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.     

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。     

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…     

金毛弓背蚁行为谱与社会分工的研究

本研究在室内模拟自然蚁巢的结构和条件下,使用个体标记和直接观察法对一巢金毛弓背蚁Componotus tonkinus的行为类型和社会分工进行了研究。共34只来自同一巢穴的工蚁被标记。在持续一周的观察过程中对每只蚂蚁所执行的每种行为的频率进行了统计和聚类分析。结果表明：金毛弓背蚁可以区分出12种基本行为类型;该蚂蚁的成员大致可以分为5个功能组, 即繁殖（蚁后1个）、觅食（由10个工蚁组成,主要负责觅食）、巢穴内的维护及护育（由16个工蚁组成,主要负责巢穴的维修、清理及护育）、巢穴的防卫（包括3个工蚁,行巢穴防卫）及不活跃型（含5个工蚁）。     

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。     

日本弓背蚁视叶中5-羟色胺阳性神经元的分布

采用树脂石腊(Colophony-paraffin,CP)组织包埋切片技术和链霉菌抗生物素蛋白—过氧化酶(Streptavidin-peroxidase,SP)免疫组织化学方法,研究了5—HT能神经元在日本弓背蚁(Componotus japonicus)视叶中的分布。5—HT阳性纤维起源于少量的细胞体,但在其视叶不同纤维网中有广泛的分布,呈现明显的静脉曲张状。染色强度在3个视觉纤维网各不相同,并出现分层现象。结果表明5—HT是在大面积神经丛区域,而不是在局部神经丛区域起作用[动物学报49(2)：224—229,2003]。     

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。     

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、繁殖和营养代谢等方面发挥重要作用。本文从Blochmannia的分布规律、母系传播、基因组特征及其功能等方面进行综述,以期为相关研究提供参考和借鉴。     

Population and colony structure of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus

The colony and population structure of the carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, were investigated by multilocus DNA fingerprinting using simple repeat motifs as probes [e.g. (GATA)₄]. The mating frequency of 15 queens was determined by comparing the fingerprint patterns of the queen and 17–33 of her progeny workers. C. floridanus queens are most probably singly mated, i.e. this species is monandrous and monogynous (one queen per colony). C. floridanus occurs in all counties of mainland Florida and also inhabits most of the Key islands in the southern part of Florida. We tested whether the two mainland populations and the island populations are genetically isolated. Wright's F_ST and Nei's D-value of genetic distance were calculated from intercolonial bandsharing-coefficients. The population of C. floridanus is substructured (F_ST= 0.19 ± 0.09) and the highest degree of genetic distance was found between one of the mainland populations and the island populations (D= 0.35). Our fingerprinting technique could successfully be transferred to 12 other Camponotus species and here also revealed sufficient variability to analyse the genetic structure. In three of these species (C. ligniperdus, C. herculeanus and C. gigas) we could determine the mating frequency of the queen in one or two colonies, respectively.     

Suburban sprawl: environmental features affect colony social and spatial structure in the black carpenter ant,Camponotus pennsylvanicus

1. In social insects, the number of nests that a colony inhabits may have important consequences for colony genetic structure, the number of queens, sex allocation, foraging efficiency, and nestmate recognition. Within the ants, colonies may either occupy a single nest (monodomy) or may be organised into a complex network of nests and trails, a condition known as polydomy. 2. The current study is a large‐scale, long‐term, comprehensive field examination of various features of colony social and spatial structure in the facultatively polydomous black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer). The study examined the density, persistence, and the spatiotemporal distribution of colonies across a gradient of land disturbance associated with urban development. The temporal and spatial pattern of nest use was compared between fragmented landscapes where nesting sites were interspersed among human‐built structures (urban plots) and less disturbed landscapes with higher tree density (suburban plots). In addition, nesting site fidelity and changes in colony spatial structure were monitored over 7 years. 3. Long‐term monitoring and extensive sampling over a large spatial area allowed the first comprehensive insight into the spatiotemporal dynamics of colony and population structure in C. pennsylvanicus. A total of 1113 trees were inspected over 233 ha. Camponotus pennsylvanicus were active on 348 of the 1113 trees (31%) and these represented 182 distinct colonies. The colonisation rate remained relatively stable over 7 years suggesting that an equilibrium point had been reached. Relative to the suburban plots, tree density was 65% lower in the urban plots. The proportion of trees colonised by C. pennsylvanicus was significantly higher in the urban plots suggesting that intraspecific competition for nesting sites may be especially high in areas with lower tree density. Colony spatial structure also differed significantly between habitats and a higher incidence of monodomy was observed in the urban environment. The average number of trees per colony across all subplots was 1.95 (range 1–4) indicating that C. pennsylvanicus are weakly polydomous. 4. The composite picture that emerges for C. pennsylvanicus colonies in the urban habitat is a chain reaction of events: (i) the urban habitat has a lower tree density, (ii) lower tree density results in higher tree colonisation rate, (iii) higher tree colonisation rate results in simpler colony spatial structure (i.e. higher incidence of monodomy), and (iv) simpler colony spatial structure results in numerically smaller colonies. Long‐term monitoring of the spatiotemporal pattern of nest site use in selected colonies revealed a unique trend. While worker counts in selected colonies remained relatively stable throughout the course of the study, colony spatial structure changed considerably with 28% of colonies experiencing a change. Furthermore, the likelihood of detecting a change in colony spatial structure increased with the amount of time passing from the initial inspection. 5. In conclusion, tree density has a significant effect on a number of important colony features in C. pennsylvanicus. Besides tree density, other environmental features such as human‐built structures cause habitat fragmentation and may act as natural barriers to worker dispersal and/or foraging. Such barriers may ultimately affect the social and/or spatial structure at both the colony and the population level.     

