scholarly journals Antenna Cleaning Is Essential for Precise Behavioral Response to Alarm Pheromone and Nestmate–Non-Nestmate Discrimination in Japanese Carpenter Ants (Camponotus japonicus)

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
Hitomi Mizutani ◽  
Kazuhiro Tagai ◽  
Shunya Habe ◽  
Yasuharu Takaku ◽  
Tatsuya Uebi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
The Self ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Surface Material ◽  
Nestmate Discrimination ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Excess Surface ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Behavioral Responsiveness ◽  
Maintenance Behavior

Self-grooming of the antennae is frequently observed in ants. This antennal maintenance behavior is presumed to be essential for effective chemical communication but, to our knowledge, this has not yet been well studied. When we removed the antenna-cleaning apparatuses of the Japanese carpenter ant (C. japonicus) to limit the self-grooming of the antennae, the worker ants demonstrated the self-grooming gesture as usual, but the antennal surface could not be sufficiently cleaned. By using scanning electron microscopy with NanoSuit, we observed the ants’ antennae for up to 48 h and found that the antennal surfaces gradually became covered with self-secreted surface material. Concurrently, the self-grooming-limited workers gradually lost their behavioral responsiveness to undecane—the alarm pheromone. Indeed, their locomotive response to the alarm pheromone diminished for up to 24 h after the antenna cleaner removal operation. In addition, the self-grooming-limited workers exhibited less frequent aggressive behavior toward non-nestmate workers, and 36 h after the operation, approximately half of the encountered non-nestmate workers were accepted as nestmates. These results suggest that the antennal sensing system is affected by excess surface material; hence, their proper function is prevented until they are cleaned.

scholarly journals Space, Habitat and Isolation are the Key Determinants of Tree Colonization by the Carpenter Ant in Plantation Forests

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Véle ◽  
Jakub Horák
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Brown Rot ◽  
Forest Plantations ◽  
Ant Nests ◽  
Real Nature ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Coniferous Plantation

Forest plantations are still often considered the antithesis of real nature. However, plantations can host many organisms. The problem is that some of the hosted species are regarded ad hoc as pests. The main aim of our paper was to study the carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperdus) in windstorm habitats. We studied forests in East Bohemia, Czech Republic, and focused on the spatial distribution of snapped trees and the influence of selected forest characteristics on the incidence of ant nests. We found that the nests in the study area mainly occurred in Norway spruce, which is the most commercially important tree in the majority of Central Europe. More than one quarter of the snapped trees were inhabited by the ants. We found that nests exhibited a spatially autocorrelated pattern that differed on spatial scales. The most important characteristic of the host tree for determining carpenter ant nests was the presence of brown rot, and the majority of tree nests were isolated from forest openings. The presence of carpenter ants in forest plantations is, therefore, not harmful. Their presence could be used by forest managers as an indication of unsuitable stand conditions for the successful growth of the Norway spruce and other coniferous plantation trees.

The Biology of Carpenter Ants in New Brunswick

1964 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 894-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Eastern White Cedar ◽  
Cycle Covers ◽  
Frequency Curves

AbstractThirty-five colonies of three species of carpenter ant were examined: 25 of Camponotus herculeanus, 9 of C. noveboracensis, and 1 of C. pennsylvanicus. Workings were examined in about 150 trees. No major differences were noticed in the biology of the first two species.All individuals were taken from two overwintering, torpid, C. herculeanus colonies; the larger contained 6,000 workers, 550 winged forms, and 6,500 larvae. Larvae were of two sizes and it is thought that the life cycle covers two years in New Brunswick. Frequency curves of worker head widths show that there are majors and minors, the minors being more numerous, especially in small colonies.Each colony typically occupied several trees, only one of which contained the brood; the others had less extensive workings. Entrances were underground and led to tunnels connecting the trees within each colony. Surplus wood chips were buried in the ground. Ant activity in the tunnels was continuous through the day and night; few ants were seen on the forest floor.Woodpeckers are important enemies and had attacked one third of the brood trees.The workings frequently assist wind breakage and damage butt logs. From the roots they extend to a height of 4-6 ft., occasionally higher. 1% of the spruce, and 2-4% of the balsam fir examined had been attacked. This may lead to loss of 10% of merchantable volume, and possibly a higher figure for eastern white cedar.

