Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

Differences in functional guild responses to elevation and topography in Himalayan ant communities

The paper examines how elevation and topography affect functional guild diversity in Himalayan ant communities, finding similar overall diversity but differing guild-specific responses.

Layered social competition coordinates reproductive hierarchy formation in ants

The paper quantifies social interactions in ants to show how structured dueling behavior predicts reproductive hierarchy formation.

Isolation and introductions disrupt the homogeneity of Argentine ants in Europe.

The study investigates how isolation affects population divergence in Argentine ants, finding that a previously unknown supercolony in Crete shows genetic and chemical differences from mainland colonies and suggests possible introduction routes.

From eye anatomy to navigation: a biologically accurate model of bees polarisation vision

This paper simulates polarisation vision in honeybees and bumblebees using real sky images to evaluate how DRA anatomy affects navigational accuracy with two models of sun position estimation.

Sequential multimodal sensory integration drives foraging decisions in leaf-cutting ants: Volatiles, contact cues and phytochemistry

This study identifies the sequential sensory cues used by leaf-cutting ants to select host plants, revealing how olfactory and contact cues influence foraging decisions.

Multiple origins of a sex ratio supergene in Formica ants

The paper identifies two independent origins of an MD haplotype in Formica ants, showing convergent evolution from recombination between ancestral supergene haplotypes.

Genomic Insights into the Evolution of Parental Care in Weevils

This study analyzes weevil genomes to understand the molecular mechanisms of parental care evolution, finding convergent gene loss and regulatory changes associated with subsocial behavior.

Convergently-evolved honeypot ants show mixed signs of niche divergence

This study examines the environmental niches of honeypot ants to assess if repletism evolved in response to shared environmental pressures.

A Lineage-Specific Peptide Suppresses Juvenile Hormone to Drive Reproductive and Longevity Reprogramming in Ants

The paper identifies HCRG1, a peptide that suppresses juvenile hormone to enable reproductive and longevity changes in ants.

The high-quality genome assembly of Coelioxoides waltheriae (Apidae: Nomadinae) reveals gene family dynamics and evolutionary shifts related to its cleptoparasitic lifestyle

This paper presents the first high-quality genome assembly of a cleptoparasitic bee, revealing gene family contractions and expansions linked to its parasitic lifestyle.

First direct quantification of floral handling costs in bees

The paper quantifies the metabolic cost of floral buzzing in bumblebees and shows it is energetically significant, comparable to flight take-off.

A Polygenic Route to Thermal Melanism and high-elevation adaptation in Honey Bees

This study identifies AmEbony as a key gene for thermal melanism and high-elevation adaptation in honey bees through genomic and functional analyses.

Male bumblebees adapt foraging to environmental conditions to sustain mate-seeking efforts

This study shows male bumblebees adjust foraging behavior to maintain reproductive efforts despite environmental challenges.

Feeding Ecology and Behavioral Adaptations Shape Injury Patterns in Central European Ants

The paper examines injury patterns in Central European ants, finding that feeding ecology and behavioral adaptations influence injury rates and locations across species.

Uncovering Ant Diversity Across Forest Successional Stages in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (DRC): Insights from Winkler and Pitfall Trap Sampling

This study examines ant diversity across forest successional stages in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve using pitfall traps and Winkler extractions, finding higher diversity in primary forests and greater species capture with Winkler methods.

Conserved task-specific profiles outweigh seasonal shifts in cuticular hydrocarbons of European honey bee subspecies

The paper investigates seasonal changes in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of European honey bee subspecies, finding task-specific profiles are more consistent than seasonal shifts.

The genome of Doleromyrma darwiniana and annotations for five additional Dolichoderinae species

The paper presents the genome of Doleromyrma darwiniana and annotations for five additional Dolichoderinae species to assess genomic diversity and conservation within the subfamily.

Threading the needle: Spatial constraints sharpen visual sensitivity in honeybees

This study shows honeybees prioritize high-acuity inspections at smaller spatial scales due to collision risk, while relaxing vigilance at larger scales to conserve energy.

Social immunity as a driver of life-history evolution in eusocial species

The paper develops an epidemiological model showing how social immunity influences life-history evolution in eusocial species by linking pathogen exposure to lifespan differences between castes.

Termites became the dominant decomposers of the tropics after two diversification pulses

This study identifies two diversification pulses in termites, linking their evolutionary history to climate changes and their rise as dominant tropical decomposers.

Colony phase structure favors permanent worker evolution in juvenile social systems

The paper develops a demographic model showing that permanent workers evolve in juvenile social systems when colony growth has distinct phases, even if their performance matches reversible helpers.

TRACKING THE COMPOSITION AND STABILITY OF MICROBIOME ACROSS INDIAN SOCIAL HONEYBEES FORAGING IN A HOMOGENOUS RESOURCE LANDSCAPE

The paper examines microbiome composition and stability in Indian honeybees foraging in a homogeneous landscape, finding host identity shapes microbiome structure more than foraging behavior or resources.

Nematode infections induce distinct chemical signatures and provoke aggression in ants

This study shows that nematode infections in ants alter chemical signatures and provoke aggression, but do not affect nestmate recognition.

Adaptive evolution of odorant receptors is associated with elaborations of social organization in ants

The paper analyzes ant odorant receptor evolution across 163 genomes to link adaptive changes in ORs to sociobiological traits like colony size and worker polymorphism.

Social caste switching triggers emergence of novel cellular identities in Zootermopsis termites

The paper generates single-cell transcriptomic atlases of Zootermopsis termites to investigate if caste switching creates new cellular identities, finding that while some cell types are caste-specific, key physiological pathways remain largely unchanged.

Bumblebee queens differ in brain morphology but not learning performance across life stages

The paper compares visual learning and brain morphology in bumblebee queens and workers across life stages, finding similar learning performance but differences in brain region sizes.

Myrmecocystus honeypot ants have species specific resident gut microbiome

This study characterizes the gut microbiome of six Myrmecocystus honeypot ant species, finding species-specific microbial communities and associations with sugar environments and spoilage prevention.

Offspring chemical control of adult reproductive transitions in a social insect

The paper identifies a larval pheromone in clonal raider ants that suppresses adult egg laying, linking offspring presence to parental reproductive suppression.

A Method for Visual Psychophysics based on the Navigational Behaviour of Desert Ants (Melophorus bagoti)

This study demonstrates a method to assess visual psychophysics in desert ants by observing changes in their navigational behavior when visual stimuli are altered.

Good parenting of oil-collecting bees: microbial defense in nests of Centris bees?

The paper characterizes microbial communities in brood cells of Centris bees and identifies antimicrobial bacteria and fungi, suggesting maternal provisioning shapes these microenvironments.