scholarly journals Know your foe: synanthropic spiders are deterred by semiochemicals of European fire ants

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 210279
Author(s):  
Andreas Fischer ◽  
Yerin Lee ◽  
T'ea Dong ◽  
Gerhard Gries
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Lasius Niger ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Black Widow ◽  
Latrodectus Hesperus ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Web Building

Many ants prey on spiders, suggesting that web-building spiders may avoid micro-locations near ant colonies or frequented by foraging ants. Here we tested the hypothesis that ant-derived semiochemicals deter synanthropic spiders. To generate stimuli, we exposed filter paper for 12 h to workers of European fire ants, Myrmica rubra, black garden ants, Lasius niger, or western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc , and then offered select urban spiders in three-chamber olfactometer bioassays a choice between ant-exposed filter paper and unexposed control filter paper. Semiochemical deposits of M. rubra , but not of L. niger or C. modoc , had a significant deterrent effect on subadults of the false black widow, Steatoda grossa, the black widow, Latrodectus hesperus , and the hobo spider, Eratigena agrestis, as well as a moderate (but statistically not significant) deterrent effect on the cross spider, Araneus diadematus . The deterrent effect caused by semiochemical deposits of M. rubra may be attributable to the aggressive nature and efficient foraging of M. rubra in its invaded North American range, exerting selection pressure on community members to recognize M. rubra semiochemicals and to avoid micro-locations occupied by M. rubra .

scholarly journals Ants Sense, and Follow, Trail Pheromones of Ant Community Members

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime M. Chalissery ◽  
Asim Renyard ◽  
Regine Gries ◽  
Danielle Hoefele ◽  
Santosh Kumar Alamsetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trail Pheromone ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Lasius Niger ◽  
Trail Following ◽  
Harvester Ants ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Trail Pheromones ◽  
Ant Community ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Electroantennographic Detection

Ants deposit trail pheromones that guide nestmates to food sources. We tested the hypotheses that ant community members (Western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc; black garden ants, Lasius niger; European fire ants, Myrmica rubra) (1) sense, and follow, each other’s trail pheromones, and (2) fail to recognize trail pheromones of allopatric ants (pavement ants, Tetramorium caespitum; desert harvester ants, Novomessor albisetosus; Argentine ants, Linepithema humilis). In gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection analyses of a six-species synthetic trail pheromone blend (6-TPB), La. niger, Ca. modoc, and M. rubra sensed the trail pheromones of all community members and unexpectedly that of T. caespitum. Except for La. niger, all species did not recognize the trail pheromones of N. albisetosus and Li. humilis. In bioassays, La. niger workers followed the 6-TPB trail for longer distances than their own trail pheromone, indicating an additive effect of con- and hetero-specific pheromones on trail-following. Moreover, Ca. modoc workers followed the 6-TPB and their own trail pheromones for similar distances, indicating no adverse effects of heterospecific pheromones on trail-following. Our data show that ant community members eavesdrop on each other’s trail pheromones, and that multiple pheromones can be combined in a lure that guides multiple species of pest ants to lethal food baits.

Discrimination of airborne pheromones by mate-searching male western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus): species- and population-specific responses

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 1027-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M Kasumovic ◽  
Maydianne C.B Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Biological Species ◽  
Species Discrimination ◽  
Black Widow ◽  
Mate Searching ◽  
Latrodectus Hesperus ◽  
Field Evidence ◽  
Geographical Populations ◽  
Black Widow Spiders ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Web Building

Males of many web-building spiders abandon their webs at maturity to search for a potential mate. Since wandering can be very risky, and females are often widely distributed, males should use any cues that might ensure rapid and accurate location of conspecific females. Although it has long been assumed that mate-searching male spiders locate females using species-specific airborne pheromones released from webs, few studies have experimentally examined this phenomenon in the field. Our results show that male western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935) are attracted to females' webs by an airborne cue released from the web, can distinguish between conspecific and heterospecific females, and can discriminate between webs produced by conspecific females from different geographical populations. The latter result demonstrates a partial premating block to fertilization between populations at the edges of the species range. Complementary interpopulation laboratory matings suggest that there may also be a postmating block to fertilization, as these copulations did not result in viable offspring. This study provides experimental field evidence of male attraction by airborne pheromones released from females' webs, shows the potential importance of these pheromones in species discrimination in black widow spiders, and suggests that northern and southern populations of L. hesperus may be incipient biological species.

scholarly journals All sugars ain't sweet: selection of particular mono-, di- and trisaccharides by western carpenter ants and European fire ants

