Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ANTS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

Fire ant venom hypersensitivity. I. Comparison of fire ant venom and whole body extract in the diagnosis of fire ant allergy.

Levels of IgE antibody to fire ant whole body extract (FA-WBE) and fire ant venom (FAV) were evaluated in 60 patients with clinical histories of fire ant sting hypersensitivity and 11 frequently stung individuals without significant clinical reactivity to fire ant. An overlap of levels of IgE antibody to FA-WBE and FAV was seen between groups of patients with increasingly severe clinical reactivity; however, the group mean IgE antibody level of patients without significant clinical reactivity differed markedly from the group means of patients with more severe clinical reactivity (p less than 0.001). In 31 patients a good correlation (r = 0.6935) was found comparing FA-WBE IgE antibody level with FA-WBE skin tests, and in 26 patients a good correlation (r = 0.8564) was obtained comparing FAV IgE antibody levels with FAV skin tests. An excellent Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r = 0.9197) was found on comparison of FAV and FA-WBE IgE antibody levels in 71 individuals. Cross-reactivity of FAV and FA-WBE was demonstrated by the ability of these reagents to competitively inhibit the binding of IgE antibody to solid-phase FA-WBE and FAV in the radioallergosorbent test (RAST). From these results we conclude that FAV and FA-WBE both contain relevant allergens important in fire ant-allergic individuals and that skin tests and RAST are both valid as diagnostic tests for fire ant allergy. Finally, there is a good correlation between RAST and skin tests using FA-WBE or FAV as test reagents, since these reagents are highly cross-reactive as demonstrated by their ability to inhibit each other in the RAST.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Some enzymic activities of two Australian ant venoms: a jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula and a bulldog ant Myrmecia pyriformis.

Venoms from two related Australian ants, a jumper ant (Myrmecia pilosula) and a bulldog ant (Myrmecia pyriformis), were quantitatively analysed for the following enzymic activities: phospholipase A2, phospholipase B, phospholipase C, hyaluronidase, esterase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and phosphodiesterase. Both venoms contained phospholipase A2, phospholipase B, hyaluronidase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Myrmecia pyriformis venom had significantly greater phospholipase B, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities than Myrmecia pilosula venom. No detectable quantities of phospholipase C, esterase or phosphodiesterase activities were found in either venom.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1996

Ant opsins: sequences from the Saharan silver ant and the carpenter ant.

cDNA clones encoding opsins from compound eyes of carpenter ant, Camponotus abdominalis, and Saharan silver ant, Cataglyphis bombycina, were isolated from cDNA libraries. The opsin cDNAs from each species code for deduced proteins with 378 amino acids which are 92% identical. Of the 30 amino acid differences between the two proteins, 13 are non-conservative. Eight of these non-conservative substitutions are within the membrane spanning domain. The presence of a potential Schiff-base counterion in helix III in both species suggests that these opsins are the protein moiety of the visible range pigments. When compared to all known opsins, these opsins are most similar to the opsin from preying mantis (76% identity at the amino acid level). Phyletic comparisons group the two ant opsins with the other arthropod long wavelength opsins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Impacts of residual insecticide barriers on perimeter-invading ants, with particular reference to the odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile.

Three liquid insecticide formulations were evaluated as barrier treatments against perimeter-invading ants at a multifamily housing complex in West Lafayette, IN. Several ant species were present at the study site, including (in order of abundance) pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum (L.); honey ant, Prenolepis imparis (Say); odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile (Say); thief ant, Solenopsis molesta (Say); acrobat ant, Crematogaster ashmeadi (Mayr); crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latrielle), field ants, Formica spp.; and carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer). Studies began in May 2001 and concluded 8 wk later in July. Individual replicate treatments were placed 0.61 in (2 feet) up and 0.92 m (3 feet) out from the ends of 46.1 by 10.1-m (151 by 33-foot) apartment buildings. Ant sampling was performed with 10 placements of moist cat food for 1 h within treatment zones, followed by capture and removal of recruited ants for later counting. All treatments led to substantial reductions in ant numbers relative to untreated controls. The most effective treatment was fipronil, where 2% of before-treatment ant numbers were present at 8 wk after treatment. Both imidacloprid and cyfluthrin barrier treatments had efficacy comparative with fipronil, but to 4 and 2 wk, respectively. Odorous house ants were not sampled before treatment. Comparisons of ant species composition between treatments and controls revealed an increase in odorous house ant frequencies at 1-8 wk after treatment in treated locations only. These results demonstrate efficacy for both nonrepellent and repellent liquid insecticides as perimeter treatments for pest ants. In addition, our findings with odorous house ant highlight an apparent invasive-like characteristic of this species that may contribute to its dramatic increase in structural infestation rates in many areas of the United States.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Aphid egg protection by ants: a novel aspect of the mutualism between the tree-feeding aphid Stomaphis hirukawai and its attendant ant Lasius productus.

