Exploring life-history and symbiotic strategy of social insect symbiont using X-ray CT

2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22F21392
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: 丸山 宗利 九州大学, 総合研究博物館, 准教授 (80512186)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): LIANG WEI-REN 九州大学, 総合研究博物館, 外国人特別研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-22 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Social insect / Myrmecophile / Termitophile / Micro-CT

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This research describes the development of a practical comparative workflow to investigate the life-histories and symbiotic strategies of social insect symbionts using a non-destructive high-resolution micro-CT. We have selected a set of indicator traits and tested their performance for micro-CT imaging to determine their significance as indicators. This research indicates promising results, and we are currently in the process of selecting a set of suitable indicators to apply to a wide range of rare symbiont taxa. The study aims to provide researchers with valuable tools to investigate social insect symbionts, fill knowledge gaps in their ecology, and develop simulation models to answer specific questions related to their symbiotic ecology.

Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

This research describes the development of a practical comparative workflow to investigate the life-histories and symbiotic strategies of social insect symbionts using a non-destructive high-resolution micro-CT. We have selected a set of indicator traits and tested their performance for micro-CT imaging to determine their significance as indicators. This research indicates promising results, and we are currently in the process of selecting a set of suitable indicators to apply to a wide range of rare symbiont taxa. The study aims to provide researchers with valuable tools to investigate social insect symbionts, fill knowledge gaps in their ecology, and develop simulation models to answer specific questions related to their symbiotic ecology.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

Moving forward, our plan is to continue developing a practical methodology for investigating the enigmatic ecology of social insect symbiont based on X-ray micro-CT. We will create a comprehensive publicly accessible database 3D models of all functional traits examined. Using this database, we will build a predictive model of the symbiont's life-history and symbiotic strategy, applying selected indicators to a wide range of rare symbiont taxa. Our goal is to gain biological data to use in simulation models to answer specific questions related to the symbiotic ecology of myrmecophilous and termitophilous species. In summary, our future work aims to provide a valuable tool for researchers, fill knowledge gaps in social insect symbionts, and expand our understanding of their ecology.