Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. The Study Species and the Study Site
2.2. Experiment 1 (Field Experiment): Do Acorn Ants Inhabit and Modify Imperfect Nest Sites?
- (1)
- ‘Open’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole was not closed;
- (2)
- ‘Partially closed’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole on one side was partially (halfway) closed with a beech plug, while the hole on the opposite side was not closed;
- (3)
- ‘With one side closed’—woodblock drilled lengthwise, where the hole was closed on one side with a beech plug, while the other hole was not closed.
2.3. Experiment 2 (Field Experiment): During Nest Repairs, Do Ant Colonies Create Additional Entrances?
2.4. Experiment 3 (Laboratory Experiment): Do the Ant Colonies Prefer a Nest Sites with One Entrance vs. a Nest Site with Two Entrances?
2.5. Statistical Analyses
3. Results
3.1. Experiment 1. (Field Experiment): Do Acorn Ants Inhabit and Modify Imperfect Nest Sites?
3.2. Experiment 2 (Field Experiment): During Nest Repairs, Do Ant Colonies Create Additional Entrances?
3.3. Experiment 3 (Laboratory Experiment): Do the Ant Colonies Prefer a Nest Sites with One Entrance vs. a Nest Site with Two Entrances?
4. Discussion
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Blüthgen, N.; Feldhaar, H. Food and shelter: How resources influence ant ecology. In Ant Ecology; Lach, L., Parr, C.L., Abbott, K.L., Eds.; Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 2010; pp. 115–136. [Google Scholar]
- Seifert, B. The Ants of Central and North Europe; Lutra: Tauer, Germany, 2018; p. 408. [Google Scholar]
- Whitford, W.; Eldridge, D. Effects of Ants and Termites on Soil and Geomorphological Processes. Treatise Geomorphol. 2013, 12, 281–292. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Novais, S.M.; DaRocha, W.D.; Calderón-Cortés, N.; Quesada, M. Wood-boring beetles promote ant nest cavities: Extended effects of a twig-girdler ecosystem engineer. Basic Appl. Ecol. 2017, 24, 53–59. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Powell, S.; Costa, A.N.; Lopes, C.T.; Vasconcelos, H.L. Canopy connectivity and the availability of diverse nesting resources affect species coexistence in arboreal ants. J. Anim. Ecol. 2010, 80, 352–360. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jiménez-Soto, E.; Philpott, S.M. Size matters: Nest colonization patterns for twig-nesting ants. Ecol. Evol. 2015, 5, 3288–3298. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lehue, M.; Detrain, C. What’s going on at the entrance? A characterisation of the social interface in ant nests. Behav. Process. 2018, 160, 42–50. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Pinter-Wollman, N.; Bala, A.; Merrell, A.; Queirolo, J.; Stumpe, M.C.; Holmes, S.; Gordon, D.M. Harvester ants use interactions to regulate forager activation and availability. Anim. Behav. 2013, 86, 197–207. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Pless, E.; Queirolo, J.; Pinter-Wollman, N.; Crow, S.; Allen, K.; Mathur, M.B.; Gordon, D.M. Interactions Increase Forager Availability and Activity in Harvester Ants. PLoS ONE 2015, 10, e0141971. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lehue, M.; Collignon, B.; Detrain, C. Multiple nest entrances alter foraging and information transfer in ants. R. Soc. Open Sci. 2020, 7, 191330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Foitzik, S.; Heinze, J. Nest site limitation and colony takeover in the ant Leptothorax nylanderi. Behav. Ecol. 1998, 9, 367–375. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Philpott, S.M.; Foster, P.F. Nest-Site Limitation in Coffee Agroecosystems: Artificial Nests Maintain Diversity of Arboreal Ants. Ecol. Appl. 2005, 15, 1478–1485. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Herbers, J.M. Community structure in north temperate ants: Temporal and spatial variation. Oecologia 1989, 81, 201–211. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Herbers, J.M.; Banschbach, V.S. Size-dependent nest site choice by cavity-dwelling ants. Psyche 1995, 102, 13–17. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Herbers, J.M.; Johnson, C.A. Social structure and winter survival in acorn ants. Oikos 2007, 116, 829–835. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Priest, G.V.; Camarota, F.; Vasconcelos, H.L.; Powell, S.; Marquis, R.J. Active modification of cavity nest-entrances is a common strategy in arboreal ants. Biotropica 2021, 53, 857–867. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Prebus, M. Insights into the evolution, biogeography and natural history of the acorn ants, genus Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). BMC Evol. Biol. 2017, 17, 250. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Czechowski, W.; Radchenko, A.; Czechowska, W.; Vepsäläinen, K. The Ants of Poland with Reference to the Myrmecofauna of Europe; Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Natura Optima Dux Foundation: Warszawa, Poland, 2012. [Google Scholar]
- Giannetti, D.; Castracani, C.; Spotti, F.A.; Mori, A.; Grasso, D.A.; Mori, A. Gall-Colonizing Ants and Their Role as Plant Defenders: From ‘Bad Job’ to ‘Useful Service’. Insects 2019, 10, 392. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Pratt, S.C.; Pierce, N.E. The cavity-dwelling ant Leptothorax curvispinosus uses nest geometry to discriminate between potential homes. Anim. Behav. 2001, 62, 281–287. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Dornhaus, A.; Franks, N.; Hawkins, R.; Shere, H. Ants move to improve: Colonies of Leptothorax albipennis emigrate whenever they find a superior nest site. Anim. Behav. 2004, 67, 959–963. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Franks, N.R.; Dornhaus, A.; Metherell, B.G.; Nelson, T.R.; Lanfear, S.A.; Symes, W.S. Not everything that counts can be counted: Ants use multiple metrics for a single nest trait. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 2006, 273, 165169. