| [the capacity of ants for multiple alterations in the maze habit]. | ability was shown of ants myrmica rubra to multiple reconstructions of the habit elaborated in symmetrical multialternative maze under motivation of care for the progeny (transportation of breed of the own species). reconstruction consisted in the change of reinforcement location on the left or right aim spot. the ants showed the ability to carry out the series of eight reconstructions during one-two days. an improvement took place of the fulfillment of the last reconstructions in comparison wit ... | 1991 | 1369565 |
| behavioral plasticity of myrmica rubra ants during learning in a multi-alternative symmetrical labyrinth. | the problem of behavioral plasticity in insects was studied with red ants, myrmica rubra, by altering a habit developed in a multi-alternative labyrinth with care for offspring as motivation. in altering the habit, location of reinforcement was changed: in the first series, the brood was transferred from the target areas to relatively symmetrical areas of the transverse axis of the labyrinth; in the second, reinforcement was left on one area that had not been preferred during learning of the tar ... | 1990 | 2352615 |
| [plasticity of the behavior of myrmica rubra ants during learning in a multi-alternative symmetric labyrinth]. | the ability was studied of myrmica rubra ants to change the habit of passing through a multialternative symmetric labyrinth at motivation of the care for posterity. in exams the location of reinforcement was changed: in the first exam the progeny was carried from both aim places to those symmetric to them relatively to labyrinth cross axis; in the second exam the reinforcement was left on one aim place non-preferred during learning. the first exam was passed by 62.5% of ants, the second--by 87.5 ... | 1989 | 2735136 |
| [asymmetry of movement direction of myrmica rubra ants during maze learning motivated by food]. | asymmetry in direction of motion was found in myrmica rubra ants at their learning in a symmetrical multi-alternative maze in conditions of "social" alimentary motivation. it was manifested in the form of preferable stay in the right half of the maze and was significant by several parameters: total number of motions, approaches to "false" spots and right turns. unequal degrees of spatial-motor asymmetry (individual and for the whole sample) was revealed by various parameters. most clearly the ri ... | 1986 | 3765838 |
| [the behavioral strategy of ants with a change in the level of food motivation]. | learning of ants was studied in a symmetrical multi-choice maze at different levels of food "social" motivation. a capability was shown of scout ants myrmica rubra for changing rapidly behavioral strategy when the motivation level of a family changed from the low one for the high or vice versa. in the satiated state the ants demonstrated a clear-cut research activity. this activity was associated with high variability and instability of the maze habit. in the "hungry" state movement trajectories ... | 1998 | 9583168 |
| behavioral strategies in ants in changing conditions of food motivation. | learning in ants was studied in a multiple choice symmetrical maze at different levels of social food motivation. myrmica rubra scout ants were found to be able to change their behavioral strategy rapidly when families were suddenly changed from a low level of motivation to a high level and vice versa. in the "sated" state, there was clearly evident investigative activity, which led to high levels of variability and instability in the maze habit. in the "starved" state, there was a rapid minimiz ... | 1999 | 10493538 |
| [ant maze behavior during switch from food motivation to defense motivation]. | it was shown that scout ants myrmica rubra are capable for an adequate modification of foraging habit acquired in a multichoice symmetrical maze following a reward change (syrup for the species brood). under conditions of the high level of food motivation of a family both during learning and "examination" (i.e., brood transportation) all the ants succeed in a conditioned switchover of heterogeneous reflexes. if the high level of motivation during learnings is changed for its low level during exa ... | 2000 | 10984912 |
| lack of intraspecific aggression in the ant tetramorium bicarinatum: a chemical hypothesis. | tetramorium bicarinatum (myrmicinae) is an ant species frequently found in tropical and subtropical areas, particularly in africa, southeast asia (japan), and south america (brazil). the species is polygynous, reproduces by budding, and has sterile workers. since the nests are widely distributed in a given area, the problem arises of territorial defense against conspecifics. because not all ants defend territories, we assessed the defensive behavior of t. bicarinatum workers through intraspecifi ... | 2001 | 11504025 |
