金毛弓背蚁的巢穴结构、头宽频数分布及活动节律

对金毛弓背蚁Camponotus tonkinus Santschi的巢穴结构、工蚁头宽频数特征及巢外活动节律作了系统的观察和分析。发现金毛弓背蚁地下巢穴极为复杂,有纵横交错的通道系统和众多的小室,蚁后室位于巢穴底部,工蚁的头宽为连续性,范围在1.05-3.85mm,频数分布为不对称的单峰,头宽在1.4～2.Omm的个体最多,占总数的72.7%,晴朗天气里工蚁出入巢活动在上午和下午各有一个高峰,中午随温度升高金毛弓背蚁外出活动进入低谷.     

中国新记录种--暗足弓背蚁记述

记述弓背蚁属Camponotus Mayr 1中国新记录种,即暗足弓背蚁C．obscuripes Mayr。     

发现自印度的世界第三例具后胸腺的弓背蚁（膜翅目：蚁科：蚁亚科：弓背蚁族)

作者通过电镜观察等手段,发现并确认产于印度的绢毛弓背蚁Camponotus sericeus Fabricius为该属第3个具有后胸腺的物种,揭示了弓背蚁属物种缺乏后胸腺普遍规律基础上的特殊性,对阐明后胸腺在蚂蚁进化过程中的演化趋势和生物学意义具有参考价值。     

日本弓背蚁雄蚁生殖系统结构及其化学组成研究

【目的】雄蚁是蚂蚁巢群的重要成员,主要参与种群的繁殖。本文对日本弓背蚁Camponotus japonicus雄蚁的生殖系统结构及其化学组成进行了研究,拟为进一步开展雄蚁的生殖行为研究提供基础信息。【方法】利用光学和扫描电镜观察了雄蚁的生殖系统结构,并利用GC-MS方法分析了其化学组成。【结果】(1)雄蚁生殖系统包括1对附腺、1对输精管和射精管3部分,睾丸退化消失;附腺最为发达,肾形,乳白色;输精管简单细长,与附腺基部1/3处相连。扫描电镜下发现附腺表面平坦,包裹有发达的网状肌肉组织。(2)利用GC-MS方法检测到13种化学物质,主要以醛类、烃类和酸类为主,分别占29.31%、21.87%和20.56%,还有一些醇类(12.71%)和酯类(15.05%);含量最高的3种成分分别为十八烯醛(15.86%)、11-十六烯醛(13.45%)和9,12,15-十八碳三烯酸-2,3-二羟基丙酯(11.78%)。【结论】雄蚁生殖系统主要由附腺、输精管和射精管三部分组成,其中附腺最为发达,输精管细长,睾丸退化消失;生殖系统中含有多种化学成分,但其功能还有待于进一步的研究。     

日本弓背蚁亲系识别的研究

亲系识别在社会昆虫活动中具有重要作用 ,为当前社会昆虫学研究中的五大热点之一。本文对采自西安地区 4巢日本弓背蚁 Camponotusjaponicus Mayr进行了进攻性行为测试 ,并结合酯酶、苹果酸脱氢酶同工酶电泳对亲系识别进行了综合研究。结果显示行为识别与同工酶电泳反应出的亲缘关系有一定相关性。     