Flexibility of first brood production in a claustral ant, Camponotus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The numbers of first-batch eggs and workers (minims) in a carpenter ant Camponotus japonicus are not fixed but are regulated in response to various internal and external factors of founding queens. The initial body weight of founding queens was positively correlated with the number of minims. The amount of queen weight loss during the founding period was highly correlated with the number of minims. The numbers of first-batch eggs and minims for artificially fed queens were significantly greater than those for control group queens and for unfed queens, respectively. The number of eggs laid by a queen increased when eggs deposited in the early stage of founding were removed. In contrast, artificial addition of alien eggs reduced the number of eggs laid by a queen. The adaptive implications of this flexibility in the production of the first-batch brood in C. japonicus are discussed. Received: December 18, 2000 / Accepted: March 19, 2001     

Lethal and sublethal effects of thiacloprid on non-target carpenter ant,Camponotus japonicus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

To control population of Monochamus beetles that transmit pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a variety of insecticides have been applied to forest ecosystems in Korea. Non-target predatory insects can be directly or indirectly exposed to insecticides. We evaluated potential lethal and sublethal effects of thiacloprid on survival and behavior of carpenter ants, Camponotus japonicus Mayr. Field-collected ants were directly exposed to several food items such as thiacloprid-exposed Monochamus beetles, 10% sugar water with thiacloprid concentrations, and 10% sugar water at group and individual levels. In experiment for groups of individuals, dead beetle bodies generally had possible adverse effects on ants through dietary exposure, because two forager ants were dead or paralysis after they were exposed to thiacloprid-exposed Monochamus beetles. At individual level, dietary exposure to thiacloprid at concentrations of 10 and 50?mg/L was lethal to ants, causing paralysis and impaired walking. Mortality of ant workers was higher in direct or indirect exposure treatments than that in the control. Some ants exposed to thiacloprid showed abnormal behavior within a few days, especially at thiacloprid concentrations of 10 and 50?mg/L. However, some of them sometimes recovered from the abnormal behavior in a day. In consequence, application of thiacloprid in pine forests may disrupt species interaction and foraging behavior of ants, but the effect of thiacloprid through trophallaxis behavior should be further assessed using more extensive colonies composed of queen, workers, brood, and so on.     

Serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in the antennal sensory system of the brain in the carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus

Social Hymenoptera such as ants or honeybees are known for their extensive behavioral repertories and plasticity. Neurons containing biogenic amines appear to play a major role in controlling behavioral plasticity in these insects. Here we describe the morphology of prominent serotonin-immunoreactive neurons of the antennal sensory system in the brain of an ant, Camponotus japonicus. Immunoreactive fibers were distributed throughout the brain and the subesophageal ganglion (SOG). The complete profile of a calycal input neuron was identified. The soma and dendritic elements are contralaterally located in the lateral protocerebrum. The neuron supplies varicose axon terminals in the lip regions of the calyces of the mushroom body, axon collaterals in the basal ring but not in the collar region, and other axon terminals ipsilaterally in the lateral protocerebrum. A giant neuron innervating the antennal lobe has varicose axon terminals in most of 300 glomeruli in the ventral region of the antennal lobe (AL) and a thick neurite that spans the entire SOG and continues towards the thoracic ganglia. However, neither a soma nor a dendritic element of this neuron was found in the brain or the SOG. A deutocerebral projection neuron has a soma in the lateral cell-body group of the AL, neuronal branches at most of the 12 glomeruli in the dorsocentral region of the ipsilateral AL, and varicose terminal arborizations in both hemispheres of the protocerebrum. Based on the present results, tentative subdivisions in neuropils related to the antennal sensory system of the ant brain are discussed.     

3种蛾类雄性内生殖系统形态学研究

为了探究蛾类昆虫新的有效分类特征,本研究对直脉青尺蛾Geometra valida、白雪灯蛾Chionarctia niveus和多斑豹蠹蛾Zeuzera multistrigata雄性内生殖系统进行了解剖观察和形态学比较。结果表明：3种蛾类雄性内生殖系统均由精巢、贮精囊（前贮精囊和后贮精囊）、输精管、复射精管、单射精管（单射精管原节和单射精管表皮节）和附腺组成;种间形态差异表现在贮精囊的形状及连接方式、复射精管的形状及长短、单射精管和附腺的长度等方面,这些鉴别特征可为蛾类分类及系统发育研究提供形态学借鉴。