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How Pollution Alters Ant Scent, Leading to Attacks on Nestmates

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Harvester ants and the impact of ozone pollution

Harvester Ants and Scent Recognition

Credit: JorgeOrtiz_1976/Shutterstock

Common air pollutants like ozone and nitric oxide can alter the scent of ants, triggering aggressive behavior from nestmates who perceive them as intruders.

Ants rely on scent for social recognition, and when they encounter individuals with unfamiliar scents, they often react with aggression—biting or even killing the perceived invader. Notably, ozone—a greenhouse gas emitted from vehicle exhaust and industrial processes—can impact the chemical makeup of alkenes, compounds important to the unique scent profile of their colony.

Markus Knaden and researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, previously noted that ozone-induced changes in alkenes can disrupt insect communication, leading to phenomena such as fruit flies mating with inappropriate partners or pollinators like the tobacco moth losing interest in flowers. But how does ozone affect ant behavior?

To explore this, Knaden’s team established artificial colonies of six ant species, exposing them to glass chambers with varied ozone concentrations, mirroring summer levels recorded in Jena. Upon their return, the subjected ants faced attacks from their colony members.

“I honestly didn’t expect this outcome,” Knaden remarked. “We anticipated the ozone might alter just a small fraction—2 to 5 percent—of the overall scent blend.”

In natural settings, such aggressive behavior can hinder colony efficiency, even without any fatalities among the ants, though it is complex to design experiments that effectively measure these impacts.

Daniel Cronauer, a professor at Rockefeller University in New York, commented that the aggression observed is not surprising given the crucial role alkenes play in identifying nestmates.

Alkenes also facilitate other vital ant behaviors, including tracking via footprints and communication between larvae and adults. This study indicates that ozone exposure may lead clonal ant adults (Oseraea Billoi) to neglect their larvae, suggesting that these changes could disrupt various facets of ant life and potentially affect broader ecosystem dynamics.

“In most terrestrial ecosystems, the removal of ants would likely lead to catastrophic consequences,” Cronauer stated. Ants are pivotal for dispersing seeds, aerating soil, and fostering symbiotic relationships with other species.

With global insect populations in decline, this research adds to a growing body of evidence linking air pollution to these declines. Knaden asserts that while current ozone levels may not pose immediate dangers to humans, “we must acknowledge the unseen consequences of our actions.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Parasitic Ant Deceives Workers into Assassinating the Queen and Seizing Her Throne.

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The parasitic ant queen Lasius orientalis (left) invading the nest of Lasius flavus and approaching the queen (right)

Keizo Takasuka/Kyushu University

Some parasitic ants usurp colonies of related species by prompting worker ants to eliminate and replace the resident queen.

Approximately 230 species of ants are classified as parasitic, depositing eggs within the nests of other species or pilfering larvae and pupae. Certain species eliminate the host queen before laying their eggs and manipulate the worker ants to care for these eggs instead.

Professors Keizo Takasuka and his colleagues at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, observed this behavior when the queen of the parasitic species Lasius orientalis inadvertently invaded a relative’s nest, Lasius flavus. The workers proceeded to kill their own queen.

While many parasitic queens face elimination by worker ants upon discovery, some manage to camouflage themselves with the colony’s scent and evade detection.

To gauge the effectiveness of the parasitic queens, the researchers aided the intruders by disguising them with the scent of worker ants before placing them into the colony.

“It reminds me of the TV series The Walking Dead, where characters pass through hordes of zombies with walker blood smeared on them, operating under a disguise that often fails, leading to brutal deaths for those exposed,” Takasuga remarks.

Once the parasite breaches a colony, it emits a chemical, likely formic acid, through a gland at the end of its abdomen to target a rival queen.

Worker ants perceive this chemical as a threat and attack the rival queen upon detecting it. However, the process is gradual, necessitating multiple sprays and numerous assaults before the queen is ultimately killed. The parasitic queen can then lay her eggs, which are nurtured by the worker ants.

“If the parasitic strategy succeeds, the new queen can navigate the delicate establishment phase much more securely than if she were to start a colony independently,” Takasuga comments. “This approach might be more prevalent than we currently acknowledge.”

Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, including Chris Reid, assert that the intricate behaviors of ants are challenging to observe due to their subterranean nests.

