Effect of Mature Colony Density on Colonization and Initial Colony Survivorship in Atta capiguara, a Leaf-Cutting Ant

Biotropica ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. G. Fowler ◽  
S. W. Robinson ◽  
J. Diehl
Keyword(s):  
Colony Density ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Mature Colony

Antibiotic-producing bacteria associated with the nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa

Planta Medica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
EA Silva-Junior ◽  
CR Paludo ◽  
FS Nascimento ◽  
CR Currie ◽  
J Clardy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Atta Sexdens Rubropilosa ◽  
Leaf Cutting

Traffic Dynamics of the Leaf-Cutting Ant, Atta cephalotes

2002 ◽  
Vol 159 (3) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Burd ◽  
Archer ◽  
Aranwela ◽  
Stradling
Keyword(s):  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Traffic Dynamics ◽  
Leaf Cutting

scholarly journals Fungal-Fungal Interactions in Leaf-Cutting Ant Agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunshine A. Van Bael ◽  
Catalina Estrada ◽  
William T. Wcislo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Tropical Plants ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Symbiotic Fungi ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Many organisms participate in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, yet studies of symbioses typically have focused on the reciprocal costs and benefits within a particular host-symbiont pair. Recent studies indicate that many ecological interactions involve alliances of symbionts acting together as mutualistic consortia against other consortia. Such interacting consortia are likely to be widespread in nature, even if the interactions often occur in a cryptic fashion. Little theory and empirical data exist concerning how these complex interactions shape ecological outcomes in nature. Here, we review recent work on fungal-fungal interactions between two consortia: (i) leaf-cutting ants and their symbiotic fungi (the latter grown as a food crop by the former) and (ii) tropical plants and their foliar endophytes (the cryptic symbiotic fungi within leaves of the former). Plant characteristics (e.g., secondary compounds or leaf physical properties of leaves) are involved in leaf-cutting ant preferences, and a synthesis of published information suggests that these plant traits could be modified by fungal presence. We discuss potential mechanisms for how fungal-fungal interactions proceed in the leaf-cutting ant agriculture and suggest themes for future research.

scholarly journals Development of an Image Analysis Pipeline to Estimate Sphagnum Colony Density in the Field

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 840
Author(s):  
Willem Q. M. van de Koot ◽  
Larissa J. J. van Vliet ◽  
Weilun Chen ◽  
John H. Doonan ◽  
Candida Nibau
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Important Determinant ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Analysis Pipeline ◽  
Colony Density ◽  
Water Table Management ◽  
And Performance

Sphagnum peatmosses play an important part in water table management of many peatland ecosystems. Keeping the ecosystem saturated, they slow the breakdown of organic matter and release of greenhouse gases, facilitating peatland’s function as a carbon sink rather than a carbon source. Although peatland monitoring and restoration programs have increased recently, there are few tools to quantify traits that Sphagnum species display in their ecosystems. Colony density is often described as an important determinant in the establishment and performance in Sphagnum but detailed evidence for this is limited. In this study, we describe an image analysis pipeline that accurately annotates Sphagnum capitula and estimates plant density using open access computer vision packages. The pipeline was validated using images of different Sphagnum species growing in different habitats, taken on different days and with different smartphones. The developed pipeline achieves high accuracy scores, and we demonstrate its utility by estimating colony densities in the field and detecting intra and inter-specific colony densities and their relationship with habitat. This tool will enable ecologists and conservationists to rapidly acquire accurate estimates of Sphagnum density in the field without the need of specialised equipment.

Rates of growth of the food fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on different substrates gathered by the ants

1979 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mudd ◽  
G. L. Bateman
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Plant Material ◽  
Growth Inhibitors ◽  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Leaf Extracts ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Rates Of Growth

AbstractGrowth of the food fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes (L.) on extracts of plants selected by the ants was shown to be affected by the plant species, the pH of the extract, the concentration of the sap or plant extract and pretreatment of the substrate by the ants. It was not possible to establish an unambiguous relationship between the rate of growth of the fungus on leaf extracts and the foraging preferences of the ants for the leaves. There were indications, however, that the fungus grows most rapidly on extracts of plant material preferred by A. cephalotes. Relative growth rates of the fungus on different substrates may be related to the presence of growth inhibitors rather than to nutrient availability.

scholarly journals Ammonia Production by Streptomyces Symbionts of Acromyrmex Leaf-Cutting Ants Strongly Inhibits the Fungal Pathogen Escovopsis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1622
Author(s):  
Basanta Dhodary ◽  
Dieter Spiteller
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Strong Activity ◽  
Streptomyces Sp ◽  
Mutualistic Symbiosis ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Leucoagaricus Gongylophorus ◽  
Production Of Ammonia

Leaf-cutting ants live in mutualistic symbiosis with their garden fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus that can be attacked by the specialized pathogenic fungus Escovopsis. Actinomyces symbionts from Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants contribute to protect L. gongylophorus against pathogens. The symbiont Streptomyces sp. Av25_4 exhibited strong activity against Escovopsis weberi in co-cultivation assays. Experiments physically separating E. weberi and Streptomyces sp. Av25_4 allowing only exchange of volatiles revealed that Streptomyces sp. Av25_4 produces a volatile antifungal. Volatile compounds from Streptomyces sp. Av25_4 were collected by closed loop stripping. Analysis by NMR revealed that Streptomyces sp. Av25_4 overproduces ammonia (up to 8 mM) which completely inhibited the growth of E. weberi due to its strong basic pH. Additionally, other symbionts from different Acromyrmex ants inhibited E. weberi by production of ammonia. The waste of ca. one third of Acomyrmex and Atta leaf-cutting ant colonies was strongly basic due to ammonia (up to ca. 8 mM) suggesting its role in nest hygiene. Not only complex and metabolically costly secondary metabolites, such as polyketides, but simple ammonia released by symbionts of leaf-cutting ants can contribute to control the growth of Escovopsis that is sensitive to ammonia in contrast to the garden fungus L. gongylophorus.

Parasitism of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta bisphaerica by phorid flies: biology and seasonal and inter‐colonial parasitism rates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos A.L. Bragança ◽  
Hendria C. Martins ◽  
Rafael J. Oliveira ◽  
Terezinha M.C. Della Lucia
Keyword(s):  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Phorid Flies
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