Aphids often form mutualistic associations with ants, in which the aphids provide the ants with honeydew and the ants defend the aphids from predators. In this paper, we report aphid egg protection by ants as a novel aspect of the deeply interdependent relationship between a tree-feeding aphid and its attendant ant. The ant Lasius productus harbours oviparous females, males, and eggs of the hinoki cypress-feeding aphid Stomaphis hirukawai in its nests in winter. We investigated the behaviour of ants kept with aphid eggs in petri dishes to examine whether the ants recognise the aphid eggs and tend them or only provide a refuge for the aphids. Workers carried almost all of the aphid eggs into the nest within 24 h. The ants indiscriminately tended aphid eggs collected from their own colonies and those from other ant colonies. The ants cleaned the eggs and piled them up in the nest, and egg tending by ants dramatically increased aphid egg survival rates. Starving the ants showed no significant effect on aphid egg survivorship. Without ants, aphid eggs were rapidly killed by fungi. These results suggested that grooming by the ants protected the aphid eggs, at least, against pathogenic fungi. This hygienic service afforded by the ants seems indispensable for egg survival of these aphids in an environment rich in potentially pathogenic microorganisms.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2005

Catching ants with honey: an experimental test of distraction and satiation as alternative modes of escape from flower-damaging ants.

According to the distraction hypothesis, extrafloral nectaries (EFN) evolved under selection to entice ants away from floral nectaries, reducing ant-mediated damage to flowers and/or interference with pollinators. Predator-satiation, through production of nectar in either surplus flowers or EFN, provides an alternative mechanism for reducing the impact of ants as flower visitors. I tested these two hypotheses by experimentally adding EFN to flowering plants of the alpine wildflower, Polemonium viscosum, and by surveying the relationship between ant visitation and nectary number in nature. Plants of P. viscosum lack EFN and experience flower damage by ants of Formica neorufibarbus gelida. Ant behavior was compared on plants with five flowers and three experimental EFN and on controls with equal floral display, but no EFN. Addition of EFN increased flower visitation by ants. The effect of EFN on flower visitation did not depend on proximity of EFN to flowers or attractiveness of EFN to ants. Findings suggest that ants perceived patch quality on a whole plant basis, rather than responding to EFN and flowers as distinct nectar patches. Ant visitation did not keep pace with nectary number in nature. The relationship between ant visitation and nectary number per plant was weak and shallow as predicted under satiation. Ant foraging choices on experimental inflorescences showed that ants bypass flowers avoided by earlier ants, enhancing probability of escape via satiation. Results do not support the idea that EFN evolve to reduce flower visitation by ants, but show instead that nectar in surplus flowers can satiate ants and reduce their negative impacts on flower function and integrity.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2005

Response of Argentine ants and red imported fire ants to permethrin-impregnated plastic strips: foraging rates, colonization of potted soil, and differential mortality.

This study investigated the effects of the permethrin-impregnated plastic on ant mortality and foraging rates, and tested its potential for preventing ants from colonizing potted soil. Direct exposure to the plastic for as short as 1 min caused significant mortality of both red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr); however, red imported fire ants were more susceptible than Argentine ants. Knockdown of virtually all ants initially occurred within 15 min after exposure. However, some moribund ants recovered from the effects within 24 h. For example, after 1 min of direct exposure to the permethrin-impregnated plastic, 70% of Argentine ants and 5% of red imported fire ants recovered from the treatment. In established colonies of Argentine ants, significantly fewer ants foraged for food up posts treated with the plastic compared with untreated posts. In addition, colonies responded to introduction of the treatment by significantly reducing their overall foraging rates, even on untreated posts. When pots filled with moistened soil were introduced into established ant colonies, 82% of Argentine ants and 99% of red imported fire ants moved into the soil. In contrast, when a 1-cm-wide coil of the plastic was placed under the pot, no ants moved into the soil. The potential for use of these materials in nursery production is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Anaphylaxis to bull dog ant and jumper ant stings around Perth, Western Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the main causative species, reaction characteristics and geographical locations of ant sting anaphylaxis around Perth, Western Australia (WA). METHODS: Structured interviews were performed on a cohort of 10 patients referred to our Anaphylaxis Clinic who were allergic to ant venom, followed by field trips to collect ant specimens. A descriptive analysis of clinical data was performed. RESULTS: Around Perth, Myrmecia gratiosa, a bull dog ant, was the only species of stinging ant found around the locations where reactions had occurred (eight patients). To the south-west of Perth, species implicated were another bull dog ant Myrmecia nigriscapa (one patient), and a jumper ant Myrmecia ludlowi (one patient). Twelve reactions were documented as mild (one), moderate (seven) and severe with hypotension (four). In three bull dog ant venom allergic patients, specific IgE was analysed, demonstrating substantial cross-reactivity with other bull dog ant species. Clinical patterns of reaction severity and response to repeated stings were consistent with known features of insect sting allergy. CONCLUSIONS: A single species of bull dog ant, M. gratiosa, appears to be responsible for ant sting anaphylaxis around Perth. Further investigation is required for other regions of WA. The provision of effective immunotherapies for people allergic to native Australian ants might be simplified by the dominance of a limited number of ant species and IgE binding cross-reactivity between venoms, as was evident in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Conflict resolution in an ant-plant interaction: Acacia constricta traits reduce ant costs to reproduction.

