Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

Dynamic Workforce Modulation and Foraging Efficiency in Eusocial Insect Colonies

The paper examines how eusocial insect colonies use reserve workers to modulate foraging efficiency and maintain energetic balance under fluctuating conditions.

Generalism vs. specialization: Does niche breadth influence species responses to anthropogenic land-use change in Neotropical leaf-cutter ants?

This study examines how niche breadth affects responses to land-use change in two leaf-cutter ant species, finding that A. laevigata is more specialized and A. cephalotes more generalist.

Social attraction mediates collective foraging decisions in invasive hornets

The paper shows invasive hornets use social attraction to make collective foraging decisions, favoring food sources primed with dead conspecifics or related species.

Aggressive conflict as a transient and distributed landmark in homing desert ants

This study shows that Tunisian desert ants use intraspecific conflict as a distributed landmark to improve navigation accuracy and adjust homing strategies.

Varroa mites escape the evolutionary trap of haplodiploidy

The paper investigates Varroa mites' reproductive system, finding they are not haplodiploid, which helps maintain genetic diversity and adaptability despite invasive challenges.

Urbanisation and habitat loss favour thermophilic and monogynous ant species

The paper examines how urbanisation and habitat fragmentation affect ant communities, finding that urban areas favor thermophilic and monogynous species, altering community composition and thermal preferences.

lncRNAs contribute to caste differentiation as a regulatory layer in ants

This study identifies lncRNAs as key regulators of caste differentiation in ants through transcriptomic analysis and functional validation.

Mature larvae continue calling at night in Vespa mandarinia from laboratory observations

This study observes Vespa mandarinia larvae producing calls at night, regardless of light conditions or worker presence, revealing previously undocumented nocturnal behavior.

Latent gene network expression underlies partial re-evolution of a polyphenic trait in the worker caste of ants

The paper shows that latent gene network expression in ant worker castes underlies the partial re-evolution of ocelli, suggesting persistent developmental potentials in polyphenic systems.

Bombus terrestris Complementary Sex Determiner (BtCSD) is identified as a conserved hymenopteran sex determination region: evolution, breeding, and conservation implications

The paper identifies the CSD locus in Bombus terrestris, showing its conservation across hymenopteran species and implications for population management.

Shifts in demography in changing ecological conditions in a dependent-lineage population of harvester ant colonies

The paper examines demographic shifts in a harvester ant population under drought stress, finding that the rare lineage J1 declined while J2 colonies showed higher fecundity.

A social bee (Bombus terrestris) learns to associate a novel odor with social context

This study shows Bombus terrestris workers can learn to associate novel odors with queen context, influencing their social and reproductive behavior.

Haplodiploidy alone does not predict the evolution of eusociality

The paper tests if haplodiploidy predicts eusociality evolution using insect phylogenies and finds clade-specific dynamics drive the pattern, not haplodiploidy alone.

Discovering search behaviour in black garden ant trajectories

The paper re-analyzes ant movement data to show that black garden ants use directional information in their search behavior, leading to biased random walks that improve search efficiency.

Distribution and efficacy of ingested dsRNA targeting tissue-specific genes in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile

This study shows orally-administered dsRNA can spread systemically in Argentine ants and knock down tissue-specific genes, suggesting RNAi could be used to study ORs in nestmate recognition.

Reduced regulatory complexity associated with the evolutionary transition to sociality from cockroaches to termites despite evolutionary parallels with Hymenoptera

This study compares regulatory changes in transcription factors during the social transition from cockroaches to termites, finding reduced regulatory complexity despite similarities with Hymenoptera.

Social and Spatial Affinity Drive Wound Care by Ants

This study shows that ants provide wound care based on pre-existing social and spatial proximity, identifying a transitional role between nurses and foragers.

Using semi-folded arenas to observe spontaneous emergence of collective trails in whole colonies of termites

This study introduces a semi-folded arena to observe collective trail formation in whole termite colonies under controlled conditions, showing early trail structures in most colonies within 6 minutes.

Nutrition of honeybees is constrained by the ratios of essential amino acids in pollen protein

The paper examines how the essential amino acid (EAA) ratios in pollen affect honeybee nutrition and behavior, finding that diets matching bee tissue EAA profiles improve food intake and growth.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.