Deciphering the chemical, morphological, and behavioral mechanism of the symbiosis between the beetle Lomechusa emarginata (Paykull, 1789) and its host ant, Formica fusca Linnaeus, 1758

• Grant number: 22/11082-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Santos do Nascimento
• Grantee: Luan Dias Lima
• Supervisor: Tom Wenseleers
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Leuven, Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/00984-7 - Chemical strategies of myrmecophiles to deal with ants: a multidisciplinary approach, BP.PD

Abstract

Ants, due to their social habitat, compose one of the main groups of predator organisms in terrestrial ecosystems. Nevertheless, many groups of organisms can live in symbiosis with ants without being attacked (myrmecophily) with interactions varying from mutualism to parasitism. Among the arthropods, the beetles (Coleoptera) are probably the most diverse order of myrmecophilous insects. However, little is known about the chemical interface of these systems, which is important as ants use predominantly chemical cues in communication. This project aims to fill this gap by examining the role of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles and volatiles in interactions between beetle larvae and ants. Specifically, the hypothesis that larvae of the parasite beetle Lomechusa emarginata (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) with obligate myrmecophily with Formica fusca use chemical mimicry as a strategy to infiltrate colonies of its host ants will be tested. For this purpose, the aim is to study the CHC profiles of the larvae and their associated ants as well as the volatile compounds released by the beetle larva in a comparative way to decipher the role of the chemical compounds involved. Moreover, aspects of the ultrastructure of the external tegument and histology of the myrmecophilous organs of these beetles integrating morphology and function will be analyzed. In this project, fieldwork, chemical analysis, morphological descriptions, bioassays in laboratory conditions, and genetic diversity analysis will be performed. The data will be analyzed to better understand the role of the chemical interface in the evolution of myrmecophily in beetles. Furthermore, the results will be analyzed and discussed abroad in a laboratory of excellence. (AU)