Claire Detrain - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Claire Detrain

SOcial Immunity and sanitary risk management in the ant Myrmica rubra

Bologna A & Detrain C Temporal changes of myrmecochory by the red ant Myrmica rubra

Arthropod Plant Interactions, Sep 30, 2009

Ants collect and disperse seeds that bear an attractive nutritive body called the elaiosome. In m... more Ants collect and disperse seeds that bear an attractive nutritive body called the elaiosome. In mesic habitats, many myrmecochorous plant species have elaiosomes that are usually soft and desiccation-sensitive. The aim of this study was to link the desiccation rate of two species of seeds (Chelidonium majus and Viola odorata) to the seed-removing behaviour of the ant Myrmica rubra. In laboratory experiments seeds of both species lost one-third of their weight in 24 h. Concurrently, seed removal rates decreased sharply (92%) for Viola odorata over 24 h and slowly for Chelidonium majus, which retained one-third of its attractiveness after one month of desiccation. Seeds recovered their initial weight almost entirely after being soaked in water for 18 h. This rehydration partially (Viola odorata) or totally (Chelidonium majus) restored the attractiveness of the seeds. In this paper, we show that the window of seed attractiveness during which ant-plant interactions occur is desiccationdependent and plant-specific.

Implication of honeydew microflora in ant-aphid mutualism

Self-organised choice based on inter-attraction: the example of gregarious animals

ABSTRACT The spatial distribution of individuals is an important subject in many fields because i... more ABSTRACT The spatial distribution of individuals is an important subject in many fields because it conditions the levels of interactions among individuals, and more generally the structuring as well as the organization of populations. Increase in density of individuals in a given area can be induced by environmental stimuli and/or by interactions among individuals (1–3). Thus, various definitions of aggregation have been given, ecologists privilege the importance of environmental stimuli, while others privilege existing relationships between group members. Aggregation is one of the most widespread social phenomena and occurs at all biological levels, from bacteria to mammals including humans (4, 5). If sometimes, aggregation is associated to non-adaptive, often it is the ground on which more complex social structures are built such as synchronization or division of labour (6). However, knowledge of the mechanisms implied in the formation of aggregates remains fragmentary. The study of the proximal causes, i.e. mechanisms involved in group formation, can benefit from concepts of self-organization (5, 7). These groups find their origin and their cohesion in the inter-attraction among individuals: group members are then the source of attraction. However, in most of the situations, patterns of aggregation, resulting from individual responses to conspecifics are modulated by environmental heterogeneity (5). Previous studies on cockroaches have already described their aggregative distribution in a natural environment where different age-classes share the resources that are present in their home range. They exhibit a strong tendency to gather during their resting period in safe shelters. Therefore, shelters are important, but also limited environmental resources for these insects. The basic mechanisms underlying group formation is the modulation of the individual resting time as a function of the number of conspecifics on a site. In insects cuticular hydrocarbons act as a recognition signal allowing attraction between individuals (8). Cockroaches prefer their own strain odour to another strain (9). Nevertheless, when groups in tests came from two different strains, they aggregated on one site only and did not show any difference from group coming from one strain. We used this insect as an example to show that a self-organized process leads to a diversity of optimal patterns without modification of the individual behaviours and any general knowledge of the available resources. These experimental and theoretical results point to a generic self-organized pattern-formation process independent of the level of animal sociability that should be found in other group-living organisms that present inter-attraction.