| the behavior of ants in a maze in response to a change from food motivation to protective motivation. | the ability of myrmica rubra scout ants to modify the foraging habit, formed in a symmetrical multiple-choice maze, in the situation in which the reinforcement (syrup) was replaced with a brood of the same species was studied. when the "test" was performed at the same high level of food motivation of the family as applied during training, the ants were able successfully to transfer to another type of social behavior - transporting of the brood. when the high-level food motivation was replaced wi ... | 2001 | 11508492 |
| [distantly received pheromone-primer controls cessation of diapause in the ant myrmica rubra l. (hymenoptera, formicidae)]. | | 2001 | 11642158 |
| food experience on the predatory behavior of the ant myrmica rubra towards a specialist moth, acrolepiopsis assectella. | entomophagous insects are often repelled by the secondary compounds of the plants eaten by their prey. these compounds, therefore, take on a defensive role for the phytophagous species that sequester them. given that numerous entomophagous species are capable of learning, the effects on the foraging behavior of a repeated experience were investigated in the predatory ant myrmica rubra. the sulfur amino acids methyl-cysteine sulfoxide (mcso) and propyl-cysteine sulfoxide (pcso) produced by allium ... | 2002 | 12523570 |
| why does the larval integument of some sawfly species disrupt so easily? the harmful hemolymph hypothesis. | the larvae of several sawfly species belonging to the tenthredinidae (hymenoptera) have such a low mechanical resistance in the integument that slight mechanical damage to the integument is enough to provoke the release of hemolymph at a given spot. we quantified this phenomenon, which we call "easy bleeding", by measuring the pressure needed to pierce dissected sawfly integument. we also investigated the feeding deterrance of ethanolic extracts of the hemolymph by laboratory bioassays using myr ... | 2003 | 12647187 |
| ants myrmica rubra l. and m. scabrinodis nylander as intermediate hosts of a cestode. | | 1954 | 13165623 |
| [the role of motivation in the performance of a conditioned switching-over of the maze habit in ants myrmica rubra after a change in the quality of the food reinforcement]. | active foragers myrmica rubra were trained in a maze under conditions of different levels of colony need in food with carbohydrate (sugar syrup) or protein (ants lasius niger pupae) reinforcement. acquisition of the maze habit was better under conditions of reinforcement with pupae, especially by its time indices. ants were able to modify the acquired habit when the reinforcement quality was changed. it was shown that learning was possible only when the colony and after a change pupae for the sy ... | 2005 | 16396489 |
| distribution of an invasive ant, myrmica rubra (hymenoptera: formicidae), in maine. | introduced populations of the north temperate ant species, myrmica rubra (l.), have become pestiferous in various locations in the northeastern united states, particularly in coastal communities in maine. native populations of this ant are widely distributed throughout northern europe and western asia; however, nest densities in its native range do not usually reach the high levels observed for many introduced populations. this aggressive ant readily stings, and because of its high densities, ho ... | 2005 | 16539093 |
| the role of motivation in the performance of conditioned reflex switching of a maze skill in response to substitution of food reward quality in ants of the species myrmica rubra. | the characteristics of learning in ants - active myrmica rubra foragers - were studied in a maze at different levels of colony carbohydrate food need with reinforcement consisting of carbohydrate (sugar syrup) or protein (pupae of lasius niger ants). measures of the maze skill during learning reinforced with syrup were somewhat worse than those during learning reinforced with pupae, especially in terms of time-based measures. ants were able to modify the acquired conditioned reflex reaction when ... | 2006 | 17024335 |
| sequestration of furostanol saponins by monophadnus sawfly larvae. | sawfly larvae of the tribe phymatocerini (hymenoptera: tenthredinidae), which are specialized on toxic plants in the orders liliales and ranunculales, exude a droplet of deterrent hemolymph upon attack by a predator. we investigated whether secondary plant metabolites from ranunculaceae leaves are sequestered by phymatocerine monophadnus species, i.e., monophadnus alpicola feeding upon pulsatilla alpina and monophadnus monticola feeding upon ranunculus lanuginosus. moreover, two undescribed mono ... | 2007 | 17252214 |