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 210804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asim Renyard ◽  
Regine Gries ◽  
Jan Lee ◽  
Jaime M. Chalissery ◽  
Sebastian Damin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Sugar Concentration ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Proximate Cause ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Ultimate Cause ◽  
Aphid Honeydew ◽  
Specific Sugar ◽  
Selection Of

Ants select sustained carbohydrate resources, such as aphid honeydew, based on many factors including sugar type, volume and concentration. We tested the hypotheses (H1–H3) that western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc, seek honeydew excretions from Cinara splendens aphids based solely on the presence of sugar constituents (H1), prefer sugar solutions containing aphid-specific sugars (H2) and preferentially seek sugar solutions with higher sugar content (H3). We further tested the hypothesis (H4) that workers of both Ca. modoc and European fire ants, Myrmica rubra , selectively consume particular mono-, di- and trisaccharides. In choice bioassays with entire ant colonies, sugar constituents in honeydew (but not aphid-specific sugar) as well as sugar concentration affected foraging decisions by Ca. modoc . Both Ca. modoc and M. rubra foragers preferred fructose to other monosaccharides (xylose, glucose) and sucrose to other disaccharides (maltose, melibiose, trehalose). Conversely, when offered a choice between the aphid-specific trisaccharides raffinose and melezitose, Ca. modoc and M. rubra favoured raffinose and melezitose, respectively. Testing the favourite mono-, di- and trisaccharide head-to-head, both ant species favoured sucrose. While both sugar type and sugar concentration are the ultimate cause for consumption by foraging ants, strong recruitment of nest-mates to superior sources is probably the major proximate cause.

A Review of Black Widow (Araneae: Theridiidae) Envenomation, Epidemiology, and Antivenom Utilization in Canada

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwynn Curran-Sills ◽  
Steven M Wilson ◽  
Robb Bennett
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Retrospective Review ◽  
Black Widow ◽  
Latrodectus Hesperus ◽  
Average Patient ◽  
Health Canada ◽  
Access Program ◽  
Widow Spider

Abstract Two species of black widow spider (BWS—Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin & Ivie and Latrodectus variolus Walckenaer) naturally occur in Canada and are capable of causing deleterious envenomation to humans. No Canadian literature exists on the frequency of envenomations by these species or the use of antivenom in the treatment of those patients. A review of primary Canadian arachnology data was undertaken to identify BWS populations. A retrospective review of the Health Canada Special Access Program records generated epidemiology and the utilization of antivenom for BWS envenomations in Canada. The geographical distribution of BWS species is limited to along the southern Canadian border. From January 2009 to December 2015, there were five BWS envenomations that required treatment with antivenom and all cases occurred in British Columbia. An average patient age of 41 yr ± 21 SD (range 7–59) was observed, along with three of the five patients being female. The average number of vials used for treatment was 2 ± 1 SD (range 1–3). BWS Antivenin was also obtained by facilities in Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, but not used in any of these jurisdictions. Further investigation is necessary to determine the annual incidence of BWS envenomations and if treatment with BWS antivenin is required.

Potential for Use of Erythritol as a Socially Transferrable Ingested Insecticide for Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 1382-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Barrett ◽  
Virginia Caponera ◽  
Cheyenne McNair ◽  
Sean O’Donnell ◽  
Daniel R Marenda
Keyword(s):  
Social Insect ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Concentration Dependent Manner ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Ant Control ◽  
Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ants

Abstract Ants are significant structural and agricultural pests, generating a need for human-safe and effective insecticides for ant control. Erythritol, a sugar alcohol used in many commercial food products, reduces survival in diverse insect taxa including fruit flies, termites, and mosquitos. Erythritol also decreases longevity in red imported fire ants; however, its effects on other ant species and its ability to be transferred to naïve colony members at toxic doses have not been explored. Here, we show that erythritol decreases survival in Tetramorium immigrans Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a concentration-dependent manner. Access to ad-libitum water reduced the toxic effects of erythritol, but worker mortality was still increased over controls with ad-lib water. Foraging T. immigrans workers transferred erythritol at lethal levels to nest mates that had not directly ingested erythritol. Similar patterns of mortality following erythritol ingestion were observed in Formica glacialis Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Camponotus subarbatus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and Camponotus chromaiodes Bolton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). These findings suggest that erythritol may be a highly effective insecticide for several genera of ants. Erythritol’s potential effectiveness in social insect control is augmented by its spread at lethal levels through ant colonies via social transfer (trophallaxis) between workers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document