| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Ants form and maintain highly exclusive societies, making them extremely troublesome predators for other insects. However, once an insect successfully infiltrates an ant colony, it becomes a safe haven from other predators. Some myrmecophilous insects camouflage the chemicals host ants use for nestmate recognition to hack the ant colony. This chemical camouglage has been considered as an essential strategy for penetrating host ant colonies. However, this study demonstrates that insects employ various chemical strategies, not only mimicking the host ant's nestmate chemicals but also engaging in plant mimicry to blend in with the ant's host plant, or using chemical propaganda by spreading their own chemicals throughout the colony to harmonize with the ants. These chemical strategies reflect the symbiotic relationship with ants and the varying intensity of these interactions.
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