| intercolony aggression within and among local populations of the invasive ant, myrmica rubra (hymenoptera: formicidae), in coastal maine. | myrmica rubra l. was introduced into new england in the early 20th century, and at present, has a patchy distribution in parts of northeastern north america, including records from 31 communities in maine. m. rubra is highly polygynous, and colonies reproduce vegetatively, forming dense local populations where conditions are favorable. using mobile nests and baited arenas in a series of field aggression bioassays, we tested patterns of internest tolerance within and among local populations on mt ... | 2007 | 17349123 |
| anti-predator defence mechanisms in sawfly larvae of arge (hymenoptera, argidae). | larvae of the sawfly arge (hymenoptera, argidae) are exposed to predators such as ants. their defence mechanisms, which have been almost unstudied, were investigated by behavioural observations coupled to a morphological approach and by testing the bioactivity of several body parts. arge larvae raised their abdomen when contacted by myrmica rubra workers. the ants rarely bit a larva and generally retreated immediately, sometimes without contacting it. most of those few ants that bit a larva then ... | 2007 | 17540402 |
| a toxic dipeptide from the defense glands of the colorado beetle. | the colorado beetle is protected against predators by the secretions of defensive glands located on the pronotum and the elytra. the single major compound of the secretion was identified as gamma-l-glutamyl-l-2-amino-3(z),5-hexadienoic acid by spectroscopic and chemical methods. this compound, which contains a nonprotein beta,gamma- unsaturated amino acid, is toxic to ants (myrmica rubra) at a concentration 10(-2) molar, which is less than its estimated concentration in the secretion (1.8 x 10(- ... | 1986 | 17737292 |
| [expression of stress proteins of family hsp70 in response to cold in myrmica ants from different geographic populations]. | expression of hsp70 is induced by stress factors, including sub-lethal chilling, but the role of hsp70 for overcoming consequenses of cold stress is not clear. if the role is positive, the level of hsp70 expression might be higher in populations from colder climates. by use of immunoblotting we investigated dynamics of hsp70 expression in response to cold stress in two myrmica species from three localities of different latitude (50, 60 and 67 degrees n). the results showed that in the more therm ... | 2007 | 17926568 |
| interactions of native and non-native lady beetle species (coleoptera: coccinellidae) with aphid-tending ants in laboratory arenas. | interactions between lady beetles and the european fire ant (myrmica rubra l.) tending potato aphids [macrosiphum euphorbiae (thomas)] were compared in the laboratory. lady beetle species native to north america (coccinella trifasciata perplexa mulsant, coleomegilla maculata lengi timberlake, hippodamia convergens guérin-méneville) and non-native species of palearctic origin [coccinella septempunctata l., harmonia axyridis (pallas), hippodamia variegata (goeze), propylea quatuordecimpunctata l.) ... | 2009 | 19508795 |
| zinc and cadmium regulation efficiency in three ant species originating from a metal pollution gradient. | highly efficient accumulation of trace metals is often reported in ants, but their metal regulation strategies are poorly understood. this study examined the relationships between zn and cd total (tot) and water soluble (ws) concentrations in soil and in workers of three ant species collected along a metal-pollution gradient: formica cunicularia, lasius flavus and myrmica rubra. regression line comparisons showed the body loads of metals to depend strongly on the metal and the species. m. rubra ... | 2010 | 19823758 |
| sequestration of glucosinolates and iridoid glucosides in sawfly species of the genus athalia and their role in defense against ants. | in this study, the larval sequestration abilities and defense effectiveness of four sawfly species of the genus athalia (hymenoptera: tenthredinidae) that feed as larvae either on members of the brassicaceae or plantaginaceae were investigated. brassicaceae are characterized by glucosinolates (glss), whereas plantaginaceae contain iridoid glucosides (igs) as characteristic secondary compounds. athalia rosae and a. liberta feed on members of the brassicaceae. larvae of a. rosae sequester aromatic ... | 2010 | 20127151 |
