Presentation Details
| Farming Under Pressure: How Stress Affects Cooperative Defensive Mutualism in Western Thatch Ants Emily Lara Harding1, Chloe Loveland1, Joshua B.Grinath2, Jessica A.Cusick1. 1Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, USA.2Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA |
Abstract
Environmental stressors can influence behaviors needed for mutualistic relationships. In defensive mutualism, stress could affect individuals’ ability to cooperate to defend their mutualistic partner. Thatch ants (Formica obscuripes) engage in defensive mutualism with honeydew-producing aphids: ants aggressively defend aphids from predators in exchange for the sugary compounds aphids produced. Simulated stress affects the degree of ant aggressiveness during aphid defense, but how stress affects ant cooperation during defense is unclear. To investigate how simulated stress affects ant recruitment and group defense of aphids, we exposed thatch ants tending aphids (n=9 control, n=8 stress) to a freeze-dried ladybeetle (an aphid predator) for one minute across two time points during the summer. We scored how many ants were engaged, when other ants joined, and whether antennation occurred when joining. The maximum number of ants attacking lady beetles during the first timepoint increased slightly during the second time point. Ants joined without contact less in stressed colonies. Our study gives us insight into how stressors may impact crucial aspects of cooperative defensive behavior.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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