Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis

Autores
Alma, Andrea Marina; Buteler, Micaela; Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres; Corley, Juan Carlos
Año de publicación
2022
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Although wind is a ubiquitous component of ecological systems and might affect pheromone communication, its effects have not been studied in depth. To test whether wind impacts trail pheromone behaviour, we studied the behaviour of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis in natural nests. We conducted observations under (1) unaltered scenarios with different wind intensities and (2) manipulative experiments aimed at altering trail-marking pheromone volatilization rates. In our manipulative experiments, we placed filter paper on ant trails, then removed the pheromone-marked paper 24 h later and either exposed or did not expose the marked paper to artificial wind (2 km/h) for 1 or 3 h. We then put the marked paper back on the trail and filmed ants' responses for 1 min. As controls, we filmed ants’ responses to filter paper immediately before it was removed as well as their responses to new unmarked filter paper. We measured ant flux, speed and walking sinuosity of ants over trails and filter paper, the number of ants tapping their gaster against the substrate (an indication of pheromone-marking frequency), the number of head-on encounters among workers (as alternative modes of communication) and ant body size. Wind negatively affected ant traffic by decreasing ant flux and speed. Colonies increased the number of U-turns and head-on encounters among workers, with a higher response as wind exposure time increased, but trail pheromone deposition was constant among treatments. The size frequency distribution of foragers over the treatment area was skewed towards larger ants on trails with unmarked paper and on trails with paper that had been exposed to wind for 1 or 3 h or not exposed to wind but removed for 3 h. This could be the result of small ants focusing on pheromone trail maintenance, while larger ones focused on foraging on the filter paper irrespective of whether it had been marked. Our results suggest that division of labour and behavioural plasticity might allow leaf-cutting ants to mitigate the effects of wind on pheromone communication and continue foraging.
Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; Argentina
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; Argentina
Fil: Buteler, Micaela. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; Argentina
Fil: Buteler, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; Argentina
Fil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal; Argentina
Fil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fuente
Animal Behaviour 192 : 39-49 (2022)
Materia
Acromyrmex
Animal Behaviour
Nesting
Pheromones
Formicidae
Comportamiento Animal
Nidificación
Feromonas
Acromyrmex labicornis
Hormigas
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/13386
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/13386
network_acronym_str INTADig
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spelling Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornisAlma, Andrea MarinaButeler, MicaelaMartinez Von Ellrich, AndresCorley, Juan CarlosAcromyrmexAnimal BehaviourNestingPheromonesFormicidaeComportamiento AnimalNidificaciónFeromonasAcromyrmex labicornisHormigasAlthough wind is a ubiquitous component of ecological systems and might affect pheromone communication, its effects have not been studied in depth. To test whether wind impacts trail pheromone behaviour, we studied the behaviour of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis in natural nests. We conducted observations under (1) unaltered scenarios with different wind intensities and (2) manipulative experiments aimed at altering trail-marking pheromone volatilization rates. In our manipulative experiments, we placed filter paper on ant trails, then removed the pheromone-marked paper 24 h later and either exposed or did not expose the marked paper to artificial wind (2 km/h) for 1 or 3 h. We then put the marked paper back on the trail and filmed ants' responses for 1 min. As controls, we filmed ants’ responses to filter paper immediately before it was removed as well as their responses to new unmarked filter paper. We measured ant flux, speed and walking sinuosity of ants over trails and filter paper, the number of ants tapping their gaster against the substrate (an indication of pheromone-marking frequency), the number of head-on encounters among workers (as alternative modes of communication) and ant body size. Wind negatively affected ant traffic by decreasing ant flux and speed. Colonies increased the number of U-turns and head-on encounters among workers, with a higher response as wind exposure time increased, but trail pheromone deposition was constant among treatments. The size frequency distribution of foragers over the treatment area was skewed towards larger ants on trails with unmarked paper and on trails with paper that had been exposed to wind for 1 or 3 h or not exposed to wind but removed for 3 h. This could be the result of small ants focusing on pheromone trail maintenance, while larger ones focused on foraging on the filter paper irrespective of whether it had been marked. Our results suggest that division of labour and behavioural plasticity might allow leaf-cutting ants to mitigate the effects of wind on pheromone communication and continue foraging.Estación Experimental Agropecuaria BarilocheFil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; ArgentinaFil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; ArgentinaFil: Buteler, Micaela. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; ArgentinaFil: Buteler, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; ArgentinaElsevier2022-11-11T16:32:39Z2022-11-11T16:32:39Z2022-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/13386https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000334722200197X0003-3472https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.007Animal Behaviour 192 : 39-49 (2022)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess2025-09-04T09:49:36Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/13386instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2025-09-04 09:49:36.919INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
title Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
spellingShingle Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
Alma, Andrea Marina
Acromyrmex
Animal Behaviour
Nesting
Pheromones
Formicidae
Comportamiento Animal
Nidificación