| how to spoil the taste of insect prey? a novel feeding deterrent against ants released by larvae of the alder leaf beetle, agelastica alni. | chemical defense of leaf beetle larvae (chrysomelidae) against enemies is provided by secretions containing a wide range of deterrent compounds or by unpalatable hemolymph constituents. here we report a new, very strong feeding deterrent against ants released by larvae of the alder leaf beetle agelastica alni when attacked. the larvae release a defensive fluid from openings of pairwise, dorsolaterally located tubercles on the first to the eighth abdominal segments. the fluid, consisting of hemol ... | 2010 | 20632433 |
| new fungal pathogens of the red ant, myrmica rubra, from the uk and implications for ant invasions in the usa. | the red ant, myrmica rubra, is an increasingly invasive pest species in north-eastern usa, where it is known as the european fire ant. during surveys for natural enemies in part of its native range in the uk, three previously unreported fungal pathogens developed on ants when incubated in the laboratory. these are described and illustrated: paraisaria myrmicarum sp. nov., hirsutella stilbelliformis var. myrmicarum var. nov., and hirsutella subramanianii var. myrmicarum var. nov. based on analyse ... | 2010 | 20943156 |
| ecosystem engineering and predation: the multi-trophic impact of two ant species. | 1. ants are ubiquitous ecosystem engineers and generalist predators and are able to affect ecological communities via both pathways. they are likely to influence any other terrestrial arthropod group either directly or indirectly caused by their high abundance and territoriality. 2. we studied the impact of two ant species common in central europe, myrmica rubra and lasius niger, on an arthropod community. colony presence and density of these two ant species were manipulated in a field experimen ... | 2011 | 21244419 |
| testing the adjustable threshold model for intruder recognition on myrmica ants in the context of a social parasite. | social insect colonies are like fortresses, well protected and rich in shared stored resources. this makes them ideal targets for exploitation by predators, parasites and competitors. colonies of myrmica rubra ants are sometimes exploited by the parasitic butterfly maculinea alcon. maculinea alcon gains access to the ants' nests by mimicking their cuticular hydrocarbon recognition cues, which allows the parasites to blend in with their host ants. myrmica rubra may be particularly susceptible to ... | 2011 | 21715405 |
| ants detect but do not discriminate diseased workers within their nest. | social insects have evolved an array of individual and social behaviours that limit pathogen entrance and spread within the colony. the detection of ectoparasites or of fungal spores on a nestmate body triggers their removal by allogrooming and appears as a primary component of social prophylaxis. however, in the case of fungal infection, one may wonder whether ant workers are able to detect, discriminate and keep at bay diseased nestmates that have no spores over their cuticle but which constit ... | 2016 | 27475810 |
| emergency measures: adaptive response to pathogen intrusion in the ant nest. | ants have developed prophylactic and hygienic behaviours in order to limit risks of pathogenic outbreaks inside their nest, which are often called social immunity. here, we test whether ants can adapt the "social immune response" to the level of pathogenic risk in the colony. we challenged myrmica rubra colonies with dead nestmates that had either died from being frozen or from infection by the fungus metarhizium anisopliae. ant survival was compromised by the presence of the fungus-bearing corp ... | 2015 | 25939763 |
| ants and ant scent reduce bumblebee pollination of artificial flowers. | ants on flowers can disrupt pollination by consuming rewards or harassing pollinators, but it is difficult to disentangle the effects of these exploitative and interference forms of competition on pollinator behavior. using highly rewarding and quickly replenishing artificial flowers that simulate male or female function, we allowed bumblebees (bombus impatiens) to forage (1) on flowers with or without ants (myrmica rubra) and (2) on flowers with or without ant scent cues. bumblebees transferred ... | 2014 | 24334742 |
| a molecular study of abdominal-a in the ant myrmica rubra reveals lineage dependent evolutionary rates for a developmental gene. | we have characterized the abdominal-a locus in a hymenopteran, the ant myrmica rubra. the sequence of the homeotic domain of the abdominal-a family of orthologous genes is known for a fairly large number of insects but the complete sequence of the abdominal-a protein, is known only for a few. the two proteins of drosophila melanogaster and tribolium castaneum differ markedly outside the homeodomain. a comparison of the ant abdominal-a protein sequences with those of these two insects shows that ... | 2001 | 11881816 |