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- Title
Effect of Juvenile Hormone on Worker Behavioral Transition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
- Authors
Ren, Qilin; Ma, Lin; Zhang, Xiaolong; Chen, Libiao; Mao, Zhigang; Li, Dongdong; Zhang, Lei; Jiang, Xingfu
- Abstract
Simple Summary: The division of labor among workers is one of the predominant characteristics of social insects, which simply means that workers perform different tasks, such as caring for the brood inside the nest and foraging outside the nest, and which is essential for colony maintenance and development. Previous studies on honeybees have demonstrated that the regulation of behavioral transitions can be influenced by juvenile hormone (JH). The red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, is a typical social pest that poses a significant risk to biodiversity, ecosystems, and public health in invaded areas. Understanding the effects of JH on the behavioral transitions of RIFA is necessary, as it may provide valuable experimental data for pest control. In this study, we simulated JH elevation using the juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) methoprene application and evaluated its effect on activity levels, brood care behavior, phototaxis, and threat responsiveness of nurse workers. Our study indicates that the application of JHA reduced brood care behavior and enhanced phototaxis in nurse workers, thereby revealing the role of JH in facilitating behavioral transitions in RIFA from intranidal tasks to extranidal activity. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind the division of labor in social insects. The division of labor among workers is a defining characteristic of social insects and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the competitive advantage of their colony. Juvenile hormone (JH) has long been hypothesized to be the essential driver in regulating the division of labor due to its ability to accelerate behavioral transitions in social insects, such as honeybees. The regulation of behavioral transitions by JH in the red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, a typical social pest, is unclear. Through video capture and analysis, we investigated the effects of the juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) methoprene on brood care, phototaxis behavior, and threat responsiveness of RIFA nurse workers. Our results showed that the JHA application significantly reduced the time and frequency of brood care behavior by nurse workers while increasing their walking distance and activity time in the light area. Additionally, the application of JHA made ants become excited, indicating a significant improvement in their activity level (movement distance, time, and speed). Furthermore, it was observed that the application of JHA did not affect the threat responsiveness of nurse workers towards stimuli (nestmates or non-nestmates). Our study demonstrates that the application of JHA reduced brood care behavior and enhanced phototaxis in nurse workers, which may reveal the role of JH in facilitating behavioral transitions in RIFA from intranidal tasks to extranidal activity. This study provides an experimental basis for further elucidating the mechanism underlying the division of labor in social insects.
- Subjects
SOLENOPSIS invicta; JUVENILE hormones; INSECT societies; ANTS; HYMENOPTERA; DIVISION of labor
- Publication
Insects (2075-4450), 2023, Vol 14, Issue 12, p934
- ISSN
2075-4450
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/insects14120934