Schmid-Hempel P. Parasites in social insects. Princeton University Press (1998).
Lefèvre, T. et al. The ecological significance of manipulative parasites. Trends Ecol. Evol. 24, 41–48 (2009).
Google Scholar
Elya, C. et al. Robust manipulation of the behavior of Drosophila melanogaster by a fungal pathogen in the laboratory. Elife 7, e34414 (2018).
Google Scholar
Herbison, R., Lagrue, C. & Poulin, R. The missing link in parasite manipulation of host behaviour. Parasites Vectors 11, 1–6 (2018).
Google Scholar
Csata, E., Billen, J., Barbu-Tudoran, L. & Markó, B. Inside Pandora’s box: development of the lethal myrmecopathogenic fungus Pandora formicae within its ant host. Fungal Ecol. 50, 101022 (2021).
Google Scholar
Trinh, T., Ouellette, R. & de Bekker, C. Getting lost: the fungal hijacking of ant foraging behaviour in space and time. Anim. Behav. 181, 165–184 (2021).
Google Scholar
Moore J. Parasites and the Behavior of Animals. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2002).
Thomas, F., Fauchier, J. & Lafferty, K. D. Conflict of interest between a nematode and a trematode in an amphipod host: test of the “sabotage” hypothesis. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 51, 296–301 (2002).
Google Scholar
Stroeymeyt, N. et al. Social network plasticity decreases disease transmission in a eusocial insect. Science 362, 941–945 (2018).
Google Scholar
Beros, S., Foitzik, S. & Menzel, F. What are the mechanisms behind a parasite-induced decline in nestmate recognition in ants? J. Chem. Ecol. 43, 869–880 (2017).
Google Scholar
Hamilton, W. D. Kinship, recognition, disease, and intelligence: constraints of social evolution. In: Ito Y., Brown J. L., Kikkawa J. (eds) Animal societies: theories and facts. Jpn Sci Soc Press, Tokyo, pp 81–102 (1987).
Hunt, J. H. & Richard, F. J. Intracolony vibroacoustic communication in social insects. Insect Soc. 60, 403–417 (2013).
Google Scholar
Wyatt, T. D. Proteins and peptides as pheromone signals and chemical signatures. Anim. Behav. 97, 273–280 (2014).
Google Scholar
Leonhardt, S. D., Menzel, F., Nehring, V. & Schmitt, T. Ecology and evolution of communication in social insects. Cell 164, 1277–1287 (2016).
Google Scholar
Casacci, L. P. et al. Ant pupae employ acoustics to communicate social status in their colony’s hierarchy. Curr. Biol. 23, 323–327 (2013).
Google Scholar
Schönrogge, K., Barbero, F., Casacci, L. P., Settele, J. & Thomas, J. A. Acoustic communication within ant societies and its mimicry by mutualistic and socially parasitic myrmecophiles. Anim. Behav. 134, 249–256 (2017).
Google Scholar
Sheehan, M. J. & Tibbetts, E. A. Specialized face learning is associated with individual recognition in paper wasps. Science 334, 1272–1275 (2011).
Google Scholar
Chittka, L. & Dyer, A. Your face looks familiar. Nature 481, 154–155 (2012).
Google Scholar
Billen, J. Signal variety and communication in social insects. Proc. Neht. Entomol. Soc. Meet. 17, 9 (2006).
Blomquist G. J. Biosynthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons. In: Blomquist, G. J., Bagnères, A.-G. (eds.): Insect hydrocarbons: biology, biochemistry and chemical ecology. Cambridge University Press (2010).
Hefetz, A. The evolution of hydrocarbon pheromone parsimony in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) – interplay of colony odor uniformity and odor idiosyncrasy. Myrmecol. N. 10, 59–68 (2007).
Bagnères A. G., Lorenzi M. C. Chemical deception/mimicry using cuticular hydrocarbons. Insect hydrocarbons: Biology, biochemistry and chemical ecology. Chemical deception/mimicry using cuticular hydrocarbons, 282–324 (2010).
van Zweden, J. S. & d’Ettorre, P. Nestmate recognition in social insects and the role of hydrocarbons. Insect Hydrocarbons: Biol. Biochem. Chem. Ecol. 11, 222–243 (2010).
