The real “fire ants”: colony size and body size of workers influence the fate of boreal sand hill ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) after wildfires in Alberta, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R.N. Glasier ◽  
Scott E. Nielsen ◽  
John H. Acorn
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Colony Size ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Sand Hills ◽  
One Year ◽  
Nest Type

AbstractOver two summers following accidental May wildfires, total ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) forager catch and species richness did not change in jack pine woodlands on sand hills in central Alberta, Canada. However, one year after a fire, smaller ants, and those in smaller colonies, were more abundant in pitfall traps, based on analysis of response ratios for each ant species and relationships to a variety of life history and organismal traits. Nest type and polygyny had no effect on post-fire ant forager catch. The numerical responses of individual ant species appear to be idiosyncratic, but three species of ants that are sand specialists were found to be particularly resilient to fire.

Correlates of Species Richness in Mammals: Body Size, Life History, and Ecology

2005 ◽  
Vol 165 (5) ◽  
pp. 600
Author(s):  
Nick J. B. Isaac ◽  
Jones ◽  
Gittleman ◽  
Purvis
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size

Relative forelimb–hindlimb investment is associated with flight style, foraging strategy, and nestling period, but not nest type

The Auk ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jess Kotnour ◽  
Sarah J McPeek ◽  
Hannah Wedig ◽  
Jonah Dominguez ◽  
Natalie A Wright
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Long Bones ◽  
Nestling Period ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Soaring Birds ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Foraging Method ◽  
Nest Type

Abstract We investigated Dial’s 2003 hypothesis that birds that rely more heavily on flight as their primary mode of locomotion and thus invest more in their forelimbs than hindlimbs will experience selection for smaller body sizes, greater altriciality, and more complex nests. To test this hypothesis, we examined the skeletons of over 2,000 individuals from 313 species representing the majority of avian families and all major branches of the avian tree. We used the lengths of the sternal keel and long bones of the wing relative to the lengths of the leg long bones as an index of relative locomotor investment. We found that locomotor investment was predicted by flight style, foraging method, and length of nestling period, supporting Dial’s hypothesis. Soaring birds and birds with more acrobatic flight styles, birds whose foraging methods were heavily reliant upon flight, and birds whose young spent more time in the nest tended to invest more in their forelimbs relative to hindlimbs. Nest type and body size were not significant predictors of relative forelimb–hindlimb investment, however, suggesting that the relationships among flight style, locomotor investment, and life history are not as tightly intertwined as Dial originally hypothesized.

Correlates of Species Richness in Mammals: Body Size, Life History, and Ecology

2005 ◽  
Vol 165 (5) ◽  
pp. 600-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick J. B. Isaac ◽  
Kate E. Jones ◽  
John L. Gittleman ◽  
Andy Purvis
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size

scholarly journals Eco-evolutionary dynamics may show an irreversible regime shift, illustrated by salmonids facing climate change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junnosuke Horita ◽  
Yoh Iwasa ◽  
Yuuya Tachiki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Masu Salmon ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Oncorhynchus Masou Masou ◽  
One Year

AbstractThe enhanced or reduced growth of juvenile masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou masou) may result from climate changes to their environment and thus impact on the eco-evolutionary dynamics of their life-history choices. Male juveniles with status, i.e., if their body size is larger than a threshold, stay in the stream and become resident males reproducing for multiple years, while those with smaller status, i.e., their body size is below the threshold, migrate to the ocean and return to the stream one year later to reproduce only once. Since juvenile growth is suppressed by the density of resident males, the fraction of resident males may stay in equilibrium or fluctuate wildly over a 2-year period. When the threshold value evolves, the convergence stable strategy may generate either an equilibrium or large fluctuations of male residents. If environmental changes occur faster than the rate of evolutionary adaptation, the eco-evolutionary dynamics exhibit a qualitative shift in the population dynamics. We also investigated the relative assessment models, in which individual life-history choices are made based on the individual’s relative status within the juvenile population. The eco-evolutionary dynamics are very different from the absolute assessment model, demonstrating the importance of understanding the mechanisms of life history choices when predicting the impacts of climate change.

