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Effect of time on colony odour stability in the ant Formica exsecta

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Abstract

Among social insects, maintaining a distinct colony profile allows individuals to distinguish easily between nest mates and non-nest mates. In ants, colony-specific profiles can be encoded within their cuticular hydrocarbons, and these are influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Using nine monogynous Formica exsecta ant colonies, we studied the stability of their colony-specific profiles at eight time points over a 4-year period. We found no significant directional change in any colony profile, suggesting that genetic factors are maintaining this stability. However, there were significant short-term effects of season that affected all colony profiles in the same direction. Despite these temporal changes, no significant change in the profile variation within colonies was detected: each colony’s profile responded in similar manner between seasons, with nest mates maintaining closely similar profiles, distinct from other colonies. These findings imply that genetic factors may help maintain the long-term stability of colony profile, but environmental factors can influence the profiles over shorter time periods. However, environmental factors do not contribute significantly to the maintenance of diversity among colonies, since all colonies were affected in a similar way.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Roger Butlin of Sheffield University and Duncan Jackson of Ulster University for statistical advice and comments, also to Liselotte Sundström, University of Helsinki, for access to background genetic data on the colonies. This work was funded by NERC grants NE/F018355/1 and NE/F018088/1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    S. J. Martin

  2. Chemical Ecology Group, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK

    S. Shemilt & F. P. Drijfhout

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  1. S. J. Martin
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  2. S. Shemilt
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  3. F. P. Drijfhout
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Correspondence to S. J. Martin.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Martin, S.J., Shemilt, S. & Drijfhout, F.P. Effect of time on colony odour stability in the ant Formica exsecta . Naturwissenschaften 99, 327–331 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0898-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0898-0

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