Google Scholar
Esponda, F. & Gordon, D. M. Distributed nestmate recognition in ants. Proc. R. Soc. B. 282, 20142838 (2015).
Google Scholar
Crozier, R. & Dix, M. W. Analysis of two genetic models for the innate components of colony odor in social Hymenoptera. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 4, 217–224 (1979).
Google Scholar
Wakonigg, G., Eveleigh, L., Arnold, G. & Crailsheim, K. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal age-related changes in honey bee drones (Apis mellifera carnica). J. Apic. Res. 39, 137–141 (2000).
Google Scholar
Cuvillier-Hot, V., Cobb, M., Malosse, C. & Peeters, C. Sex, age and ovarian activity affect cuticular hydrocarbons in Diacamma ceylonense, a queenless ant. J. Insect Physiol. 47, 485–493 (2001).
Google Scholar
Greene, M. J. & Gordon, D. M. Cuticular hydrocarbons inform task decisions. Nature 423, 32–32 (2003).
Google Scholar
Kather, R., Drijfhout, F. P. & Martin, S. J. Task group differences in cuticular lipids in the honey bee Apis mellifera. J. Chem. Ecol. 37, 205–212 (2011).
Google Scholar
Kleeberg, I., Menzel, F. & Foitzik, S. The influence of slavemaking lifestyle, caste and sex on chemical profiles in Temnothorax ants: insights into the evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons. Proc. R. Soc. B. 284, 20162249 (2017).
Google Scholar
Sprenger, P. P. & Menzel, F. Cuticular hydrocarbons in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and other insects: how and why they differ among individuals, colonies, and species. Myrmecol. N. 30, 1–26 (2020).
Reeve, H. K. The evolution of conspecific acceptance thresholds. Am. Nat. 133, 407–435 (1989).
Google Scholar
Lenoir, A., D’Ettore, P. & Errard, C. Chemical ecology and social parasitism in ants. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 46, 573–599 (2001).
Google Scholar
Akino, T. Chemical strategies to deal with ants: a review of mimicry, camouflage, propaganda, and phytomimesis by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and other arthropods. Myrmecol. N. 11, 173–181 (2008).
Akino, T., Knapp, J. J., Thomas, J. A. & Elmes, G. W. Chemical mimicry and host specificity in the butterfly Maculinea rebeli, a social parasite of Myrmica ant colonies. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 266, 1419–1426 (1999).
Google Scholar
Nash, D. R., Als, T. D., Maile, R., Jones, G. R. & Boomsma, J. J. A mosaic of chemical coevolution in a large blue butterfly. Science 319, 88–90 (2008).
Google Scholar
Johnson, C. A., Vander Meer, R. K. & Lavine, B. Changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of the slave-maker ant queen, Polyergus breviceps Emery, after killing a Formica host queen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 27, 1787–1804 (2001).
Google Scholar
Lecuona, R., Riba, G., Cassier, P. & Clément, J. L. Alterations of insect epicuticular hydrocarbons during infection with Beauveria bassiana or B. brongniartii. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 58, 10–18 (1991).
Google Scholar
Trabalon, M., Plateaux, L., Péru, L., Bagnères, A. G. & Hartmann, N. Modification of morphological characters and cuticular compounds in worker ants Leptothorax nylanderi induced by endoparasites Anomotaenia brevis. J. Insect Physiol. 46, 169–178 (2000).
Google Scholar
Zurek, L., Watson, D. W., Krasnoff, S. B. & Schal, C. Effect of the entomopathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthoraceae), on sex pheromone and other cuticular hydrocarbons of the house fly. Musca Domestica. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 80, 171–176 (2002).
Google Scholar
Nielsen, M. L. & Holman, L. Terminal investment in multiple sexual signals: immune‐challenged males produce more attractive pheromones. Func. Ecol. 26, 20–28 (2012).
Google Scholar
Beros, S., Jongepier, E., Hagemeier, F. & Foitzik, S. The parasite’s long arm: a tapeworm parasite induces behavioural changes in uninfected group members of its social host. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 282, 20151473 (2015).
