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Berry Ant Mimic

Berry Ant Mimic. By: Melissa Neis Biology 4800. Examples of Other Parasite induced physiological changes. Leucochloridium: Metacercariae imitating caterpillars Whirling Disease: Black Tail Sacculina: Altering the ovary of females and turning the males female. Berry Ant Mimic.

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Berry Ant Mimic

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  1. Berry Ant Mimic By: Melissa Neis Biology 4800

  2. Examples of Other Parasite induced physiological changes • Leucochloridium: Metacercariae imitating caterpillars • Whirling Disease: Black Tail • Sacculina: Altering the ovary of females and turning the males female

  3. Berry Ant Mimic • Tetradonmatid Nematode: Myrmeconema neotropicum Ant: Cephalotes atratus • Studied most extensively in Panama

  4. Life Cycle

  5. Hypothesis for Possible Mimicry • Bird Predation • Other Physiological changes besides strictly appearance to aid in bird predation.

  6. Colour Wavelength

  7. Modes of Physical Change • Red colour of gaster • Decreased ant defence: Venom • Decreased body size • Increased Weight • Weakening of the nerve that attaches the gaster to the body

  8. Modes of Behavioural change • Sluggish Movement • Gaster Flagging or holding them higher • Ant Age

  9. Behavioural and Physical Change occur simultaneously • Gaster Colour change coordinates with: • Gaster flagging • No Alarm defences were present • Ants movement became sluggish • Less Aggressive

  10. Gaster Colour and Predation • The believed mechanism of the Gaster colour is attributed to: • Thinning of the gaster cuticle • Developing embryo's giving off a yellow colouration and secreting enzymes. • Predation on red and pink colours was tested using clay balls of multiple colours. • Researchers have also tested the preference of infected to infected by tethering ants to sticks and monitoring gaster removal.

  11. Forager Food Preference • Researcher examined all items collected by foragers : • Feces (68%) • Dead ants and insect parts (24%) • Brood: Eggs and Larvae (85%) • Unidentifiable Material (less than 1%)

  12. Interpretation • Reasoning behind fruit mimicry: • Ingested to continue life cycle • Reduced Defenses: • Increase ingestion by birds • Sluggish Behaviour • To increase amount being eaten as the birds are more likely to be alluded if the ants are more stationary

  13. Possible areas for Further Study • As this system is newly learned other areas of future study could include: • Co-adaptation of fruit mimicry with decrease in host defences and the mechanisms • Gaster Flagging: Parasite induced enzymes or general damage of the growing adults?

  14. References • Yanoviak et al. (2008). Parasite-Induced Fruit Mimicry in a Tropical Canopy Ant, 171(4), 536-544

  15. Questions

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