日本弓背蚁颊下囊内含物中细菌的组成研究

【目的】颊下囊是蚂蚁口前腔中一个特殊的袋状结构,在蚂蚁取食过程中,固体食物和其它颗粒在进入食道前被过滤在颊下囊中,稍后被蚂蚁从口前腔排出,这种过滤机制保证了主要利用液体食物的蚂蚁整个消化道的畅通。本文旨在揭示蚂蚁颊下囊结构及其内含物中存在的细菌类群及其可能在蚂蚁的消化、清洁以及其它方面发挥的潜在作用。【方法】利用扫描电镜确定了日本弓背蚁颊下囊在蚂蚁头部的位置及其形状,然后采用传统的细菌分离培养与细菌16S r RNA基因序列分析相结合的方法进行了颊下囊内含物以及蚁巢内土壤样品细菌的分离培养研究。【结果】(1)颊下囊位于蚂蚁口腔的后侧,呈袋状结构,内部含有大量的固体颗粒物质;(2)3个蚁巢工蚁颊下囊内含物每克样品中可培养细菌的菌落总数(cfu/g)数量差异较大,并且显著大于同巢土壤样品的细菌cfu/g数量;(3)从3个蚁巢的工蚁颊下囊内含物中共分离到11属的细菌,分别隶属于厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)和γ-变形菌纲(γ-Proteobacteria)三大类群,其中放线菌门细菌为优势类群;在属级水平上,巢1和巢2工蚁颊下囊内含物中的优势菌群为微杆菌属,分别占47.83%和49.73%,巢3优势菌群为不动杆菌属和微杆菌属,分别占37.27%和30%;3个蚁巢土壤样品优势菌均为芽孢杆菌属,分别占各自分离总菌落数的49.69%、56.22%和44.79%。(4)蚁巢土壤中所分离出的细菌均能在同巢工蚁的颊下囊内含物中分离得到,但同一蚁巢蚂蚁颊下囊内含物与其巢内土壤的细菌组成存在明显差异;不同蚁巢蚂蚁颊下囊内含物的细菌组成也存在明显差异。【结论】蚂蚁的颊下囊中存在丰富的细菌种类,在蚁巢土壤中分离到的细菌均能在颊下囊中发现,而在颊下囊中分离到的部分细菌并没有在相应的蚁巢土壤样品中分离到。     

日本弓背蚁肠道细菌群落的季节特征

[目的]在长期的进化过程中,蚂蚁和微生物之间建立了复杂的联系,尤其肠道微生物对蚂蚁的食性进化和物种分化产生了巨大的影响.弓背蚁属Camponotus蚂蚁消化道内普遍存在内共生菌Blochmannia及其他肠道细菌,这些细菌在寄主蚂蚁营养补充方面发挥了重要的作用,此外肠道微生物对食物类型的变化十分敏感,这些信息可能有助于调查寄主蚂蚁在不同季节的取食习性.本研究旨在揭示弓背蚁属蚂蚁肠道微生物是否存在季节特征.[方法]采用16S rRNA-RFLP方法分析比较了了2个日本弓背蚁蚁巢(巢1和2)的工蚁在4个月份时间点(2012年6月12日,8月15日和10月10日,2013年4月15日)的肠道茵群组成.[结果]在8个样品中共发现了17个属的细菌和1种未知细菌,弓背蚁属蚂蚁特有的内共生茵Blochmannia是优势细菌,出现在所有样品中,占67.1％～98.8％;假单胞菌属Pseudomonas和肠杆菌属Enterobacter在大多数的样本中都检测到,其他属的细菌则零星分布在个别样品中,只占较低的比例.两个蚁巢工蚁肠道茵群在4个月份没有呈现一致的变化趋势,都具有低的细菌多样性.在巢1中,4月和10月的肠道细菌多样性相对较高,在6月和8月较低;而在巢2中,8月的肠道细菌多样性明显高于4,6和10月.两个蚁巢6月和10月的肠道茵群组成相似,但是8月和4月差异较大.[结论]日本弓背蚁两个蚁巢的工蚁肠道菌群组成和多样性都随季节产生变化,但是没有呈现一致的变化趋势,没有表现出明显的季节特征.     

弓背蚁属蚂蚁初级内共生菌Blochmannia的研究进展

昆虫与其体内细菌的互利共生关系是近十余年来生物学家关注的热点领域,也是研究物种间协同进化的理想模型.Blochmannia是蚁科弓背蚁属Camponotus蚂蚁体内的初级内共生菌,作为最早被描述的动物与细菌之间的共生关系,Blochmannia在帮助宿主蚂蚁合成食物中所缺少的必需营养物质、维持生长发育、繁殖和营养代谢等...     