Many plant species attract ants onto their foliage with food rewards or nesting space. However, ants can interfere with plant reproduction when they visit flowers. This study tests whether Acacia constricta separates visiting ant species temporally or spatially from newly opened inflorescences and pollinators. The diurnal activity patterns of ants and A. constricta pollinators peaked at different times of day, and the activity of pollinators followed the daily dehiscence of A. constricta inflorescences. In addition to being largely temporally separated, ants rarely visited open inflorescences. A floral ant repellent contributes to the spatial separation of ants and inflorescences. In a field experiment, ants of four species were given equal access to inflorescences in different developmental stages. On average, the frequency with which ants made initial, antennal contact with the floral stages did not differ, but ants significantly avoided secondary contact with newly opened inflorescences relative to buds and old inflorescences, and old inflorescences relative to buds. Ants also avoided contact with pollen alone, indicating that pollen is at least one source of the repellent. The results suggest A. constricta has effectively resolved the potential conflict between visiting ants and plant reproduction.

Acacia↗
PubMed2005

The effects of ants on the entomophagous butterfly caterpillar Feniseca tarquinius, and the putative role of chemical camouflage in the Feniseca-ant interaction.

Butterfly caterpillars in the lycaenid subfamily Miletinae are predators of ant-tended Homoptera, yet they lack specialized secretory and call-production organs crucial to ant association in other lycaenids. Here, we address the question of how miletine caterpillars have invaded the ant-Homoptera symbiosis through a study of the only New World miletine, Feniseca tarquinius, a predator of the wooly aphid Prociphilus tesselatus. Previous interpretations have suggested that F. tarquinius and other miletine caterpillars avoid ant aggression by concealing themselves under silken webs. In contrast, our field data indicate that F. tarquinius caterpillars are less likely to be concealed in the presence of the ants Camponotus pennsylvanicus and Formica obscuriventris than in the absence of ants, although caterpillar and ant behaviors vary between years. Chemical analysis and behavioral assays suggest that chemical camouflage, not physical concealment, is responsible for the ants' failure to detect and remove F. tarquinius caterpillars from aphid colonies. Analyses by gas chromatography indicate that the cuticular lipid composition of caterpillars are similar to that of their aphid prey, although it varies with prey species. Behavioral assays confirm that solvent extracts of F. tarquinius caterpillars and P. tesselatus aphids evoke similar behavioral responses in C. pennsylvanicus ants. Chemical camouflage is well known in social parasites of ants, but the present study represents one of a few documented cases where chemical deceit is important to interactions with ants outside the nest.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Evolution of ant-cultivar specialization and cultivar switching in Apterostigma fungus-growing ants.

Almost all of the more than 200 species of fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Attini) cultivate litter-decomposing fungi in the family Lepiotaceae (Basidiomycota: Agaricales). The single exception to this rule is a subgroup of ant species within the lower attine genus Apterostigma, which cultivate pterulaceous fungi distantly related to the Lepiotaceae. Comparison of cultivar and ant phylogenies suggests that a switch from lepiotaceous to pterulaceous fungiculture occurred only once in the history of the fungus-growing ants. This unique switch occurred after the origin of the genus Apterostigma, such that the basal Apterostigma lineages retained the ancestral attine condition of lepiotaceous fungiculture, and none of the Apterostigma lineages in the monophyletic group of pterulaceous fungiculturists are known to have reverted back to lepiotaceous fungiculture. The origin of pterulaceous fungiculture in attine ants may have involved a unique transition from the ancestral cultivation of litter-decomposing lepiotaceous fungi to the cultivation of wood-decomposing pterulaceous fungi. Phylogenetic analyses further indicate that distantly related Apterostigma ant species sometimes cultivate the same cultivar lineage, indicating evolutionarily frequent, and possibly ongoing, exchanges of fungal cultivars between Apterostigma ant species. The pterulaceous cultivars form two sister clades, and different Apterostigma ant lineages are invariably associated with, and thus specialized on, only one of the two cultivar clades. However, within clades Apterostigma ant species are able to switch between fungi. This pattern of broad specialization by attine ants on defined cultivar clades, coupled with flexible switching between fungi within cultivar clades, is also found in other attine lineages and appears to be a general phenomenon of fungicultural evolution in all fungus-growing ants.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