Bacteria may contribute to distant species recognition in ant-aphid mutualistic relationships

Insect Science, 2015

Mutualistic interactions between ant and aphid species have been the subject of considerable hist... more Mutualistic interactions between ant and aphid species have been the subject of considerable historical and contemporary investigations, the primary benefits being cleaning and protection for the aphids and carbohydrate-rich honeydew for the ants. Questions remained, however, as to the volatile semiochemical factor influencing this relationship. A recent study highlighted the role of bacterial honeydew volatile compounds in ant attraction. Here, ant&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s ability to distantly discriminate two aphid species was investigated based on bacterial honeydew semiochemicals emissions using a two-way olfactometer. Both the mutualistic aphid Aphis fabae L. and the non-myrmecophilous aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris were found to be attractive for the ant Lasius niger L. The level of attraction was similar in both assays (control versus one of the aphid species). However, when given a choice between these two aphid species, ants showed a significant preference for Aphis fabae. Honeydew volatiles, mostly from bacterial origins, are known to be a key element in ant attraction. Using the same olfactometry protocol, the relative attractiveness of volatiles emitted by honeydews collected from each aphid species and by bacteria isolated from each honeydew was in investigated. Again, ants significantly preferred volatiles released by Aphis fabae honeydew and bacteria. This information suggests that microbial honeydew volatiles enable ants to distantly discriminate aphid species. These results strengthen the interest of studying the occurrence and potential impact of microorganisms in insect symbioses. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Impact of food distance on foraging by the ant Lasius niger

Populations of four aphid species coexisting on their Betula pendula host-plant were followed in ... more Populations of four aphid species coexisting on their Betula pendula host-plant were followed in Brussels for two years. The population dynamics of Euceraphis betulae and Symydobius oblongus exhibited consistent patterns in 2001 and 2002, but Callipterinella tuberculata and Betulaphis brevipilosa populations exploded in 2001 and in 2002, respectively. When C. tuberculata was abundant, the population of B. brevipilosa was low. The reverse was true in 2002 as C. tuberculata became abundant only when the B. brevipilosa population declined, leading us to suspect competition between the two species. However, instead of avoiding each other, they were positively associated on shoots, probably as a result of aggregation at suitable feeding sites. Colonies of both species were similar or larger in mixed aggregates than in monospecific ones. Moreover, the colony size of each species in mixed aggregates was independent from that of the other species. Since there is no direct evidence of competition between those two species, the alternate changes in abundance could rather result from the intraspecific properties of aphid life cycles that self-induce consecutive years of high and low population growth in relation to fluctuations in the environmental conditions. These two co-existing species thus deserve further close study to elucidate their relationships.

Mass ballooning behaviour in the spider mite

Seed preferences of the harvester ant Messor barbarus in a Mediterranean mosaic grassland (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Sociobiology, 2000

Suivi de la piste de l'hôte par le Coléoptère myrmécophileEdaphopaussus favieri (Fairmaire) (Carabidae Paussinae)

Insectes Soc, 1990

Laboratory experiments on circular artificial trails show that the beetleEdaphopaussus favieri fo... more Laboratory experiments on circular artificial trails show that the beetleEdaphopaussus favieri follows the trail of its host ant,Pheidole pallidula. After having been isolated for a certain time, the beetle greatly improves its trail-following ability once it is again in contact with workers. The optimal response ofE. favieri occurs for a concentration of 0.03 minor worker's poison glands per cm. Minor and major workers are respectively 10 and 4 times more sensitive. High trail pheromone concentrations, from 0.06 glands/cm onwards, repel the beetle, not the workers. This avoidance effect is also found with wholePh. pallidula's poison and mandibular glands, with volatiles from the Dufour's gland and with poison gland extracts presented in the form of a dot, in front of the beetle. The trail following ofE. favieri is host-specific. The adaptive value of the trail-following characterisitcs ofE. favieri is discussed. Des expériences sur une piste circulaire artificielle montrent que le coléoptèreEdaphopaussus favieri suit la piste de sa fourmi hôte,Pheidole pallidula. Si le coléoptère a été préalablement maintenu isolé, la mise en présence d'ouvrières améliore son suivi de la piste. E. favieri réagit de façon optimale à une concentration de 0.03 glandes à poison d'ouvrière minor par cm. Les ouvrières minor et major sont respectivement 10 et 4 fois plus sensibles que le coléoptère à la phéromone de piste. Contrairement aux ouvrières, le coléoptère est repoussé par des concentrations égales ou supérieures à 0.06 glandes/cm. Cet effet répulsif s'observe aussi pour des glandes à poison et des glandes mandibulaires. entières, dePh. pallidula, ainsi quue pour les produits volatils de la glande de Dufour et certaines concentrations d'extraits de glandes à poison présentés ponctuellement en face du coléoptère.E. favieri suit uniquement la piste de son hôte. La valeur adaptative des différentes caractéristiques du suivi de la piste parE. favieri est discutée.