Feromonas
Acromyrmex labicornis
Hormigas
title_short Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
title_full Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
title_fullStr Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
title_full_unstemmed Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
title_sort Wind disrupts trail pheromone communication in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Alma, Andrea Marina
Buteler, Micaela
Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres
Corley, Juan Carlos
author Alma, Andrea Marina
author_facet Alma, Andrea Marina
Buteler, Micaela
Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres
Corley, Juan Carlos
author_role author
author2 Buteler, Micaela
Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres
Corley, Juan Carlos
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Acromyrmex
Animal Behaviour
Nesting
Pheromones
Formicidae
Comportamiento Animal
Nidificación
Feromonas
Acromyrmex labicornis
Hormigas
topic Acromyrmex
Animal Behaviour
Nesting
Pheromones
Formicidae
Comportamiento Animal
Nidificación
Feromonas
Acromyrmex labicornis
Hormigas
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Although wind is a ubiquitous component of ecological systems and might affect pheromone communication, its effects have not been studied in depth. To test whether wind impacts trail pheromone behaviour, we studied the behaviour of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis in natural nests. We conducted observations under (1) unaltered scenarios with different wind intensities and (2) manipulative experiments aimed at altering trail-marking pheromone volatilization rates. In our manipulative experiments, we placed filter paper on ant trails, then removed the pheromone-marked paper 24 h later and either exposed or did not expose the marked paper to artificial wind (2 km/h) for 1 or 3 h. We then put the marked paper back on the trail and filmed ants' responses for 1 min. As controls, we filmed ants’ responses to filter paper immediately before it was removed as well as their responses to new unmarked filter paper. We measured ant flux, speed and walking sinuosity of ants over trails and filter paper, the number of ants tapping their gaster against the substrate (an indication of pheromone-marking frequency), the number of head-on encounters among workers (as alternative modes of communication) and ant body size. Wind negatively affected ant traffic by decreasing ant flux and speed. Colonies increased the number of U-turns and head-on encounters among workers, with a higher response as wind exposure time increased, but trail pheromone deposition was constant among treatments. The size frequency distribution of foragers over the treatment area was skewed towards larger ants on trails with unmarked paper and on trails with paper that had been exposed to wind for 1 or 3 h or not exposed to wind but removed for 3 h. This could be the result of small ants focusing on pheromone trail maintenance, while larger ones focused on foraging on the filter paper irrespective of whether it had been marked. Our results suggest that division of labour and behavioural plasticity might allow leaf-cutting ants to mitigate the effects of wind on pheromone communication and continue foraging.
Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; Argentina
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; Argentina
Fil: Buteler, Micaela. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Hormigas; Argentina
Fil: Buteler, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas; Argentina
Fil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Forestal; Argentina
Fil: Martinez Von Ellrich, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina
description Although wind is a ubiquitous component of ecological systems and might affect pheromone communication, its effects have not been studied in depth. To test whether wind impacts trail pheromone behaviour, we studied the behaviour of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis in natural nests. We conducted observations under (1) unaltered scenarios with different wind intensities and (2) manipulative experiments aimed at altering trail-marking pheromone volatilization rates. In our manipulative experiments, we placed filter paper on ant trails, then removed the pheromone-marked paper 24 h later and either exposed or did not expose the marked paper to artificial wind (2 km/h) for 1 or 3 h. We then put the marked paper back on the trail and filmed ants' responses for 1 min. As controls, we filmed ants’ responses to filter paper immediately before it was removed as well as their responses to new unmarked filter paper. We measured ant flux, speed and walking sinuosity of ants over trails and filter paper, the number of ants tapping their gaster against the substrate (an indication of pheromone-marking frequency), the number of head-on encounters among workers (as alternative modes of communication) and ant body size. Wind negatively affected ant traffic by decreasing ant flux and speed. Colonies increased the number of U-turns and head-on encounters among workers, with a higher response as wind exposure time increased, but trail pheromone deposition was constant among treatments. The size frequency distribution of foragers over the treatment area was skewed towards larger ants on trails with unmarked paper and on trails with paper that had been exposed to wind for 1 or 3 h or not exposed to wind but removed for 3 h. This could be the result of small ants focusing on pheromone trail maintenance, while larger ones focused on foraging on the filter paper irrespective of whether it had been marked. Our results suggest that division of labour and behavioural plasticity might allow leaf-cutting ants to mitigate the effects of wind on pheromone communication and continue foraging.
publishDate 2022
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022-11-11T16:32:39Z
2022-11-11T16:32:39Z
2022-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/13386
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000334722200197X
0003-3472
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.007
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/13386
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000334722200197X
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.007
identifier_str_mv 0003-3472
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
eu_rights_str_mv restrictedAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Animal Behaviour 192 : 39-49 (2022)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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