A5024592179- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Immune responses and vaccinations
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Fossil Insects in Amber
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
2014-2024
University of Regensburg
2005-2018
University of Copenhagen
2002-2018
Institute for Advanced Study
2007
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
2006
University of Kansas
1998
Protecting the colony When we get a cold and then stay home from work, are not only taking care of ourselves but also protecting others. Such changes in behavior after infection predicted social animals difficult to quantify. Stroeymeyt et al. looked for such black garden ant found that infected workers did alter their behavior—and healthy altered toward sick. The changed was especially valuable most important vulnerable members colony. Science , this issue p. 941
Due to the omnipresent risk of epidemics, insect societies have evolved sophisticated disease defences at individual and colony level. An intriguing yet little understood phenomenon is that social contact pathogen-exposed individuals reduces susceptibility previously naive nestmates this pathogen. We tested whether such immunisation in Lasius ants against entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae based on active upregulation immune system following an infectious or passive protection...
This paper introduces a theme issue presenting the latest developments in research on impacts of sociality health and fitness. The articles that follow cover societies ranging from insects to humans. Variation measures fitness (i.e. survival reproduction) has been linked various aspects humans animals alike, variability individual condition recognized as key mediator these relationships. Viewed broad evolutionary perspective, transitions solitary lifestyle group living have resulted several...
In social groups, infections have the potential to spread rapidly and cause disease outbreaks. Here, we show that in a insect, ant Lasius neglectus, negative consequences of fungal (Metarhizium brunneum) can be mitigated by employing an efficient multicomponent behaviour, termed destructive disinfection, which prevents further through colony. Ants specifically target infected pupae during pathogen’s non-contagious incubation period, utilising chemical ‘sickness cues’ emitted pupae. They then...
It is unclear why some species become successful invaders whilst others fail, and whether invasive success depends on pre-adaptations already present in the native range or characters evolving de-novo after introduction. Ants are among worst pests, with Lasius neglectus its rapid spread through Europe Asia as most recent example of a pest ant that may global problem. Here, we first integrated study behavior, morphology, population genetics, chemical recognition parasite load L. non-invasive...
Social organisms are constantly exposed to infectious agents via physical contact with conspecifics. While previous work has shown that disease susceptibility at the individual and group level is influenced by genetic diversity within between members, it remains poorly understood how group-level resistance pathogens relates directly physiology, defence behaviour social interactions. We investigated effects of high versus low on both collective defences in ant Cardiocondyla obscurior ....
Abstract Background The invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus , is the most recently detected pest ant and first known able to become established thrive in temperate regions of Eurasia. In this study, we aim reconstruct invasion history Europe analysing 14 populations with three complementary approaches: genetic microsatellite analysis, chemical analysis cuticular hydrocarbon profiles behavioural observations aggression behaviour. We evaluate relative informative power methodological...
Significance Social insects provide sanitary care to colony members that are contaminated with infectious disease particles. Although this reduces the risk of individuals falling sick, caregiving pathogen contraction themselves. Small doses can lead low-level infections do not cause but make more susceptible secondary infection (superinfection) a different pathogen. Here, we reveal remarkable capacity ants react increased susceptibility by altering their performance. Low-level–infected...
Abstract Animals exhibit a variety of behavioural defences against socially transmitted parasites. These evolved to increase host fitness by avoiding, resisting or tolerating infection. Because they can occur in both infected individuals and their uninfected social partners, these often have important consequences for the group. Here, we discuss evolution ecology anti‐parasite across taxonomically wide spectrum, considering colonial groups, stable transitional groups solitary animals. We...
Abstract Treating sick group members is a hallmark of collective disease defence in vertebrates and invertebrates alike. Despite substantial effects on pathogen fitness epidemiology, it still largely unknown how pathogens react to the selection pressure imposed by care intervention. Using social insects pathogenic fungi, we here performed serial passage experiment presence or absence colony members, which provide immunity grooming off infectious spores from exposed individuals. We found...
The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent, with usually benign causing detrimental when are stressed, or typically parasitic providing protection towards (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association between invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulbenia formicarum for potential costs benefits. We tested ants different levels survival immunity under resource limitation exposure to obligate killing...
Entire chromosomes are typically only transmitted vertically from one generation to the next. The horizontal transfer of such has long been considered improbable, yet gained recent support in several pathogenic fungi where it may affect fitness or host specificity. To date, is unknown how these transfers occur, common they are, and whether can occur between different species. In this study, we show multiple independent instances same accessory chromosome two distinct strains asexual...
To prevent epidemics, insect societies have evolved collective disease defences that are highly effective at curing exposed individuals and limiting transmission to healthy group members. Grooming is an important sanitary behaviour--either performed towards oneself (self-grooming) or others (allogrooming)--to remove infectious agents from the body surface of individuals, but risk contraction by groomer. We use garden ants (Lasius neglectus) fungal pathogen Metarhizium as a model system study...
Abstract Background The brood of ants and other social insects is highly susceptible to pathogens, particularly those that penetrate the soft larval pupal cuticle. We here test whether presence a cocoon, which occurs in some ant species but not others, affects sanitary care fungal infection patterns after exposure entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum . use a) comparative approach analysing four with either naked or cocooned pupae b) within-species analysis single species, both types...