Much is still unknown about dominance hierarchies. Many different species form dominance hierarchies and each species have very different ways of forming these hierarchies. Some engage in various different dominance interactions to establish a dominant position. This experiment aims to use the ant species, Harpegnathos saltator, as a model to explore what sets dominant individuals, or gamergates in this case, apart from non-dominant individuals, or non-gamergates. H. saltator ants perform various different behaviors such as dueling, which is a mutually beneficial behavior, dominance biting, which is an aggressive behavior, and policing which is used to bring down those who are dominant. These behaviors can be used to study the importance of initiation and aggression in hierarchy formation. This experiment will explore how aggression through dominance biting, duel initiation, group size, and time period affect the formation of gamergates. To do so, socially unstable colonies of 15, 30, and 60 ants were video recorded for days until gamergates were established. Then, from the recordings, a period of high activity was selected and observed for dueling, duel initiation, dominance biting, dominance bite downs, and policing. The results showed that gamergates tended to perform dominance biting and dominance bite downs far more than non-gamergates during the period of high activity, but not as clearly with duelling and duel initiations. It was inconclusive whether or not the combination of both dueling and dominance biting was what set gamergates apart from non gamergates as different groups showed different results. Gamergates performed visibly more dominance bite downs than non-gamergates, so aggression may be important in setting gamergates apart from non-gamergates. In terms of group size, the smallest group had the least number of gamergates and the least activity, and the medium and large group had a similar number of gamergates and activity.
Olfactory discrimination tasks can provide useful information about how olfaction may have evolved by demonstrating which types of compounds animals will detect and respond to. Ants discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates by using olfaction to detect the cuticular hydrocarbons on other ants, and Camponotus floridanus have particularly clear and aggressive responses to non-nestmates. A new method of adding hydrocarbons to ants, the “Snow Globe” method was further optimized and tested on C. floridanus. It involves adding hydrocarbons and a solvent to a vial of water, vortexing it, suspending hydrocarbon droplets throughout the solution, and then dipping a narcotized ant in. It is hoped this method can evenly coat ants in hydrocarbon. Ants were treated with heptacosane (C27), nonacosane (C29), hentriacontane (C31), a mixture of C27/C29/C31, 2-methyltriacontane (2MeC30), S-3-methylhentriacontane (SMeC31), and R-3-methylhentriacontane (RMeC31). These were chosen to see how ants reacted in a nestmate recognition context to methyl-branched hydrocarbons, R and S enantiomers, and to multiple added alkanes. Behavior assays were performed on treated ants, as well as two untreated controls, a foreign ant and a nestmate ant. There were 15 replicates of each condition, using 15 different queenright colonies. The Snow Globe method successfully transfers hydrocarbons, as confirmed by solid phase microextraction (SPME) done on treated ants, and the behavior assay data shows the foreign control, SMeC31, and the mixture of C27/29/31 were all statistically significant in their differences from the native control. The multiple alkane mixture received a significant response while single alkanes did not, which supports the idea that larger variations in hydrocarbon profile are needed for an ant to be perceived as foreign. The response to SMeC31 shows C. floridanus can respond during nestmate recognition to hydrocarbons that are not naturally occurring, and it indicates the nestmate recognition process may simply be responding to any compounds not found in the colony profile and rather than detecting particular foreign compounds.
Adaptation of Camponotus floridanus’ Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profile under High Temperature Conditions
An intimate view of the unique architecture of Harpegnathos saltwater nest using aluminum nest casts
Given the incredible variety in ant nest architecture, this experiment sought to evaluate how the nest architecture of Harpegnathos saltator differs from other species’ nests. To achieve the ability to evaluate the structure of H. saltator nest, we created experimental colonies varying in size from 20, 40, 60, 80 workers of Harpegnathos saltator in five-gallon buckets of sand and then allowing the colonies to grow for four months and twelve days. To create the nest casts, we developed a charcoal kiln out of a galvanized trash can and used a ceramic crucible to hold the aluminum being melted. Using molten aluminum to create nest casts of each colony produced, we obtained three poorly developed nests and one decent nest. The decent nest cast, the 80 worker H. saltator nest, was lacking key features of H. saltator nests that have been excavated in the field. However, they do share many of the same structures such as the shaping of the chambers. The ability of the experimental colonies to excavate the soil provided in the buckets to them was likely halted by poor penetration of water into superficial layers of the soil, thus making the soil too difficult to excavate and form the structures that are key elements of the species nest architecture. Despite these key challenges which the colonies faced, the 80-worker colony showed extensive vertical development and did display features associated with natural H. saltator colonies. Thus, given the display of some key features associated with characteristics of the H. saltator nests excavated in the field, it can be said that with some modification to technique that this is a viable avenue for future study of nest architecture and colony structure.
