Knowing your enemies: seasonal dynamics of host–social parasite recognition

被引:0
|
作者
Patrizia D’Ettorre
Elisabeth Brunner
Tom Wenseleers
Jürgen Heinze
机构
[1] Universität Regensburg,LS Biologie I
[2] University of Sheffield,Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences
来源
Naturwissenschaften | 2004年 / 91卷
关键词
Social Parasite; Host Nest; Acceptance Threshold; Aggression Level; Host Colony;
D O I
暂无
中图分类号
学科分类号
摘要
Despite its evolutionary significance, behavioural flexibility of social response has rarely been investigated in insects. We studied a host–social parasite system: the slave-making ant Polyergus rufescens and its host Formica rufibarbis. Free-living host workers from parasitized and from unparasitized areas were compared in their level of aggression against the parasite and alien conspecifics. We expected that a seasonal change would occur in the acceptance threshold of F. rufibarbis workers from a parasitized area towards the parasite, whereas F. rufibarbis workers from an unparasitized area would not show substantial changes connected with the parasite’s peak in activity (raiding and colony-founding season). The results showed a significant adaptive behavioural flexibility of host species workers and are consistent with the acceptance threshold model’s (Reeve 1989) prediction that recognition systems are not fixed but context-dependent. In particular, host workers from the unparasitized area were highly aggressive towards the parasite regardless of the season, whereas host workers from the parasitized area significantly increased their aggression towards the parasite during its raiding and colony-founding season. Being able to detect and possibly kill a Polyergus scout searching for host nests can be an effective strategy for a Formica colony to avoid being raided or usurped by a parasite queen.
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页码:594 / 597
页数:3
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