Prophylaxie sociale au sein de la fourmilière

The silk road of tetranychus urticae : is it a singe or a double lane ?

Experimental Applied Acarology, 2012

Chapitre 9 - Éthologie et robotique : vers une gestion de précision des sociétés animales

Syntheses, Oct 1, 2009

Caste differences in behavioral thresholds as a basis for polyethism during food recruitment in the ant, Pheidole pallidula (Nyl.) (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae)

J Insect Behav, 1991

Insectes Sociaux, Nov 30, 1990

The dimorphic ant spccics P. pallidula is widespread in all Mediterranean countries and was the d... more The dimorphic ant spccics P. pallidula is widespread in all Mediterranean countries and was the dominant species in our study area. Demographic data such as relative abundance, density, spatial distribution were collected and quantitative observations of P. pallidula behaviour were made at the time of food exploitation. This allowed us to discern the relations, particularly competitives ones, between their workers and other sympatric ant species (Aphaenogaster senilis, Crematogaster sordiduIa, Messor barbara, PIagiolepis pygmaea). The ecological success of P. paIlidula seems to depend on 3 main characteristics of its ethology: I ~) its foraging activity both diurnal and nocturnal, 2 ~ ) the diversity of its foraging techniques (individual and collective retrievals by minor foragers; short and long lasting foraging trails).

PLOS ONE, 2015

Myrmecochorous diaspores bear a nutrient-rich appendage, the elaiosome, attractive to ant workers... more Myrmecochorous diaspores bear a nutrient-rich appendage, the elaiosome, attractive to ant workers that retrieve them into the nest, detach the elaiosome and reject the seed intact. While this interaction is beneficial for the plant partner by ensuring its seed dispersal, elaiosome consumption has various effects −positive, negative or none − on ants' demography and survival, depending on both the ant/plant species involved. In this context, the contribution of ants to seed dispersal strongly varies according to the ant/plant pairs considered. In this paper, we investigate whether the dynamics of myrmecochory also vary on a temporal scale, for a given pair of partners: Myrmica rubra ants and Viola odorata seeds. During their first encounter with seeds, ants collect all the diaspores and eat the majority of elaiosomes. Both the harvesting effort and the elaiosome consumption decline when seeds are offered on the next week and completely cease for the following weeks. This is related to a decrease in the number of foragers reaching the food source, as well as to a reduced probability for an ant contacting a seed to retrieve it. Seed retrieval is not reactivated after seven weeks without any encounter with V. odorata seeds. By contrast, naive ant colonies only fed with fruit flies do not show a decline of prey harvesting of which the speed of retrieval even increases over the successive weeks. Myrmecochory may thus be labile at the scale of a fruiting season due to the ability of ants to steeply tune and cease for several months the harvesting of these seemingly poorly rewarding items and to maintain cessation of seed exploitation. The present study emphasizes the importance of a long-lasting follow up of the myrmecochory process, to assess the stability of this ant-plant partnership and to identify mechanisms of adaptive harvesting in ants.

Symbioses entre agents naturels et agents artificiels

Decision-making in foraging by social insects

Information Processing in Social Insects, 1999

... In this respect, honeybee foraging behavior (eg number of flower visits, flight patterns, han... more ... In this respect, honeybee foraging behavior (eg number of flower visits, flight patterns, handling time on ... with nestmates, to the metabolic cost invested in recruitment signals (eg bee dances or ... In the case of social insects foraging collectively, an exhaustive and precise coding of ...