Adverse reactions to ants other than imported fire ants.

OBJECTIVE: To identify ants other than Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri reported to cause adverse reactions in humans. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a literature review to identify reports of medical reactions to ants other than S. invicta and S. richteri. Our review of medical and entomological literature on stinging ants was generated from MEDLINE and FORMIS, respectively, using the key words stinging ants and ant stings. The search was limited to articles in English published from 1966 to 2004 on MEDLINE and all years on FORMIS. We also present 3 new case reports of severe reactions to stings by 2 different species of ants, Pseudomyrmex ejectus and Hypoponera punctatissima. STUDY SELECTION: Articles that concerned anaphylactic (IgE-mediated) or anaphylactic-like (resembling anaphylaxis but mechanism unknown) immediate reactions to ant stings or bites were included in this review. RESULTS: Taken together, our data demonstrate that S. invicta and S. richteri are not alone in their capability to cause serious allergic or adverse reactions. A diverse array of ant species belonging to 6 different subfamilies (Formicinae, Myrmeciinae, Ponerinae, Ectatomminae, Myrmicinae, and Pseudomyrmecinae) and 10 genera (Solenopsis, Formica, Myrmecia, Tetramorium, Pogonomyrmex, Pachycondyla, Odontomachus, Rhytidoponera, Pseudomyrmex, and Hypoponera) have now been shown to have this capability. CONCLUSION: Awareness that species other than imported fire ants may cause severe reactions should lead to more rapid evaluation and treatment and further investigation of the medical entomology of these ants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The fitness consequences of bearing domatia and having the right ant partner: experiments with protective and non-protective ants in a semi-myrmecophyte.

The fitness advantage provided by caulinary domatia to myrmecophytes has never been directly demonstrated because most myrmecophytic species do not present any individual variation in the presence of domatia and the removal of domatia from entire plants is a destructive process. The semi-myrmecophytic tree, Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae), is an ideal species to investigate the selective advantage conferred by domatia because within the same population, some plants are devoid of domatia while others bear them. Several ant species patrol the plant for extra-floral nectar. Fruit production was found to be enhanced in domatia-bearing trees compared to trees devoid of domatia independent of the ant associate. However, this domatium effect was most conspicuous for trees associated with the populous and nomadic ant, Technomyrmex albipes. This species is a frequent associate of H. brunonis, inhabiting its domatia or building carton nests on it. Ant exclusion experiments revealed that T. albipes was the only ant to provide efficient anti-herbivore protection to the leaves of its host tree. Measures of ant activity as well as experiments using caterpillars revealed that the higher efficiency of T. albipes was due to its greater patrolling density and consequent shorter lag time in attacking the larvae. T. albipes also provided efficient anti-herbivore protection to flowers since fruit initiation was greater on ant-patrolled inflorescences than on those from which ants were excluded. We therefore demonstrated that caulinary domatia provide a selective advantage to their host-plant and that biotic defence is potentially the main fitness benefit mediated by domatia. However, it is not the sole advantage. The general positive effect of domatia on fruit set in this ant-plant could reflect other benefits conferred by domatia-inhabitants, which are not restricted to ants in this myrmecophyte, but comprise a large diversity of other invertebrates. Our results indicate that mutualisms enhance the evolution of myrmecophytism.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Non-native Ants Are Smaller than Related Native Ants.

