Rachelle Adams

Post doc (KU)

Chemical Ecology of Megalomyrmex Social Parasites and their Hosts
The interdisciplinary study of chemical communication has developed into a cutting-edge field of science that can address key questions on the organization of life at both the cellular and the organismal level. The study of communication in insect societies and their social parasites has played a pivotal role in these developments. Megalomyrmex ants are chemical warriors, dispensing volatile venom alkaloids by waving their stings (i.e. gaster flagging) as they enter another ant species' nest as parasites or during competition (by predatory free-living species). Species of both lifestyles use gaster flagging as a ‘warning shot', announcing their presence to hosts or competitors. If the host does not allow infiltration, the invader will attack and kill.
Infiltration can be accomplished as just described (i.e. chemical weaponry) or through the alteration of cuticular hydrocarbons (i.e. surface chemistry) using chemical mimicry and/or insignificance. I intend to decipher the chemical code of communication and manipulation of Megalomyrmex ants, linking behaviors observed to their chemical ecology. I will 1) test three infiltration strategy hypotheses using behavioral experimentation, 2) identify relevant chemical compounds, and 3) examine the results in an evolutionary context using Megalomyrmex species and their fungus-growing hosts.
During the congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2011 (ESEB) I presented the following poster [click here] .

RAdams@bio.ku.dk

Theme: [T3]
Organism: [Fungus-growing ants], [Symbiotic fungi]