Diversity and evolution of chemical composition of cuticle in leaf-cutter ants (Formicidae: Attini: Atta-Genus group)

• Grant number: 15/17358-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: August 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Santos do Nascimento
• Grantee: Diego Santana Assis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/18974-2 - Co-evolution of Attina cuticular hydrocarbons and chemical compounds of their symbiotic fungi, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Individual recognition mechanism among members of colonies is the main factor to ecologic sucess in social insects. Social insects use an elegant system of acceptance and rejection of cospecifics, through a complex mechanism of comparison of cuticular hydrocarbons' profiles (CHCs). CHCs are species-specific and highly discriminant. This high chemical specificity has been used as an extra tool in taxonomy to building phylogenetics trees and for biodiversity studies. Moreover, serveral authors had been used the CHCs to increase their results and corroborate genetic and mophological data, to studies of diversity and taxonomy. The aims of this work are: (1) analyse the chemical diversity of CHCs; (2) to contrast the phylogenetic tree of Atta-genus group by the use of CHCs; (3) test the congruence among phylogenetic data, obtained for CHCs profile analysis, with morphological and molecular data in the literature; (4) analyse the variation of CHCs in the Atta-genus group's genera collected in the Brazilian biomes, through identification of factors that have more influence in chemical composition in these sites; (5) contribute to understanding of diversity and evolution of interindividual recognition of ants, specifically Atta-genus group. (AU)

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PRATO, AMANDA; DA SILVA, RAFAEL C.; ASSIS, DIEGO S.; MATEUS, SIDNEI; HARTFELDER, KLAUS; DO NASCIMENTO, FABIO S.. Juvenile hormone affects age polyethism, ovarian status and cuticular hydrocarbon profile in workers of the wasp Polybia occidentalis. Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 224, n. 13, JUL 2021. (15/17358-0, 18/10996-0, 18/22461-3, 16/11887-4)

DA SILVA, R. C.; ASSIS, D. S.; DE SOUZA, A. R.; NASCIMENTO, F. S.; GIANNOTTI, E.. Notes on Brood Morphology and Development of the Neotropical Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). Sociobiology, v. 67, n. 2, p. 301-307, JUN 2020. (18/22461-3, 18/10996-0, 15/17358-0)

ASSIS, D. S.; MORRIS, S.; NASCIMENTO, F. S.. "Empty spaces 'Where' we are living for" - First record of Dinoponera quadriceps reusing nests of Atta sexdens. Sociobiology, v. 64, n. 1, p. 3-pg., 2017-03-01. (15/17358-0)

ASSIS, D. S.; MORRIS, S.; NASCIMENTO, F. S.. ``Empty spaces `Where' we are living for{''} - First record of Dinoponera quadriceps reusing nests of Atta sexdens. Sociobiology, v. 64, n. 1, p. 130-132, MAR 2017. (15/17358-0)

ASSIS, DIEGO SANTANA; RODRIGUES CAMARGO, GIOVANNI ABRAMI; BARRIOS, KATTY; TANNURE-NASCIMENTO, IVELIZE C.; DO NASCIMENTO, FABIO SANTOS. Neighbor colonies affect level of foraging in the generalist ant Pheidole oxyops (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST, v. 104, n. 2, p. 71-76, JUN 2021. (15/17358-0, 15/25301-9)

DA SILVA, R. C.; PRATO, A. S.; ASSTS, D. S.; NASCIMENTO, F. S.. Occurrence and nesting behavior of social wasps in an anthropized environment. Sociobiology, v. 66, n. 2, p. 381-388, JUN 2019. (18/22461-3, 16/11887-4, 18/10996-0, 15/17358-0)