Revisiting the ecology and evolution of burying beetle behavior (Staphylinidae: Silphinae)

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(8)

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

Abstract Investigating fundamental processes in biology requires the ability to ground broad questions species‐specific natural history. This is particularly true study of behavior because an organism's experience environment will influence expression and opportunity for selection. Here, we provide a review history burying beetles genus Nicrophorus groundwork comparative work that showcases their remarkable behavioral ecological diversity. Burying have long fascinated scientists well‐developed parenting behavior, exhibiting extended post‐hatching care offspring varies extensively within across taxa. Despite burgeoning success as model system evolution, there has not been ecology, evolution over 25 years. To address this gap, leverage developing community researchers who contributed detailed knowledge highlight utility investigating causes consequences social evolution.

Language: Английский

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Ecological change and conflict reduction led to a social circulatory system in ants

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 8(1)

Published: Feb. 16, 2025

Abstract Behavioral innovations can be ecologically transformative for lineages that perform them and their associated communities. Many dominant, superorganismal, speciose ant use mouth-to-mouth social regurgitation behavior – stomodeal trophallaxis to share exogenous endogenous materials within colonies. This is less common in other species-poor, cooperative lineages. How why evolved fixed only some clades remains unclear, whether this trait could indicative of superorganismality has yet established. Here we show two main events, non-doryline formicoids around 130 Ma ponerines 90 Ma, today encompass 86% all species. We found began drinking sugary liquids had reduced intra-colonial conflict by constraining worker reproductive potential. Evolution increased net diversification. Causal models indicate required low contributed the large colony sizes ants it. suggests evolution was enabled both reduction opportunistic inclusion nectar honeydew diet during shifts terrestrial ecosystems toward flowering plants.

Language: Английский

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What Amphibians Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Parental Care

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 54(1), P. 43 - 62

Published: Aug. 4, 2023

Parenting is considered a key evolutionary innovation that contributed to the diversification and expansion of vertebrates. However, we know little about how such diversity evolved. Amphibians are an ideal group in which identify ecological factors have facilitated or constrained evolution different forms parental care. Among, but also within, three amphibian orders—Anura, Caudata, Gymnophiona—there high level variation habitat use, fertilization mode, mating systems, sex roles. Recent work using broad phylogenetic, experimental, physiological approaches has helped uncover selected for care transitions between parenting. Here, highlight exceptional care, emphasize unique opportunities this offers addressing questions parenting, give insights into promising novel directions research.

Language: Английский

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The Biology and Social Life of Earwigs (Dermaptera)

Annual Review of Entomology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 69(1), P. 259 - 276

Published: Sept. 18, 2023

Earwigs are often known for the forceps-like appendage at end of their abdomen, urban legends about them crawling into human ears, and roles as pest biological control agents. However, they much less social life. This is surprising, many 1,900 species earwigs show behaviors toward eggs, juveniles, adults. These typically occur during family group living, which may be obligatory or facultative, last up to several months, involve only a few hundred related unrelated individuals. Moreover, individuals can alternate between solitary living life cycle, an ability that probably prevailed emergence In this review, I detail diversity behavior in how further developing knowledge Dermaptera improve our general understanding early evolution insects.

Language: Английский

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Reviewing the female accessory glands of insects: Where they come from, what they do, and where they are going

Journal of Insect Physiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 104780 - 104780

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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The royal food of termites shows king and queen specificity

PNAS Nexus, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2(7)

Published: July 1, 2023

Abstract Society in eusocial insects is based on the reproductive division of labor, with a small number individuals supported by large nonreproductive individuals. Because inclusive fitness all colony members depends survival and fertility members, sterile provide royals special treatment. Here, we show that termite kings queens each receive food different composition from workers. Sequential analysis feeding processes demonstrated workers exhibit discriminative trophallaxis, indicating their decision-making capacity allocating to queens. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analyses stomodeal midgut contents revealed king- queen-specific compounds, including diacylglycerols short-chain peptides. Desorption electrospray ionization mass imaging 13C-labeled termites identified phosphatidylinositol acetyl-l-carnitine royal food. Comparison digestive tract structure showed remarkable differences volume ratio midgut-to-hindgut among castes, labor underlies labor. Our demonstration foods provides insight into nutritional system underpins extraordinary reproduction longevity insects.

Language: Английский

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Integrating computer vision and molecular neurobiology to bridge the gap between behavior and the brain

Current Opinion in Insect Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 66, P. 101259 - 101259

Published: Sept. 6, 2024

Language: Английский

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Diacammaants adjust liquid foraging strategies in response to biophysical constraints

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 290(2000)

Published: June 14, 2023

Ant foragers provide food to the rest of colony, often requiring transport over long distances. Foraging for liquid is challenging because it difficult and share. Many social insects store liquids inside crop them nest, then regurgitate distribute nest-mates through a behaviour called trophallaxis. Some ants instead fluids with riskier pseudotrophallaxis—holding drop between mandibles surface tension. Ants share this droplet without ingestion or regurgitation. We hypothesised that optimize their liquid-collection approach depending on viscosity. Using an ant employs both trophallaxis pseudotrophallaxis, we investigated conditions where each favoured by measuring biophysical properties, collection time reaction quality typical viscosity-altered sucrose solutions. found collected more per unit mandibular grabbing than drinking. At high viscosities switched method in response viscosity not sweetness. Our results demonstrate change sharing methods according viscosity–a natural proxy sugar concentration–thus increasing mass returned nest trip.

Language: Английский

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Social administration of juvenile hormone to larvae increases body size and nutritional needs for pupation

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 10(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2023

Social insects often display extreme variation in body size and morphology within the same colony. In many species, adult is socially regulated by workers during larval development. While nutrition may play a role this regulation, it difficult to identify precisely what larvae receive from rearing workers, especially when are fed through social regurgitation. Across insects, juvenile hormone major regulator of ant

Language: Английский

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Social administration of juvenile hormone to larvae increases body size and nutritional needs for pupation

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 25, 2023

Abstract Social insects often display extreme variation in body size and morphology within the same colony. In many species, adult is socially regulated by workers during larval development. While nutrition may play a role this regulation, it difficult to identify precisely what larvae receive from rearing workers, especially when are fed through social regurgitation. Across insects, juvenile hormone major regulator of ant Camponotus floridanus present regurgitated fluid workers. We investigated transfer regulation To do we administered an artificial regurgitate newly developed handfeeding method that was or not supplemented with hormone. Orally increased nutritional needs larvae, allowing them reach larger at pupation. Instead causing grow faster, treatment extended developmental time, accumulate resources over longer period. Handfeeding resulted after metamorphosis, suggesting for transferred colony-level worker colony maturation.

Language: Английский

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