“This form of natural history detective work is crucial for enhancing our understanding of these immensely significant insects,” Reid notes. “Further investigations may even pave the way for novel methods to target invasive ant queens, a major challenge facing ecosystems globally.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Queen Ant Produces New Male Species for Daughter’s Mating

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Male ants of distinct species laid by the same mother: Messor ibericus (left) and Messor structor (right)

Jonathan Romiguier

In the clutches of the Iberian Harvester Ant queens, another male species, the Builder Harvester Ant, emerges. These males are responsible for siring all the workers in the colony.

“This assertion appears utterly unbelievable, akin to the impossible,” remarks Jonathan Romiguier from the University of Montpellier, France. Nonetheless, he has confirmed its validity.

Romiguier’s curiosity was piqued by the Iberian harvester ants (Messor ibericus) after he discovered that all the workers were hybrids. About half of their DNA aligned with that of the builder harvester ant (Messor structor).

The most plausible explanation is that the queen of M. ibericus mated with a male of M. structor. This occurrence is seen in other ant species. The reasons remain unclear, but two main theories have emerged. One is that hybrids of closely related species could benefit from what’s known as hybrid vigor, where various genes can compensate for each other’s deficiencies.

Another theory suggests this may address a peculiar challenge faced by M. ibericus and several other harvester ant species: whenever M. ibericus queens mate with males of their own species, all offspring become queens. This might stem from a genetic tendency to secure their lineage, but it becomes detrimental for colonies that need worker ants for survival. Breeding with another species may provide a solution.

However, M. ibericus colonies are widespread across various Mediterranean locales, unlike M. structor colonies, which are exclusive to Sicily. Nonetheless, Romiguier and his team encountered peculiar, hairless males of M. structor within an M. ibericus nest. So, where did they originate?

The genetic examination of these unusual males yielded perplexing insights. A tiny segment of the mitochondrial DNA—passed solely from the mother—indicated that these males derive from the M. ibericus queen.

This hinted that the eggs produced by the queen of M. ibericus could encompass males of a different species. To verify this theory, Romiguier brought several M. ibericus colonies into his lab. “Under laboratory conditions, it’s nearly impossible to find a male,” he comments. “We maintained about 50 colonies and observed one male for two years without success. Then, fortune smiled upon us.”

From three M. structor males born in the lab, the evidence was undeniable: the queen of M. ibericus produced males from both species. The only explanation for this phenomenon is that the queen ant cloned M. structor males using stored sperm in specialized organs called spermathecae. The resulting eggs were almost entirely devoid of M. ibericus DNA, except for its mitochondrial component.

This also clarifies the origin of M. structor sperm: by producing two types of males, the queen guarantees that her daughters who evolve into queens can mate with both male types. The females use M. ibericus sperm to generate new queens, while M. structor sperm is utilized for hybrid workers and new male ants.

There are notable instances from other species—including ants, mollusks, and stick insects—where female eggs are manipulated by male sperm from different species, leading to the elimination of egg DNA and the production of unrelated individuals. However, this scenario mainly benefits males. This is the sole known instance where both male and female offspring from distinct species rely on each other for reproduction.

“The queen of M. ibericus is entirely dependent on her cloned males. Without them, she cannot produce workers,” states Romiguier. Moreover, the clones of M. structor need the males of M. ibericus for rearing workers and sustaining their colonies—there is no sign that they mate exclusively within their species.

While these findings may seem far-fetched, they have garnered the support of other specialists. “The researchers conducted thorough investigations into these ants,” comments Nathan Law from the University of Sydney. “Their results robustly affirm their conclusions.”

He speculates that cloned males could accumulate harmful genetic mutations that may not be purged over time due to the lack of interbreeding with other strains. “Eventually, this system may start to decline, especially as environmental conditions shift.”

Romiguier agrees that this exceptional situation might eventually lead to collapse. Yet, at present, it appears that M. ibericus and M. structor have navigated their relationship with ingenious adaptability, propelling their expansion throughout the Mediterranean, while M. structor colonies have not established themselves elsewhere.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Microrobot swarm replicates incredible ant feats

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Robots the size of a grain of sand work together like ants

Jung Jae-wi et al.

Swarms of small robots guided by magnetic fields can coordinate and act like ants, even swarming to form floating rafts or lifting objects hundreds of times their weight. The microrobots, which are about the size of a grain of sand, could one day be able to perform tasks that larger robots cannot, such as unclogging blood vessels or delivering drugs to specific parts of the human body.

