Chemical Strategies of Myrmecophilous Insects Can Vary According to the Intensity of Interactions with Ants.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07516
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Osaka Kyoiku University
• Principal Investigator: INUI Yoko 大阪教育大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (10343261)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 好蟻性 / 化学偽装

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.

Free Research Field

昆虫生態学・化学生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アリは熱帯でも温帯でも、昆虫のなかでも特に現存量が多く同所的に多くの種がみられ、多様な動植物と密接な関係を結ぶ。アリとの共生系は被食防衛型や栄養依存型などさまざまで、アリの攻撃（防衛）強度も種によってさまざまである。こうしたアリの多様性に応じて、アリを利用する昆虫の化学戦略も多様であるのだと考えられる。化学的戦略の変異は、好蟻性昆虫の多様化の要因である可能性が高い。生態化学物質が介在する種間関係の多様性は、生物多様性の文脈であまり注目されないが、多種が共存するメカニズムの一端を担っていると考えられる。