Google Scholar
Csata, E., Erős, K. & Markó, B. Effects of the ectoparasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii on its ant host Myrmica scabrinodis: changes in host mortality and behavior. Insectes Soc. 61, 247–252 (2014).
Google Scholar
Markó, B. et al. Distribution of the myrmecoparasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) across colonies, individuals, and body parts of Myrmica scabrinodis. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 136, 74–80 (2016).
Google Scholar
Báthori, F., Csata, E. & Tartally, A. Rickia wasmannii increases the need for water in Myrmica scabrinodis (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales; Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Invertebr. Pathol. 126, 7–82 (2015).
Google Scholar
Csata, E. et al. Lock-picks: fungal infection facilitates the intrusion of strangers into ant colonies. Sci. Rep. 7, 46323 (2017).
Google Scholar
Csata, E., Billen, J., Bernadou, A., Heinze, J. & Markó, B. Infection-related variation in cuticle thickness in the ant Myrmica scabrinodis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insectes Soc. 65, 503–506 (2018).
Google Scholar
Csősz, S., Rádai, Z., Tartally, A., Ballai, L. E. & Báthori, F. Ectoparasitic fungi Rickia wasmannii infection is associated with smaller body size in Myrmica ants. Sci. Rep. 11, 1–9 (2021).
Google Scholar
Dani, F. R., Jones, G. R., Destri, S., Spencer, S. H. & Turillazzi, S. Deciphering the recognition signature within the cuticular chemical profile of paper wasps. Anim. Behav. 62, 165–171 (2001).
Google Scholar
Lorenzi, M. C., Bagneres, A. G., Clément, J. L. & Turillazzi, S. Polistes biglumis bimaculatus epicuticular hydrocarbons and nestmate recognition (Hymenoptera Vespidae). Insectes Soc. 44, 123–138 (1997).
Google Scholar
Ruther, J., Sieben, S. & Schricker, B. Nestmate recognition in social wasps: manipulation of hydrocarbon profiles induces aggression in the European hornet. Naturwissenschaften 89, 111–114 (2002).
Google Scholar
Smith, A. A., Hölldobler, B. & Liebig, J. Cuticular hydrocarbons reliably identify cheaters and allow enforcement of altruism in a social insect. Curr. Biol. 19, 78–81 (2009).
Google Scholar
Ebsen, J. R., Boomsma, J. J. & Nash, D. R. Phylogeography and cryptic speciation in the Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander, 1846 species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and their conservation implications. Insect Conserv. Divers 12, 467–480 (2019).
Google Scholar
Ballinger, M. J., Moore, L. D. & Perlman, S. J. Evolution and diversity of inherited Spiroplasma symbionts in Myrmica ants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 84, e02299–17 (2018).
Google Scholar
Menzel, F. et al. Crematoenones – a novel substance class exhibited by ants functions as appeasement signal. Front. Zool. 10, 1–12 (2013).
Google Scholar
Qiu, H.-L., Qin, C.-S., Fox, E. G. P., Wang, D.-S. & He, Y.-R. Differential behavioral responses of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) workers toward nestmate and non-nestmate corpses. J. Ins. Sci. 20, 11 (2020).
Google Scholar
Martin, S. J., Vitikainen, E., Helanterä, H. & Drijfhout, F. P. Chemical basis of nest-mate discrimination in the ant Formica exsecta. Proc. R. Soc. B. 275, 1271–1278 (2008).
Google Scholar
Guerrieri, F. J. et al. Ants recognize foes and not friends. Proc. R. Soc. B. 276, 2461–2468 (2009).
Google Scholar
Gibbs, A. & Pomonis, J. G. Physical properties of insect cuticular hydrocarbons: the effects of chain lengths, methyl branching and unsaturation. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 112, 243–249 (1995).
Google Scholar
Menzel, F., Blaimer, B. B. & Schmitt, T. How do cuticular hydrocarbons evolve? Physiological constraints and climatic and biotic selection pressures act on a complex functional trait. Proc. R. Soc. B. 284, 20161727 (2017).
Google Scholar
Breed, M. D., Leger, E. A., Pearce, A. M. & Wang, Y. J. Comb wax effects on the ontogeny of honey bee nestmate recognition. Anim. Behav. 55, 13–20 (1998).