scholarly journals Chemical Ecology of Streptomyces albidoflavus Strain A10 Associated with Carpenter Ant Camponotus vagus

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1948
Author(s):  
Anna A. Baranova ◽  
Alexey A. Chistov ◽  
Anton P. Tyurin ◽  
Igor A. Prokhorenko ◽  
Vladimir A. Korshun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Streptomyces Albidoflavus ◽  
Defensive Symbiosis ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Actinomycete Strain ◽  
Small Hydrophobic

Antibiotics produced by symbiotic microorganisms were previously shown to be of crucial importance for ecological communities, including ants. Previous works on ant–actinobacteria symbiosis are mainly focused on farming ants, which use antifungal microbial secondary metabolites to control pathogens in their fungal gardens. In this work, we studied microorganisms associated with carpenter ant Camponotus vagus. Pronounced antifungal activity of isolated actinobacteria strain A10 was found to be facilitated by biosynthesis of the antimycin A complex, consisting of small hydrophobic depsipeptides with high antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. The actinomycete strain A10 was identified as Streptomyces albidoflavus. We studied the antagonistic activity of strain A10 against several entomopathogenic microorganisms. The antifungal activity of this strain potentially indicates a defensive symbiosis with the host ant, producing antimycins to protect carpenter ants against infections. The nature of this ant-microbe association however remains to be established.

scholarly journals A New Species of Neotropical Carpenter Ant in the GenusCamponotus(Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Apparently without Major Workers

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Mackay ◽  
Paola A. Barriga
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
A New Species

We describe a new species of carpenter ants from Ecuador, which apparently has an obligatory relationship with the ant plantsCecropia membranaceaTrécul,C. herthaeDiels andC. marginalisCuatrec. The workers are relatively small and hairy, and based on a number of collections, it does not appear to have major workers. We compare the new species toCamponotus balzani, to which it appears to be similar and which has normal major workers, and also lives inCecropiaspp.

scholarly journals Formic acid modulates latency and accuracy of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Baracchi ◽  
Martin Giurfa ◽  
Patrizia d’Ettorre
Keyword(s):  
Formic Acid ◽  
Nestmate Recognition ◽  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Response Speed ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Ecological Success ◽  
Speed Accuracy

AbstractDecision-making processes face the dilemma of being accurate or faster, a phenomenon that has been described as speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) in numerous studies on animal behaviour. In social insects, discriminating between colony members and aliens is subjected to this trade-off as rapid and accurate rejection of enemies is of primary importance for the maintenance and ecological success of insect societies. Recognition cues distinguishing aliens from nestmates are embedded in the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer and vary among colonies. In walking carpenter ants, exposure to formic acid (FA), an alarm pheromone, improves accuracy of nestmate recognition by decreasing both alien acceptance and nestmate rejection. Here we studied the effect of FA exposure on the spontaneous aggressive mandible opening response of harnessed Camponotus aethiops ants presented with either nestmate or alien CHCs. FA modulated both MOR accuracy and the latency to respond to odours of conspecifics. In particular, FA decreased MOR towards nestmates but increased it towards aliens. Furthermore, FA decreased MOR latency towards aliens but not towards nestmates. As response latency can be used as a proxy of response speed, we conclude that contrary to the prediction of the SAT theory, ants did not trade off speed against accuracy in the process of nestmate recognition.Summary statementExposure to an alarm pheromone increases both latency and accuracy of the response to recognition cues in ants

scholarly journals Biochemical Compositions of Black Carpenter Ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Olawale Abulude ◽  
Samuel Dare Fagbayide
Keyword(s):  
Proximate Composition ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Good Source ◽  
Standard Methods ◽  
Camponotus Pennsylvanicus ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Biochemical Compositions

Biochemical compositions of black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate composition (%) were as follows: crude protein (22.50), crude fibre (1.46), carbohydrate by difference (30.86) and energy (35.4Kcal). The predominant mineral was potassium and nickel was the least. The antinutritional properties (mgkg-1) ranged as follows: Oxalate (1.35), phytate (62.79), and tannins (0.72). The results suggested that the ant may be a good source of nutrition.

