A5054696500- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Fossil Insects in Amber
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Genetic diversity and population structure
Arizona State University
2017-2025
University of Hohenheim
2022-2025
Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart
2022-2025
Harvard University
2012-2024
Baruch College
2024
Tempe Union High School District
2022
University of Rochester
2014-2021
Smithsonian Institution
2011-2019
National Museum of Natural History
2011-2019
The University of Texas at Austin
2006-2017
Ants are the world's most conspicuous and important eusocial insects their diversity, abundance, extreme behavioral specializations make them a model system for several disciplines within biological sciences. Here, we report discovery of new ant that appears to represent sister lineage all extant ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The phylogenetic position this cryptic predator from soils Amazon rainforest was inferred nuclear genes, sequenced single leg. Martialis heureka (gen. et sp. nov.)...
We reassess the coevolution between actinomycete bacteria and fungus-gardening (attine) ants. Actinomycete are of special interest because they metabolic mutualists diverse organisms (e.g., in nitrogen-fixation or antibiotic production) Pseudonocardia actinomycetes thought to serve disease-suppressing functions attine gardens. Phylogenetic information from culture-dependent culture-independent microbial surveys reveals (1) close affinities free-living ant-associated Pseudonocardia, (2)...
Abstract The attine ant–fungus agricultural symbiosis evolved over tens of millions years, producing complex societies with industrial-scale farming analogous to that humans. Here we document reciprocal shifts in the genomes and transcriptomes seven fungus-farming ant species their fungal cultivars. We show subsistence probably originated early Tertiary (55–60 MYA), followed by further transitions fully domesticated cultivars leaf-cutting, both arising earlier than previously estimated....
The non-leaf-cutting fungus-growing ants deposited in two entomological collections Colombia were curated and identified to assess their diversity the country. We examined 680 specimens, identifying 41 species belonging seven genera, bringing total of ant known from 85. following are new records for Colombia: Apterostigma angustum Lattke, 1997, Mycetomoellerius jamaicensis (André, 1893), Paratrachymyrmex diversus (Mann, 1916), phaleratus (Wheeler, 1925).
Evolutionary adaptations for maintaining beneficial microbes are hallmarks of mutualistic evolution. Fungus-farming “attine” ant species have complex cuticular modifications and specialized glands that house nourish antibiotic-producing Actinobacteria symbionts, which in turn protect their hosts’ fungus gardens from pathogens. Here we reconstruct ant–Actinobacteria evolutionary history across the full range variation within subtribe Attina by combining dated phylogenomic ultramorphological...
Cyatta abscondita, a new genus and species of fungus-farming ant from Brazil, is described based on morphological study more than 20 workers, two dealate gynes, one male, larvae. Ecological field data are summarized, including natural history, nest architecture, foraging behavior. Phylogenetic analyses DNA sequence four nuclear genes indicate that abscondita the distant sister taxon Kalathomyrmex, together they comprise group remaining neoattine ants, an informal clade includes conspicuous...
Abstract The fungus‐growing ants and their fungal cultivars constitute a classic example of mutualism that has led to complex coevolutionary dynamics spanning c . 55–65 Ma. Of the five agricultural systems practised by ants, higher‐attine agriculture, which leaf‐cutter agriculture is derived subset, remains poorly understood despite its relevance ecosystem function human across Neotropics parts North America. Among practising genus Trachymyrmex Forel, as currently defined, shares most‐recent...
Leafcutter ants propagate co-evolving fungi for food. The nearly 50 species of leafcutter (Atta, Acromyrmex) range from Argentina to the United States, with greatest diversity in southern South America. We elucidate biogeography cultivated by using DNA sequence and microsatellite-marker analyses 474 cultivars collected across range. Fungal belong two clades (Clade-A Clade-B). dominant widespread Clade-A form three genotype clusters, their relative prevalence corresponding America, northern...
Inquiline ants are highly specialized and obligate social parasites that infiltrate exploit colonies of closely related species. They have evolved many times convergently, often evolutionarily young lineages, almost invariably rare. Focusing on the leaf-cutting ant genus Acromyrmex, we compared genomes three inquiline with their free-living, closely-related hosts. The parasite show distinct signatures erosion to host as a consequence relaxed selective constraints traits associated...
Studying the behavioral and life history transitions from a cooperative, eusocial to exploitative social parasitism allows for deciphering conditions under which changes in behavior organization lead diversification. The Holarctic ant genus Formica is ideally suited studying evolution of because half its 172 species are confirmed or suspected parasites, includes all three major classes known ants. However, associated with this largely unexplored. To test competing hypotheses regarding...
Abstract Aim We sought to reconstruct the biogeographical structure and dynamics of a hyperdiverse ant genus, Pheidole, test several predictions taxon cycle hypothesis. Using large datasets on Pheidole geographical distributions phylogeny, we (1) inferred patterns modularity (clusters areas with similar faunal composition), (2) tested whether species in open habitats are more likely be expanding their range beyond module boundaries, (3) there is bias lineage flow from high‐ low‐diversity...
Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony to social parasitism contributes our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in insects. The ants genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing hypotheses about how their species diversity was assembled through time because is endemic Australia with single exception M. apicalis inhabiting Pacific Island New Caledonia, at least one parasite exists genus. However, underlying...
Fungus-farming ants cultivate multiple lineages of fungi for food, but, because fungal cultivar relationships are largely unresolved, the history fungus-ant coevolution remains poorly known. We designed probes targeting >2000 gene regions to generate a dated evolutionary tree 475 and combined it with similarly generated 276 ants. found that agriculture originated ~66 million years ago when end-of-Cretaceous asteroid impact temporarily interrupted photosynthesis, causing global mass...
Abstract Ants are a globally distributed and highly diverse group of eusocial animals, playing key ecological roles in most the world’s terrestrial ecosystems. Our understanding processes involved evolution this family is contingent upon our knowledge phylogeny ants. While relationships among subfamilies have come into resolution recently, several tribal within hyperdiverse subfamily Myrmicinae persistently conflict between or studies, mirroring controversial Leptanillinae Martialinae to...
Sex and recombination are central processes in life generating genetic diversity. Organisms that rely on asexual propagation risk extinction due to the loss of diversity inability adapt changing environmental conditions. The fungus-growing ant species Mycocepurus smithii was thought be obligately because only parthenogenetic populations have been collected from widely separated geographic localities. Nonetheless, M. is ecologically successful, with most extensive distribution highest...
The general prevalence of sexual reproduction over asexual among organisms testifies to the evolutionary benefits recombination, such as accelerated adaptation changing environments and elimination deleterious mutations. Documented instances in groups otherwise dominated by challenge biologists understand special circumstances that might confer an advantage reproductive strategies. Here we report one instance ants. We present evidence for obligate thelytoky fungus-gardening ant, Mycocepurus...
Abstract Xerolitor , a new, monotypic genus of fungus‐growing ants, is described to accommodate the phylogenetically isolated, relict species Mycetosoritis explicatus Kempf. We also diagnose male and larva (Kempf) comb.n. report ecological observations for species, including nest architecture foraging behaviour. inhabits dry habitats Brazilian Cerrado Bolivian Paraguayan Gran Chaco. Bayesian multilocus phylogenetic analyses indicate that X. is, contrary some prior hypotheses, member ‘higher’...