Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. / Howe, J.; Schiøtt, M.; Boomsma, J. J.

In: Insectes Sociaux, Vol. 68, No. 2-3, 2021, p. 255-260.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Howe, J, Schiøtt, M & Boomsma, JJ 2021, 'Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior', Insectes Sociaux, vol. 68, no. 2-3, pp. 255-260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3

APA

Howe, J., Schiøtt, M., & Boomsma, J. J. (2021). Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Insectes Sociaux, 68(2-3), 255-260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3

Vancouver

Howe J, Schiøtt M, Boomsma JJ. Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Insectes Sociaux. 2021;68(2-3):255-260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3

Author

Howe, J. ; Schiøtt, M. ; Boomsma, J. J. / Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. In: Insectes Sociaux. 2021 ; Vol. 68, No. 2-3. pp. 255-260.

Bibtex

@article{345840c033914cc4be1daa074e53fb4b,
title = "Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior",
abstract = "Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator are known to infiltrate mature colonies of Acromyrmex echinatior and to exploit the host's perennial workforce by producing predominantly reproductive individuals while suppressing host reproduction. Here we report three cases of an A. insinuator queen having joined an incipient colony of A. echinatior that contained only the founding host-queen and her small symbiotic fungus garden. We conjectured that 1:1 host-inquiline co-founding-a phenomenon that has only rarely been reported in ants-may imply that the presence of an A. insinuator queen may incur benefits to the host by increasing survival of its incipient colonies. We observed that the parasite queens neither foraged nor defended the nest against intruders. However, the parasite queens interacted with the host and fungus in a way that could be consistent with grooming and/or with contributing eggs. These observations may help explain why A. insinuator queens have maintained metapleural glands, even though they are smaller than those of host queens, and why A. insinuator has lost the large foraging worker caste but not the small worker caste.",
keywords = "Parasitism, Mutualism, Inquiline, HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE, EVOLUTION",
author = "J. Howe and M. Schi{\o}tt and Boomsma, {J. J.}",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3",
language = "English",
volume = "68",
pages = "255--260",
journal = "Insectes Sociaux",
issn = "0020-1812",
publisher = "Springer Basel AG",
number = "2-3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator can join nest-founding queens of its host, the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior

AU - Howe, J.

AU - Schiøtt, M.

AU - Boomsma, J. J.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator are known to infiltrate mature colonies of Acromyrmex echinatior and to exploit the host's perennial workforce by producing predominantly reproductive individuals while suppressing host reproduction. Here we report three cases of an A. insinuator queen having joined an incipient colony of A. echinatior that contained only the founding host-queen and her small symbiotic fungus garden. We conjectured that 1:1 host-inquiline co-founding-a phenomenon that has only rarely been reported in ants-may imply that the presence of an A. insinuator queen may incur benefits to the host by increasing survival of its incipient colonies. We observed that the parasite queens neither foraged nor defended the nest against intruders. However, the parasite queens interacted with the host and fungus in a way that could be consistent with grooming and/or with contributing eggs. These observations may help explain why A. insinuator queens have maintained metapleural glands, even though they are smaller than those of host queens, and why A. insinuator has lost the large foraging worker caste but not the small worker caste.

AB - Queens of the inquiline social parasite Acromyrmex insinuator are known to infiltrate mature colonies of Acromyrmex echinatior and to exploit the host's perennial workforce by producing predominantly reproductive individuals while suppressing host reproduction. Here we report three cases of an A. insinuator queen having joined an incipient colony of A. echinatior that contained only the founding host-queen and her small symbiotic fungus garden. We conjectured that 1:1 host-inquiline co-founding-a phenomenon that has only rarely been reported in ants-may imply that the presence of an A. insinuator queen may incur benefits to the host by increasing survival of its incipient colonies. We observed that the parasite queens neither foraged nor defended the nest against intruders. However, the parasite queens interacted with the host and fungus in a way that could be consistent with grooming and/or with contributing eggs. These observations may help explain why A. insinuator queens have maintained metapleural glands, even though they are smaller than those of host queens, and why A. insinuator has lost the large foraging worker caste but not the small worker caste.

KW - Parasitism

KW - Mutualism

KW - Inquiline

KW - HYMENOPTERA

KW - FORMICIDAE

KW - EVOLUTION

U2 - 10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3

DO - 10.1007/s00040-021-00819-3

M3 - Journal article

VL - 68

SP - 255

EP - 260

JO - Insectes Sociaux

JF - Insectes Sociaux

SN - 0020-1812

IS - 2-3

ER -

ID: 273367904