages) and odorant receptors (at the molecular level) are necessary for mediating aggression towards non-nestmates. Furthermore, our observations support a hypothesis in which rejection of non-nestmates depends on the precise detection and decoding of chemical signatures present on non-nestmates as opposed to the absence of any information or the active acceptance of familiar signatures. In addition to describing a novel approach to assess olfactory signaling in genetically intractable insect systems, these studies contribute to a long-standing interest in odor coding and the molecular neuroethology of nestmate recognition.

scholarly journals A chromatin link to caste identity in the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Simola ◽  
C. Ye ◽  
N. S. Mutti ◽  
K. Dolezal ◽  
R. Bonasio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Camponotus Floridanus ◽  
Carpenter Ant

scholarly journals The gut microbiome defines social group membership in honey bee colonies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (42) ◽  
pp. eabd3431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassondra L. Vernier ◽  
Iris M. Chin ◽  
Boahemaa Adu-Oppong ◽  
Joshua J. Krupp ◽  
Joel Levine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
Nestmate Recognition Cues ◽  
Bee Colonies

In the honey bee, genetically related colony members innately develop colony-specific cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, which serve as pheromonal nestmate recognition cues. Yet, despite high intracolony relatedness, the innate development of colony-specific chemical signatures by individual colony members is largely determined by the colony environment, rather than solely relying on genetic variants shared by nestmates. Therefore, it is puzzling how a nongenic factor could drive the innate development of a quantitative trait that is shared by members of the same colony. Here, we provide one solution to this conundrum by showing that nestmate recognition cues in honey bees are defined, at least in part, by shared characteristics of the gut microbiome across individual colony members. These results illustrate the importance of host-microbiome interactions as a source of variation in animal behavioral traits.

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