2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The role of microparasites in the evolution of insect sociality
Project/Area Number |
13640626
|
Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
生態
|
Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
Principal Investigator |
TSUJI Mizuki University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Agriculture, Associate Professor, 助教授 (20222135)
|
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SATO Hiroki Forestry and Forest Research Institute, Faculty of Biology, Senior Researcher, 森林生物部, 主任研究員
|
Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
|
Keywords | Ants / Fungi / Red queen / Social evolution |
Research Abstract |
We examined the red-queen paradigm in social insects using ants.(1)Founding queens of Lasius japonidus showed a higher mortality when they are posed to found a nest in materials of established nests than those in two controls.Fungal pathogens seems the major case of the mortality, and at least five insect paihogenic fungi were isolated from the cadavers.(2)Workers of L. japonicus also showed a similar(but sometimes in the opposite)differential mortality, when they are exposed to soils from natal and alien nests.Genotype x genotype interaction, specific memorized immunity and stress to alien odor seemed possible factors for this.(3)Mortality of workers did not correlate to colony size in the laboratory.(4)Various fungal pathogens have been found in various new insects hosts.
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Research Products
(13 results)