Results 21 to 30 of about 786 (175)

Extreme specificity in obligate mutualism-A role for competition? [PDF]

Ecol Evol
The high degree of specificity in obligate mutualisms is driven by competition within obligate mutualist guilds that limits species richness. As mutualistic partners are completely dependent on each other for fitness gains, competition may be particularly potent in these mutualisms.
Agarwal R, Althoff DM.
europepmc   +2 more sources

Male‐biased dispersal in a fungus‐gardening ant symbiosis [PDF]

Ecology and Evolution, 2021
For nearly all organisms, dispersal is a fundamental life‐history trait that can shape their ecology and evolution. Variation in dispersal capabilities within a species exists and can influence population genetic structure and ecological interactions. In
Alix E. Matthews, Katrin Kellner, Jon N. Seal   +2 more
doaj   +2 more sources

Bacterial communities of fungus-growing ant queens are species-specific and suggest vertical transmission. [PDF]

PLoS ONE
Multipartite symbioses are inherently complex, involving dynamic ecological interactions between organisms with intertwined yet distinct evolutionary histories.
Victoria A Sadowski, Panagiotis Sapountzis, Pepijn W Kooij, Jacobus J Boomsma, Rachelle M M Adams   +4 more
doaj   +2 more sources

Harnessing Nutritional Niches to Explore Fungus-Animal Symbioses. [PDF]

Ecol Lett
The stability of fungus‐animal symbioses often depends on optimised nutrient exchange, but we lack a framework to explore whether animal‐derived nutrients are optimal for fungal symbionts. This conceptual gap has constrained studies of how fungus‐animal symbioses achieve ecological success as well as predictions about their evolutionarily stability ...
Shik JZ, Dussutour A, De Fine Licht HH.
europepmc   +2 more sources

The fungus Escovopsis (Ascomycota: Hypocreales): a critical review of its biology and parasitism of attine ant colonies [PDF]

Frontiers in Fungal Biology
Two biological phenomena that contribute to increasing complexity in biological systems are mutualistic symbiotic interactions and the evolution of sociality.
Simon Luke Elliot, Simon Luke Elliot, Quimi Vidaurre Montoya, Marcela Cristina Silva Caixeta, Andre Rodrigues   +4 more
doaj   +2 more sources

Colony size predicts division of labour in attine ants. [PDF]

Proc Biol Sci, 2014
Division of labour is central to the ecological success of eusocial insects, yet the evolutionary factors driving increases in complexity in division of labour are little known. The size–complexity hypothesis proposes that, as larger colonies evolve, both non-reproductive and reproductive division of labour become more complex as workers and queens act
Ferguson-Gow H, Sumner S, Bourke AF, Jones KE.   +3 more
europepmc   +8 more sources

Microbial symbionts are shared between ants and their associated beetles

Environmental Microbiology, Volume 25, Issue 12, Page 3466-3483, December 2023., 2023
The colonies of army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae) are inhabited by hundreds of closely associated insect species (myrmecophiles). Here, we asked about the similarities in microbial community composition between ants and 13 species of myrmecophile beetles.
Catalina Valdivia, Justin A. Newton, Christoph von Beeren, Sean O'Donnell, Daniel J. C. Kronauer, Jacob A. Russell, Piotr Łukasik   +6 more
wiley   +1 more source

Putting the waste out: a proposed mechanism for transmission of the mycoparasite Escovopsis between leafcutter ant colonies [PDF]

Royal Society Open Science, 2017
The attine ant system is a remarkable example of symbiosis. An antagonistic partner within this system is the fungal parasite Escovopsis, a genus specific to the fungal gardens of the Attini.
Juliana O. Augustin, Talitta G. Simões, Jan Dijksterhuis, Simon L. Elliot, Harry C. Evans   +4 more
doaj   +1 more source

Three cuticular amides in the tripartite symbiosis of leafcutter ants

Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, Volume 114, Issue 2, Page 1-13, October 2023., 2023
The heatmap points out three alkyl amides specific for leafcutter ants covered with symbiotic bacteria. These findings indicate an interspecific function of the described compounds within the ant−bacteria relationship. Abstract Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play various roles in insects' chemical ecology. As leafcutter ants live in a specific symbiosis
Johannes‐Paul Fladerer, Selina Grollitsch, Franz Bucar   +2 more
wiley   +1 more source

Mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi: A review

Ecology and Evolution, Volume 13, Issue 8, August 2023., 2023
We review the mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi. Neotropical myrmicine Attina cultivate Basidiomycota for food, the same being true for certain “plant‐ants” associated with myrmecophytes that also feed on Ascomycota fungi. Otherwise, these Ascomycota have antibacterial properties.
Alain Dejean, Frédéric Azémar, Piotr Naskrecki, Maurice Tindo, Vivien Rossi, Christian Faucher, Hervé Gryta   +6 more
wiley   +1 more source