I compare the sizes of non-native and native ants to evaluate how worker size may be related to the ability of a species to invade new habitats. I compare the size of 78 non-native ant species belonging to 26 genera with the size of native congeneric species; native ants are larger than non-native ants in 22 of 26 genera. Ants were sorted by genera into fighting and nonfighting groups, based on observations of interspecific interactions with other ant species. In all of the genera with monomorphic worker castes that fight during competition, the non-native species were smaller than the native species. The genera that engage in combat had a higher frequency of significantly smaller size in non-native ants. I selected Wasmannia auropunctata for further studies, to compare native and non-native populations. Specimens of W. auropunctata from non-native populations were smaller than conspecific counterparts from its native habitat. I consider hypotheses to explain why non-native ants are smaller in size than native ants, including the role of colony size in interspecific fights, changes in life history, the release from intraspecific fighting, and climate. The discovery that fighting non-natives are smaller than their closest native relatives may provide insight into the mechanisms for success of non-native species, as well as the role of worker size and colony size during interspecific competition.

Lanchester's laws↗
PubMed2001

Partial incompatibility between ants and symbiotic fungi in two sympatric species of Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants.

We investigate the nature and duration of incompatibility between certain combinations of Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants and symbiotic fungi, taken from sympatric colonies of the same or a related species. Ant-fungus incompatibility appeared to be largely independent of the ant species involved, but could be explained partly by genetic differences among the fungus cultivars. Following current theoretical considerations, we develop a hypothesis, originally proposed by S. A. Frank, that the observed incompatibilities are ultimately due to competitive interactions between genetically different fungal lineages, and we predict that the ants should have evolved mechanisms to prevent such competition between cultivars within a single garden. This requires that the ants are able to recognize unfamiliar fungi, and we show that this is indeed the case. Amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping further shows that the two sympatric Acromyrmex species share each other's major lineages of cultivar, confirming that horizontal transfer does occasionally take place. We argue and provide some evidence that chemical substances produced by the fungus garden may mediate recognition of alien fungi by the ants. We show that incompatibility between ants and transplanted, genetically different cultivars is indeed due to active killing of the novel cultivar by the ants. This incompatibility disappears when ants are force-fed the novel cultivar for about a week, a result that is consistent with our hypothesis of recognition induced by the resident fungus and eventual replacement of incompatibility compounds during force-feeding.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Circumvention of prey defense by a predator: ant lion vs. ant.

The pit-dwelling ant lion Myrmeleon carolinus, although topically sensitive to formic acid, is able to prey on formic acid-spraying ants (Camponotus floridanus). It kills the ants without inducing them to spray, and it sucks out the ant's body contents without puncturing the acid sac. Ordinarily, when Camponotus is attacked it retaliates by simultaneously biting and spraying, but it usually refrains from spraying until it has secured a grip with the mandibles. When Myrmeleon pulls Camponotus into the sand at the bottom of the pit, the ant is seemingly unable to grasp the ant lion and it is killed without being induced to spray. When feeding on the ant, the ant lion sucks up the contents of the nutrient-laden crop. How the ant lion differentiates between crop and acid sac, managing to spare the latter while rupturing the former, remains unknown.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

The ant's estimation of distance travelled: experiments with desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis.

Foraging desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, monitor their position relative to the nest by path integration. They continually update the direction and distance to the nest by employing a celestial compass and an odometer. In the present account we addressed the question of how the precision of the ant's estimate of its homing distance depends on the distance travelled. We trained ants to forage at different distances in linear channels comprising a nest entrance and a feeder. For testing we caught ants at the feeder and released them in a parallel channel. The results show that ants tend to underestimate their distances travelled. This underestimation is the more pronounced, the larger the foraging distance gets. The quantitative relationship between training distance and the ant's estimate of this distance can be described by a logarithmic and an exponential model. The ant's odometric undershooting could be adaptive during natural foraging trips insofar as it leads the homing ant to concentrate the major part of its nest-search behaviour on the base of its individual foraging sector, i.e. on its familiar landmark corridor.

Animal Migration↗
PubMed2001

Plant lock and ant key: pairwise coevolution of an exclusion filter in an ant-plant mutualism.

Although observations suggest pairwise coevolution in specific ant-plant symbioses, coevolutionary processes have rarely been demonstrated. We report on, what is to the authors' knowledge, the strongest evidence yet for reciprocal adaptation of morphological characters in a species-specific ant-plant mutualism. The plant character is the prostoma, which is a small unlignified organ at the apex of the domatia in which symbiotic ants excavate an entrance hole. Each myrmecophyte in the genus Leonardoxa has evolved a prostoma with a different shape. By performing precise measurements on the prostomata of three related myrmecophytes, on their specific associated ants and on the entrance holes excavated by symbiotic ants at the prostomata, we showed that correspondence of the plant and ant traits forms a morphological and behavioural filter. We have strong evidence for coevolution between the dimensions and shape of the symbiotic ants and the prostoma in one of the three ant-Leonardoxa associations.

Animals↗