Impact of Solenopsis invicta Buren Suppression on Arthropod Ground Predators and Pest Species in Soybean

2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Seagraves ◽  
Robert M. McPherson ◽  
John R. Ruberson
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
Untreated Control ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Solenopsis Invicta Buren

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, reportedly contributes to the biological control of key soybean pests. However, S. invicta may negatively affect ground-dwelling natural enemies such as ground beetles and earwigs. Information on the interactions between natural enemies is important for anticipating the success of biological control in agroecosystems with multiple interacting entomophagous species. Ground arthropods were monitored in soybean using pitfall traps in the 2000 and 2001 growing seasons to determine their response to selected fire ant controls. Three treatments were examined: an untreated check, Amdro™ (hydramethylnon) bait (ant-specific), and Lorsban™ (chlorpyriphos) (broad spectrum) plus Amdro. Fire ant captures in pitfall traps were lower in the Amdro and in the Amdro plus Lorsban treatments compared to the untreated control. Reduced fire ant density plus chemical treatment impacted the abundance of certain ground predators. Spiders, primarily Lycosidae, were significantly more abundant in the untreated control plots on some sampling dates; whereas, the earwig Labidura riparia Pallas was more abundant in the Lorsban and Amdro plots, presumably due to the removal of fire ants and other natural enemies. Ground beetles (Carabidae) were not different between treatments on any sampling dates. This study supports the assumption that spiders are compatible with fire ants as natural enemies and that earwigs are not compatible with fire ants. Numbers of lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus Zeller, were not affected by the suppression of fire ant predation or the chemical treatments in 2000, the only year when they were captured. Crickets (Gryllidae), mole crickets (Gryllotalpridae), click beetles (Elateridae), scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae), and false darkling beetles (Melandryidae) also were not different between the fire ant suppression treatments.

scholarly journals Abundance, Life History and Ligulosis in the Gobies (Teleostei) of the Inner Severn Estuary

1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 951-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. N. Claridge ◽  
M. W. Hardisty ◽  
I. C. Potter ◽  
C. V. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Severn Estuary ◽  
Pomatoschistus Minutus ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
One Year ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Eight species of the Gobiidae were recorded in weekly samples taken between July 1972 and June 1977 from the intake screens of Oldbury Power Station in the inner Severn Estuary. Buenia jeffreysii, Aphia minuta, Gobius paganellus and Gobius niger occurred infrequently and Crystallogobius linearis was only common in the late spring and summer of 1975 and 1976. Pomatoschistus microps, which peaked in numbers in the winter, increased in abundance each year between 1972 and 1977. The most numerous gobies were those belonging to the Pomatoschistus minutus complex which were separated into P. minutus and P. lozanoi only between June 1974 and July 1975. Seasonal trends in the abundance of these two species were similar, with elevated numbers occurring between July and September 1974 and in January 1975. Gonadosomatic indices and other data indicate that the decline in numbers after the latter month represented an emigration to spawning areas further down the estuary or in the Bristol Channel. Although P. minutus attained a larger body size than P. lozanoi, both these species and P. microps typically had a one year life cycle with only a small number of individuals surviving for a further few months. The fecundity of P. lozanoi, which ranged from 410–2453 (mean 1270), was lower than that reported for P. minutus in this and other studies. Analysis of stomach contents showed that the diet of both species was similar, consisting predominantly of gammarids and mysids. While both species were infected with Ligula intestinalis, the incidence of infection and the parasite index was greater in P. lozanoi than in P. minutus.