Google Scholar
Breed, M. D. & Stiller, T. M. Honey bee, Apis mellifera, nestmate discrimination: hydrocarbon effects and the evolutionary implications of comb choice. Anim. Behav. 43, 875–883 (1992).
Google Scholar
Akino, T., Yamamura, K., Wakamura, S. & Yamaoka, R. Direct behavioral evidence for hydrocarbons as nestmate recognition cues in Formica japonica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Appl. Entomol. Zool. 39, 381–387 (2004).
Google Scholar
Greene, M. J. & Gordon, D. M. Structural complexity of chemical recognition cues affects the perception of group membership in the ants Linepithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli. J. Exp. Biol. 210, 897–905 (2007).
Google Scholar
Casacci, L. P., Barbero, F., Ślipiński, P. & Witek, M. The inquiline ant Myrmica karavajevi uses both chemical and vibroacoustic deception mechanisms to integrate into its host colonies. Biology 10, 654 (2021).
Google Scholar
Bhatkar, A. & Whitcomb, W. Artificial diet for rearing various species of ants. Florid. Entomol. 53, 229–232 (1970).
Google Scholar
Espadaler X., Santamaria S. Ecto- and endoparasitic fungi on ants from the Holarctic region. Psyche 168478, 1–10 (2012).
Csata, E. et al. Comprehensive survey of Romanian myrmecoparasitic fungi: new species, biology and distribution. North West J. Zool. 9, 23–29 (2013).
Witek, M., Barbero, F. & Markó, B. Myrmica ants host highly diverse parasitic communities: from social parasites to microbes. Insectes Soc. 61, 307–323 (2014).
Google Scholar
Tragust, S., Tartally, A., Espadaler, X. & Billen, J. Histopathology of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales): ectoparasitic fungi on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecol. N. 23, 81–89 (2016).
Czekes, Z. et al. The genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Romania: distribution of species and key for their identification. Entomol. Rom. 17, 29–50 (2012).
Buczkowski, G. & Silverman, J. Context-dependent nestmate discrimination and the effect of action thresholds on exogenous cue recognition in the Argentine ant. Anim. Behav. 69, 741–749 (2005).
Google Scholar
Diez, L., Moquet, L. & Detrain, C. Post-mortem changes in chemical profile and their influence on corpse removal in ants. J. Chem. Ecol. 39, 1424–1432 (2013).
Google Scholar
Csata, E., Bernadou, A., Rákosy-Tican, E., Heinze, J. & Markó, B. The effects of fungal infection and physiological condition on the locomotory behaviour of the ant Myrmica scabrinodis. J. Insect Physiol. 98, 167–172 (2017).
Google Scholar
Moroń, D., Witek, M. & Woyciechowski, M. Division of labour among workers with different life expectancy in the ant Myrmica scabrinodis. Anim. Behav. 75, 345–350 (2008).
Google Scholar
Bernadou, A., Felden, A., Moreau, M., Moretto, P. & Fourcassié, V. Ergonomics of load transport in the seed harvesting ant Messor barbarus: morphology influences transportation method and efficiency. J. Exp. Biol. 219, 2920–2927 (2016).
Google Scholar
Keresztes, K. K., Csata, E., Lunka-Tekla, A. & Markó, B. Friend or foe? Differential aggression towards neighbors and strangers in the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sci. Entomol. 23, 351–358 (2020).
Google Scholar
Ratnasingham, S. & Hebert, P. D. BOLD: The Barcode of life data system. Mol. Ecol. Notes 7, 355–364, http://www.barcodinglife.org (2007).
Google Scholar
R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria (URL <http://www.R-project.org>) (2020).
Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B. & Walker, S. Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4. J. Stat. Soft. 67, 1–48 (2015).
Fox J., Weisberg S. Using car and effects Functions in Other Functions. Using Car Eff. Funct. Other Funct., 3, 1–5 (2020).
Hothorn, T., Bretz, F. & Westfall, P. Simultaneous inference in general parametric 312 models. Biom. J. 50, 346–363 (2008).
Google Scholar
Wickham H. ggplot2: elegant graphics for data analysis. (Springer Science & Business Media) (2009).
Source: Ecology - nature.com