Ectoparasitic fungi Rickia wasmannii infection is associated with smaller body size in Myrmica ants.

ABSTRACT: Parasitism-generated negative effects on ant societies are multifaceted, implying individual and colony-level responses. Though laboratory based evidence shows that the sublethal fungus Rickia wasmannii is responsible for physiological and behavioral responses that may negatively affect individual workers' resilience and life expectancy in Myrmica ant workers, colony-level stress response to this parasite is largely unknown. Here, we focus on understanding of a long-term, colony-level effect of Rickia infection on Myrmica scabrinodis ant populations by tracking trait size-based changes. We collected worker specimens from infected and uninfected colonies from the same population in order to: (1) compare body size in response to parasitism, (2) assess the extent to which possible changes in

SUBMITTER: Csosz S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8277852 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature