Social Insect Research Group & Friends

Interview of ASU School of Life Sciences behavioral biologist Stephen Pratt in Knowable Magazine

The mind of an anthill Can we use the tools of psychology to understand how colonies of social insects make decisions?

New cool research from Arizona State University researchers Christina Kwapich, Gabriele Valentini, and Bert Hoelldobler. In short:
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Researchers at Arizona State University discovered that ant colonies with a mix of large and small workers build better nests than colonies with only small or large workers. Mixed-size groups built longer nests, excavated more sand and produced more architecturally complex nests than single-size worker groups.
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Researchers represent ASU School of Life Sciences, School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU, and Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science.

Primary source:
"The non-additive effects of body size on nest architecture in a polymorphic ant"
by Kwapich, Valentini, and Hoelldobler
Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B (19 August 2008), 373(1753):20170235
http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0235

Abstract
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Like traditional organisms, eusocial insect societies express traits that are the target of natural selection. Variation at the colony level emerges from the combined attributes of thousands of workers and may yield characteristics not predicted from individual phenotypes. By manipulating the ratios of worker types, the basis of complex, colony-level traits can be reduced to the additive and non-additive interactions of their component parts. In this study, we investigated the independent and synergistic effects of body size on nest architecture in a seasonally polymorphic harvester ant, Veromessor pergandei. Using network analysis, we compared wax casts of nests, and found that mixed-size groups built longer nests, excavated more sand and produced greater architectural complexity than single-sized worker groups. The nests built by polymorphic groups were not only larger in absolute terms, but larger than expected based on the combined contributions of both size classes in isolation. In effect, the interactions of different worker types yielded a colony-level trait that was not predicted from the sum of its parts. In nature, V. pergandei colonies with fewer fathers produce smaller workers each summer, and produce more workers annually. Because body size is linked to multiple colony-level traits, our findings demonstrate how selection acting on one characteristic, like mating frequency, could also shape unrelated characteristics, like nest architecture.
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Building a better ant castle

New cool research from Arizona State University researchers Christina Kwapich, Gabriele Valentini, and Bert Hoelldobler. In short:
=====
Researchers at Arizona State University discovered that ant colonies with a mix of large and small workers build better nests than colonies with only small or large workers. Mixed-size groups built longer nests, excavated more sand and produced more architecturally complex nests than single-size worker groups.
=====

Researchers represent ASU School of Life Sciences and School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU and Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science

Primary source:
"The non-additive effects of body size on nest architecture in a polymorphic ant"
by Kwapich, Valentini, and Hoelldobler
Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B (19 August 2008), 373(1753):20170235
http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0235

Abstract
=====
Like traditional organisms, eusocial insect societies express traits that are the target of natural selection. Variation at the colony level emerges from the combined attributes of thousands of workers and may yield characteristics not predicted from individual phenotypes. By manipulating the ratios of worker types, the basis of complex, colony-level traits can be reduced to the additive and non-additive interactions of their component parts. In this study, we investigated the independent and synergistic effects of body size on nest architecture in a seasonally polymorphic harvester ant, Veromessor pergandei. Using network analysis, we compared wax casts of nests, and found that mixed-size groups built longer nests, excavated more sand and produced greater architectural complexity than single-sized worker groups. The nests built by polymorphic groups were not only larger in absolute terms, but larger than expected based on the combined contributions of both size classes in isolation. In effect, the interactions of different worker types yielded a colony-level trait that was not predicted from the sum of its parts. In nature, V. pergandei colonies with fewer fathers produce smaller workers each summer, and produce more workers annually. Because body size is linked to multiple colony-level traits, our findings demonstrate how selection acting on one characteristic, like mating frequency, could also shape unrelated characteristics, like nest architecture.
=====

Building a better ant castle

SIRG finds its way to PBS.

Catalyst: Vaccinations aren't just for humans | Arizona PBS Researchers are racing to make vaccines that will protect bees.

With the Houston flooding, you have probably started seeing articles about the massive rafts of red imported fire ants (RIFA; Solenopsis invicta). However, few of these articles point out that workers of these ants actually inject *more venom than normal* when the ants are in these rafts, which is something SIRGer Kevin Haight discovered. So that's another reason to avoid contact with these rafts if you can.

Kevin's article on this phenomenon: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0832-y

Fire ants survive Houston flooding by creating terrifying rafts made of their bodies Nothing to see here...

Nice to see Arizona State University publicizing work out of the Social Insect Research Group! Make sure to check out the video, where Christina goes over some basic natural history of these ants. There are photos explaining mark-and-recapture as well. Nice job, Christina Kwapich!

Digging into the harsh world of ants Imagine working for the harshest corporation in the world. Naturally, they want to maximize production and growth. This is done by investing in lots of low-wage employees. When production needs to be ramped up, more workers are brought on like holiday employees. When they get older, they’re sent out...

This September 18th event may be of interest. It's organized by the University of Arizona, down in Tucson, and should be fun for the whole family.

Just down the street!

Ants Of The Southwest The American Southwest is a hotspot for North American ant diversity, with over 350 species of ants known from Arizona, and a variety of ecologically interesting taxa – including leafcutters, harvester ants, army ants,

From SIRG's own Bob Johnson -- A revision of South American /Pogonomyrmex/ species, including documentation of lots of alternative reproductive strategies! Seed harvesters are even more interesting in South America.

mapress.com

Did you know that 40% of the United States butterfly species occur in Arizona? Please help support ASU's Hasbrouck Insect Collection in their efforts to make images of this amazing diversity accessible to the public.

Arizona Butterfly Access We will transfer an amazing collection of 45,000 insects into state-of-the-art cases and image 350 different species of butterflies for on-line access to educate the public about Arizona's insect diversity.

Arizona State University's Social Insect Research Group (SIRG) has an updated web page!

Social Insect Research Group Arizona State University’s social insect research group (SIRG) studies the evolution and organization of insect societies from the level of the gene up to their ecology and evolution. Our research includes mechanistic studies of the neural and biochemical foundations of behavior and physiology, exam…

Interesting implications from a newly published study by ASU geologist, Ronald Dorn:

Can Ants Save the World from Climate Change? Ants may be some of Earth's most powerful biological climate brokers, a provocative new study claims.

Clint Penick's recent research is featured in the NY Times!

The Ant Queen Is Dead. Let the Battles Begin. For Indian jumping ants, the death of the matriarch sets up a struggle to determine which workers will get to have children.

SIRG & friends is featured in STEM Journals!

Social Insects Bees, ants and other social insects cooperate at amazing levels!