TY - JOUR
T1 - Within-colony genetic diversity differentially affects foraging, nest maintenance, and aggression in two species of harvester ants
AU - Saar, Maya
AU - Eyer, Pierre André
AU - Kilon-Kallner, Tal
AU - Hefetz, Abraham
AU - Scharf, Inon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - There is accumulating evidence that genetic diversity improves the behavioral performance and consequently the fitness in groups of social animals. We examined the behavioral performance of colonies of two co-occurring, congeneric harvester ant species (Messor arenarius and a non-described Messor sp.) in fitness-related behaviors, pertaining to foraging performance, nest maintenance, and aggression. We linked these behaviors to the colonial genetic diversity, by genotyping workers, using six and five microsatellite markers for M. arenarius and M. sp., respectively. Correlations of genetic diversity with colony performance and aggression level contrasted between the two species. In M. arenarius, genetic diversity was correlated with foraging performance and nest maintenance but not with the overall aggression level, while in M. sp., genetic diversity was correlated with the overall aggression level, but not with foraging performance or nest maintenance. The two species exhibited similar specific aggression levels, with higher aggression shown towards heterospecifics and lower towards non-nestmate conspecifics and nestmates. However, M. sp. workers displayed a tendency to interact for longer with heterospecifics than did M. arenarius. We speculate that the different foraging strategies, group vs. individual foraging, and possibly also the different mating systems, contribute to the differences found in behavior between the two species.
AB - There is accumulating evidence that genetic diversity improves the behavioral performance and consequently the fitness in groups of social animals. We examined the behavioral performance of colonies of two co-occurring, congeneric harvester ant species (Messor arenarius and a non-described Messor sp.) in fitness-related behaviors, pertaining to foraging performance, nest maintenance, and aggression. We linked these behaviors to the colonial genetic diversity, by genotyping workers, using six and five microsatellite markers for M. arenarius and M. sp., respectively. Correlations of genetic diversity with colony performance and aggression level contrasted between the two species. In M. arenarius, genetic diversity was correlated with foraging performance and nest maintenance but not with the overall aggression level, while in M. sp., genetic diversity was correlated with the overall aggression level, but not with foraging performance or nest maintenance. The two species exhibited similar specific aggression levels, with higher aggression shown towards heterospecifics and lower towards non-nestmate conspecifics and nestmates. However, M. sp. workers displayed a tendency to interact for longer with heterospecifics than did M. arenarius. We speculate that the different foraging strategies, group vs. individual foraging, and possibly also the different mating systems, contribute to the differences found in behavior between the two species.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053298708&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-018-32064-3
DO - 10.1038/s41598-018-32064-3
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AN - SCOPUS:85053298708
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 8
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 13868
ER -