日本弓背蚁亲系识别的研究：攻击行为测试与RAPD PCR分析

亲系识别在社会性昆虫繁衍、维持社群的生命力和个体间的通讯协作等方面具有重要作用。不少学者已应用气相色谱和行为观察方法分析了几种社会性昆虫的亲系识别现象、识别能力及其化学本质 ,但在揭示其遗传背景方面的研究较少[1～ 3] 。作者对采自西安地区陕西师范大学校园和长安县不同巢穴的日本弓背蚁进行了攻击行为测试和ＲＡＰＤ ＰＣＲ分析 ,旨在探讨它们的亲系识别能力及其遗传背景。1　材料与方法1 1　实验蚂蚁实验所用日本弓背蚁Ｃａｍｐｏｎｏｔｕｓｊａｐａｎｉｃｕｓ大型工蚁 (即兵蚁 )于 1997年 5月分别采自陕西师范大学校园、陕…     

日本弓背蚁消化道厌氧细菌的分离培养

【目的】采用自行设置的厌氧装置,分离培养日本弓背蚁Camponotus japonicus消化道厌氧细菌。【方法】改进了一种简易的厌氧装置——平皿夹层法,利用4种培养基对日本弓背蚁消化道内厌氧或兼性厌氧菌进行分离培养。【结果】从日本弓背蚁消化道共分离到22个不同的菌株,隶属于厚壁菌门、放线菌门和变形菌门3大类群的17个属;4种培养基分离到的细菌种类存在明显差异,选择性较强,其中从LB和牛肉膏蛋白胨培养基上分离到的细菌种类较多,分别为10种和8种;从MRS和LBS培养基上分离到的细菌较少,分别为3种和1种;大工蚁和小工蚁的消化道细菌组成也存在差异,可能与其在巢群中担负的功能和职责有关,还有待于进一步研究分析。【结论】利用平皿夹层法可以成功分离到日本弓背蚁肠道的厌氧细菌,该种方法对于其他昆虫消化道厌氧菌的分离培养具有一定的参考价值。     

Juvenile hormone in adult eusocial hymenoptera: Gonadotropin and behavioral pacemaker

Studies on the role of juvenile hormone (JH) in adult social Hymenoptera have focused on the regulation of two fundamental aspects of colony organization: reproductive division of labor between queens and workers and age-related division of labor among workers. JH acts as a gonadotropin in the primitively eusocial wasp and bumble bee species studied, and may also play this role in the advanced eusocial fire ants. However, there is no evidence that JH acts as a traditional gonadotropin in the advanced eusocial honey bee or in the few other ant species that have recently begun to be studied. The role of JH in age-related division of labor has been most thoroughly examined in honey bees. Results of these studies demonstrate that JH acts as a “behavioral pacemaker,” influencing how fast a worker grows up and makes the transition from nest activities to foraging. Hypotheses concerning the evolutionary relationship between the two functions of JH in adult eusocial Hymenoptera are discussed. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 35:559–583, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Worker Age, Ovary Development, and Temporal Polyethism in the Swarm-Founding Wasp Polybia occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

I measured oocyte sizes of Polybia occidentalis workers to assess whether ovary development corresponded with adult age or with individual variation in behavior. Workers exhibited temporal polyethism by first working inside the nest, then performing on-nest tasks, and later foraging and defending the nest. Individuals varied in their ages at first performance of each of these sets of behavioral acts. Ovary development corresponded strongly with adult age. Workers' ovaries declined quickly after an initial phase of partial development. The period of ovary decline overlapped with the age range at which most workers began performing tasks on the exterior nest surface. However, after accounting for age effects, individual behavioral differences (rate of temporal polyethism and performance of foraging and defense tasks) did not correspond with ovary development. These data suggest that ovary development had little or no effect on variation in task performance by P. occidentalis workers on the nest surface.     

非编码RNA调控真社会性昆虫品级分化和个体分工的研究进展

真社会性昆虫是最具代表性的表型可塑性的研究对象之一,其个体之间分工协作的社会性生活方式增强了整个群体的环境适应性和繁殖力。真社会性昆虫虽然具有相同的遗传背景,个体之间却表现出明显的品级分化和个体分工,这是由环境和遗传共同影响的。表观遗传被认为是应对环境条件下重塑基因表达的主要机制,非编码RNA作为一类广泛参与机体生命活动的不编码蛋白的功能性RNA,在真社会性昆虫的品级分化、个体分工等方面起着重要的调控作用。本文从微小RNA、长链非编码RNA、环状RNA、与PIWI蛋白相作用的RNA等非编码RNA,对蜜蜂、蚂蚁及白蚁等真社会性昆虫的非编码RNA调控机制研究进展进行了综述,以加深对真社会性昆虫内在遗传分子基础的理解和认识,也为害虫防治领域提供新的研发视角。     

Demand for Task Performance and Workforce Replacement: Undertakers in Honeybee, Apis mellifera, Colonies

Undertakers are a specialized task group of honey bees that remove dead bees from the colony. The mean adult age of undertakers is 12.5 days; this is similar to that of other specialized task groups, such as guards. The mean number of undertakers in colonies was 544. However, because the number of bees expressing this behavior is dependent on the demand for task performance, undertaker estimates vary depending on the experimental technique. Increasing the demand for undertaking resulted in more bees engaging in the task. Depleting the number of undertakers by removal of bees carrying corpses resulted in new bees assuming undertaking duties. These results support a response-threshold model for engagement of worker bees in task performance.     

Effects of physiological condition and experience on oviposition behaviour of Trichogramma australicum Girault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on eggs of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

We produced an ethogram for and investigated effects of physiological condition and experience on oviposition behaviour for Trichogramma australicum on Helicoverpa armigera eggs. The data, coupled with the ethogram, have enabled the establishment of standard behavioural categories which can be used to assess acceptability of H. armigera eggs to T. australicum reared in vitro or in eggs of other species. Physiological and experiential conditions were investigated using females of three different ages (0–24, 24–48 and 48–72 h old), two types of sexual states (mated and unmated) and two types of ovipositional experience (naive and experienced). Durations of host finding, host examination, and post-ovipositional re-examination were reduced by oviposition experience and were shorter in younger females (0–48 h old). Oviposition experience reduces the duration of the drilling and percentage of females host-feeding. Being mated and young reduces the host examination time in subsequent oviposition bouts. Only ovipositionally inexperienced females host-feed before oviposition and host-fed more frequently than experienced individuals after oviposition. Host-feeding needs consideration for optimal culture.     

Division of labor inPonera pennsylvannica (Formicidae: Ponerinae)

Summary We examined division of labor and colony demography in the antPonera pennsylvannica. Observation of three colonies with individually marked workers revealed a high degree of interindividual behavioral variation and a rough but consistent division of labor between brood tenders and foragers. This division was present both in colonies consisting entirely of workers produced in the previous summer and in colonies containing freshly eclosed ants. Two colonies showed typical age-based polyethism, with young ants focusing on brood care and overwintered ants on foraging. No such age basis was detected in the third colony. This difference may relate to variability in brood production schedules. Colonies showing temporal polyethism had two peaks of brood production and thus had relatively large brood populations when the first young workers eclosed, while the third colony had only one peak and little brood for the young workers to tend. Even if young ants have a lower threshold for brood care, it may have been concealed in the latter situation. Demographic data indicate that natural colonies produce one brood per year and that workers typically eclose into colonies with relatively low brood care demands. This suggests that overwintered workers do most of a colony's work and that the division of labor among overwintered ants is the more important one under natural conditions. The basis of this division is as yet unknown. These results also suggest that small colony size, univoltine brood schedule and a close association between foraging and brood care do not preclude division of labor among specialized castes, as has been suggested for another ponerine species (Traniello 1978).