Foraging and Spatial Ecology of a Polydomous Carpenter Ant, Camponotus leydigi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Tropical Cerrado Savanna: A Natural History Account

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélio Soares ◽  
Paulo S Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Nutritional Ecology ◽  
Solid Food ◽  
Nitrogen Acquisition ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Cerrado Savanna

Abstract Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) are considered to be predominantly omnivorous, mixing several feeding habits that include predation, scavenging of animal matter, and plant-derived resources. Nitrogen acquisition is crucial for the nutritional ecology of ant colonies because growing larvae require sustainable protein provisioning. Here, we investigate the foraging ecology and the spatial nesting structure of the carpenter ant, Camponotus leydigi Forel, in Brazilian cerrado savanna. By marking workers from different nests with distinct colors, we revealed that C. leydigi occupies physically separated but socially connected nests (up to 30 m apart), a phenomenon known as polydomy. Observational data on aboveground internest movements in C. leydigi corroborate cooperative exchanges between nest units and confirm several types of social connections, including internest transfer of liquid and solid food, transport of colony members (brood, workers), movement of solitary workers, and internest recruitment. Polydomous C. leydigi allocate foragers throughout 1,700 m2, feeding mostly on termites and plant-derived exudates. Influx of exudates is threefold higher compared with solid food. Uric acid pellets excreted by lizards comprise 20% of the solid diet in C. leydigi, a rare quantitative assessment of this peculiar type of nitrogen complementation in ants. Based on video recordings, we hypothesize that nest decentralization in C. leydigi may reduce foraging constraints caused by overt interference by the aggressive ant, Ectatomma brunneum Smith, F. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which regularly blocks nest entrances. Our field study enhances the importance of natural history data to clarify selective pressures underlying the evolution of particular behavioral patterns (nutritional and nesting habits) in ants.

Oral Toxicity of a Boric Acid - Sucrose Water Bait to Florida Carpenter Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Klotz ◽  
James I. Moss
Keyword(s):  
Boric Acid ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Oral Toxicity ◽  
Solubility In Water ◽  
Dosage Range ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Water Based

The oral toxicity of boric acid to the Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus abdominalis floridanus (Buckley), was evaluated in laboratory tests. The ants were provided a sucrose water-based bait containing various concentrations of boric acid. Over the dosage range from 0.02 M (0.13% w/v) to 0.50 M (3.13% w/v) boric acid, median lethal times (LT50s) (95% CL) ranged from 9.7 (8.1–13.3) days to 1.5 (1.2–1.7) days. Over the same dosage range (0.02 M to 0.50 M), LT90s (95% CL) ranged from 27.1 (18.0–59.5) days to 4.2 (3.6–5.1) days. Some of the advantages of using boric acid as a bait toxicant for ants include its delayed activity and its solubility in water.

CARPENTER ANT (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) INDUCED WIND BREAKAGE IN NEW JERSEY SHADE TREES

1982 ◽  
Vol 114 (7) ◽  
pp. 649-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. G. Fowler ◽  
R. B. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Shade Trees ◽  
Carpenter Ants ◽  
Carpenter Ant ◽  
Standing Trees

Carpenter ants are indigenous to holarctic forests. Nests in standing trees begin at wound sites, and expand rapidly as workers gnaw galleries in the heartwood (Graham 1918; Anderson 1960). In forests, carpenter ants have been implicated in wind breakage of standing trees (Felt 1928; Schread 1952), yet the exact extent and nature of this relationship remains undocumented.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document