Jung Jaewi and his colleagues at South Korea's Hanyang University built the tiny, cubic-shaped robot using a mold and epoxy resin embedded with a magnetic alloy. These tiny magnetic particles allow the microrobot to be “programmed” to form different configurations after being exposed to a strong magnetic field from a specific angle. The bot is controlled by an external magnetic field and can perform rotations and other movements. This approach allowed the team to “efficiently and quickly manufacture hundreds to thousands of microrobots” with magnetic profiles designed for specific missions, Wee said.

The researchers instructed swarms of microrobots to work together to overcome obstacles five times higher than individual microrobots and form floating rafts on water. The bot also punched through a clogged tube and transported tablets weighing 2000 times their individual weight through a liquid, demonstrating potential medical applications.

“These magnetic microrobots hold great promise for minimally invasive drug delivery in confined, confined spaces,” he says. small guangdong from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee was not involved in the study. However, microrobots are not yet capable of autonomously navigating complex and narrow spaces such as arteries.

There are also safety challenges, Dong said, including the need to coat “potentially toxic” magnetic particles with human-friendly materials. Still, he says he's optimistic about future medical applications for such microrobots. When safe, bots can “effectively travel to targeted disease sites and deliver drugs locally,” making treatments more precise and effective.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New metallic blue ant species found in India by entomologists

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The entomologist described a new species of ant. Parapara Tretina He is from Inguk village in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.

Paraparatretina NeelaHolotype worker: (A) Head viewed from the front, (B) Body viewed from the back, (C) Body viewed from the side. Images courtesy of Sahanashree other., doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1203.114168.

Parapara Tretina A genus of small ants, generally 1-2 mm in length, belonging to the subfamily. Formicidae.

They are typically found in the Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Oceania and Palaearctic biogeographical regions.

They live in a variety of tropical environments, from rainforests to forest clearings, and can be found in a wide range of habitats, from leaf litter on the ground to high up in the tree canopy.

Currently, the genus contains 38 valid species and four valid subspecies.

Fourteen species are known from the Indomalaya biogeographic region. Parapara Tretina Acetate It was previously the only species known from the Indian subcontinent.

Specimen of a new worker ant species Parapara Tretina The specimens were collected from a secondary forest at an altitude of 803 metres (2,635 feet) in Ing village, East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India.

“One evening, while I was exploring a tree hole about three metres high on a steep cattle track in the remote village of Inku, I saw something glow in the twilight,” he said. Dr. Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan Ashoka Foundation for Ecological and Environmental Research and colleagues.

“In the dim light, two insects were sucked into the aspirator, which, to my surprise, I later discovered were ants.”

“Arunachal Pradesh, located in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, Cyan Valley “There is a world of unparalleled diversity, much of which remains to be explored,” they said.

“But this richness, both culturally and ecologically, faces unprecedented threats.”

“Large infrastructure projects such as dams, highways and military installations, along with climate change, are rapidly transforming the valley.”

“The impacts extend beyond the valley itself, as these mountains not only sustain their own diverse ecosystems but also play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of millions of people living downstream.”

Named Paraparatretina NeelaThe newly discovered species is a tiny ant measuring less than 2mm in length.

The body is primarily metallic blue, except for the antennae, mandibles, and legs.

The head is subtriangular, with large eyes and triangular mouthparts (mandible) bearing five teeth.

This species has a distinctive metallic blue colour that distinguishes it from other species in the genus.

“With the exception of marine sponges, blue colouration in animals is a relatively rare phenomenon,” the researchers said.

“But there are also some blue species among vertebrates, such as fish, frogs and birds, and invertebrates, such as spiders.”

“Blue is a common color in many insects, especially hymenoptera. Apidae, Chrysanthemum family and Ichneumonidaeit is very rare Formicidae. “

“Blue colors in insects are typically produced by the arrangement of biological photonic nanostructures rather than pigments, and have evolved independently in different groups.”

“This vibrant feature raises an intriguing question: Could it serve a purpose in communication, camouflage, or other ecological interactions? A closer look at the evolution of this conspicuous color and its relationship to elevation and biology could provide clues.” Paraparatretina Neela It points to exciting avenues for research.”

Discovery Paraparatretina Neela It has been reported paper In the journal Zookie.

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R. Sahanashree other2024. Amazing new species Parapara Tretina Donisthorpe (1947) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae), from the Eastern Himalayas of India. Zookie 1203: 159-172; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1203.114168

Source: www.sci.news