Life history of the frog Crinia signifera in Tasmania, Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lauck
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Female Life History ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
History Of ◽  
One Year

A pitfall-trap study was used to investigate the importance of body size, age, body condition (males only), season and growth history as determinates of male and female life-history fitness traits in a population of the frog Crinia signifera. Specimens were dissected to determine physiological characteristics and skeletochronology was used to determine age. Females lived longer and attained a larger size than males by delaying sexual maturity. Most females and males attained sexual maturity after three and two years, respectively; although eggs were found in females as young as one year old. Body size (but not age) was the primary determinant of fecundity, total reproductive output (clutch mass) and oviduct mass for females. Season was the predominant influence on egg size, with smaller eggs produced in summer than in other seasons. Direct investment in male gonads (testes size) was determined by body size and also by age. This, and the fact that sexual size dimorphism in amphibians is commonly female biased, suggests that male size is not necessarily the primary determinant of male reproductive success in C. signifera. Whereas selection on reproductive traits in females is likely to act predominantly on body size, selection in males is also likely to act on survival.

scholarly journals Social organisation and the evolution of life-history traits in two queen morphs of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus

2021 ◽  
pp. jeb.232793
Author(s):  
Matteo A. Negroni ◽  
Marah Stoldt ◽  
Marie Oster ◽  
Ann-Sophie Rupp ◽  
Barbara Feldmeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Colony Size ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Queen Number ◽  
Molecular Physiology

During social evolution, life-history traits not only diverged, with social insect queens becoming highly fecund and long-lived compared to their sterile workers, but also individual traits lost their importance compared to colony-level traits. In solitary animals, fecundity is largely influenced by female size, whereas in eusocial insects, colony size and queen number can affect the egg-laying rate. Here we focussed on the ant Temnothorax rugatulus, which exhibits two queen morphs varying in size and reproductive strategy, correlating with their colony's social organization. We experimentally tested the influence of social structure, colony and body size on queen fecundity and investigated links between body size, metabolic rate and survival under paraquat-induced oxidative stress. To gain insights into the molecular physiology underlying the alternative reproductive strategies, we analysed fat body transcriptomes. Per-queen egg production was lower in polygynous colonies when fecundity was limited by worker care. Colony size was a determinant of fecundity rather than body size or queen number, highlighting the super-organismal properties of these societies. The smaller microgynes were more frequently fed by workers and exhibited an increase in metabolic activity, yet they were similarly resistant to oxidative stress. Small queens differentially expressed metabolic genes in the fat body indicating that shifts in molecular physiology and resource availability allow microgyne queens to compensate their small size with a more active metabolism without paying increased mortality costs. We provide novel insights into how life-history traits and their associations were modified during social evolution and adapted to queen reproductive strategies.

scholarly journals Red Imported Fire Ants Reduce Invertebrate Abundance, Richness, and Diversity in Gopher Tortoise Burrows

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Deborah M. Epperson ◽  
Craig R. Allen ◽  
Katharine F. E. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fire Ants ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Gopher Tortoise ◽  
Ant Predation ◽  
Invertebrate Abundance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Imported Fire Ants ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ants

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows support diverse commensal invertebrate communities that may be of special conservation interest. We investigated the impact of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) on the invertebrate burrow community at 10 study sites in southern Mississippi, sampling burrows (1998–2000) before and after bait treatments to reduce fire ant populations. We sampled invertebrates using an ant bait attractant for ants and burrow vacuums for the broader invertebrate community and calculated fire ant abundance, invertebrate abundance, species richness, and species diversity. Fire ant abundance in gopher tortoise burrows was reduced by >98% in treated sites. There was a positive treatment effect on invertebrate abundance, diversity, and species richness from burrow vacuum sampling which was not observed in ant sampling from burrow baits. Management of fire ants around burrows may benefit both threatened gopher tortoises by reducing potential fire ant predation on hatchlings, as well as the diverse burrow invertebrate community. Fire-ant management may also benefit other species utilizing tortoise burrows, such as the endangered Dusky Gopher Frog and Schaus swallowtail butterfly. This has implications for more effective biodiversity conservation via targeted control of the invasive fire ant at gopher tortoise burrows.

scholarly journals Species richness among birds: body size, life history, sexual selection or ecology?

1999 ◽  
Vol 266 (1422) ◽  
pp. 933-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian P. F. Owens ◽  
Peter M. Bennett ◽  
Paul H. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size
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