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Franks, N.R.; Hardcastle, K.A.; Collins, S.; Smith, F.D.; Sullivan, K.M.; Robinson, E.; Sendova-Franks, A.B. Can ant colonies choose a far-and-away better nest over an in-the-way poor one? Anim. Behav. 2008, 76, 323–334. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Robinson, E.J.; Smith, F.D.; Sullivan, K.M.; Franks, N.R. Do ants make direct comparisons? Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 2009, 276, 2635–2641. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Doran, C.; Pearce, T.; Connor, A.; Schlegel, T.; Franklin, E.; Sendova-Franks, A.B.; Franks, N.R. Economic investment by ant colonies in searches for better homes. Biol. Lett. 2013, 9, 20130685. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kramer, B.H.; Schaible, R. Colony size explains the lifespan differences between queens and workers in eusocial Hymenoptera. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 2013, 109, 710–724. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Sasaki, T.; Pratt, S.C. Ants learn to rely on more informative attributes during decision-making. Biol. Lett. 2013, 9, 20130667. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Franks, N.R.; Mallon, E.; Bray, H.E.; Hamilton, M.J.; Mischler, T.C. Strategies for choosing between alternatives with different attributes: Exemplified by house-hunting ants. Anim. Behav. 2003, 65, 215–223. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Myczko, Ł.; Dylewski, Ł.; Chrzanowski, A.; Sparks, T.H. Acorns of invasive Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) in Europe are larval hosts for moths and beetles. Biol. Invasions 2017, 19, 2419–2425. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mitrus, S. Nest modifications by the acorn ant Temnothorax crassispinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecol. News 2019, 29, 147–156. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Białas, B.; Granieczny, P.; Pędzisz, A.; Mitrus, S. Colony size, density and type of nesting sites of the ant Temnothorax crassispinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Opole Sci. Soc. Nat. J. 2011, 44, 185–191. [Google Scholar]
- Foitzik, S.; Backus, V.L.; Trindl, A.; Herbers, J.M. Ecology of Leptothorax ants: Impact of food, nest sites, and social parasites. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 2004, 55, 484–493. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pratt, S.C. Nest Site Choice in Social Insects. In Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior; Breed, M.D., Moore, J., Eds.; Academic Press: Oxford, UK, 2010; Volume 2, pp. 534–540. [Google Scholar]
- Hunt, E.R.; O’Shea-Wheller, T.A.; Albery, G.F.; Bridger, T.H.; Gumn, M.; Franks, N.R. Ants show a leftward turning bias when exploring unknown nest sites. Biol. Lett. 2014, 10, 20140945. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Aleksiev, A.S.; Sendova-Franks, A.B.; Franks, N.R. The selection of building material for wall construction by ants. Anim. Behav. 2007, 73, 779–788. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Foitzik, S.; Stratz, M.; Heinze, J. Ecology, life history and resource allocation in the ant, Leptothorax nylanderi. J. Evol. Biol. 2003, 16, 670–680. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- TIBCO Software. TIBCO Statistica (Data Analysis Software System), Version 13; TIBCO Software Inc.: Palo Calto, CA, USA, 2017.
- Lehue, M.; Detrain, C.; Collignon, B. Nest Entrances, Spatial Fidelity, and Foraging Patterns in the Red Ant Myrmica rubra: A Field and Theoretical Study. Insects 2020, 11, 317. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vieira, A.S.; Faccenda, O.; Antoniallijunior, W.F.; Fernandes, W.D. Nest structure and occurrence of three species of Azteca (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) in non-floodable and floodable pantanal areas. Rev. Bras. Entomol. 2010, 54, 441–445. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Hasin, S.; Ohashi, M.; Yamada, A.; Hashimoto, Y.; Tasen, W.; Kume, T.; Yamane, S. CO2 efflux from subterranean nests of ant communities in a seasonal tropical forest, Thailand. Ecol. Evol. 2014, 4, 3929–3939. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Wagner, D.; Nicklen, E.F. Ant nest location, soil nutrients and nutrient uptake by ant-associated plants: Does extrafloral nectar attract ant nests and thereby enhance plant nutrition? J. Ecol. 2010, 98, 614–624. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lehue, M.; Detrain, C. Foraging through multiple nest holes: An impediment to collective decision-making in ants. PLoS ONE 2020, 15, e0234526. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Strätz, M.; Heinze, J. Colony structure and sex allocation ratios in the ant Temnothorax crassispinus. Insectes Sociaux 2004, 51, 372–377. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Karlik, J.; Epps, M.J.; Dunn, R.R.; Penick, C.A. Life Inside an Acorn: How Microclimate and Microbes Influence Nest Organization in Temnothorax Ants. Ethology 2016, 122, 790–797. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Varoudis, T.; Swenson, A.G.; Kirkton, S.D.; Waters, J.S. Exploring nest structures of acorn dwelling ants with X-ray microtomography and surface-based three-dimensional visibility graph analysis. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 2018, 373, 20170237. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mitrus, S. The cavity-nest ant Temnothorax crassispinus prefers larger nests. Insectes Sociaux 2015, 62, 43–49. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Mitrus, S. Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity. Insects 2021, 12, 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912
Mitrus S. Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity. Insects. 2021; 12(10):912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912
Chicago/Turabian StyleMitrus, Sławomir. 2021. "Acorn Ants May Create and Use Two Entrances to the Nest Cavity" Insects 12, no. 10: 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100912