András Tartally | University of Debrecen (original) (raw)
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Papers by András Tartally
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Nov 2, 2023
Ants can found colonies in different ways. One is by claustral colony foundation, when fertilized... more Ants can found colonies in different ways. One is by claustral colony foundation, when fertilized queens typically have enough nutrients reserved in their bodies to raise the first 'nanitic' worker generation without any foraging activity. This colony-foundation strategy evolved in response to selective pressures (e.g. predators), but it limits the number of nanitic workers. We, therefore, assumed that fed queens might initially rear more nanitic workers, although feeding might also be associated with risks and stress. In this study, we analysed the effects of stress and different diets during the colony-foundation period on the success of colony founding by claustral black garden ant Lasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) queens. Our findings confirm that regularly fed claustral ant queens raise more pupae and workers, reflecting that limited brood size is a cost of safety behaviour for claustral ant queens. There is another notable aspect of our findings for laboratories: in order to maximize the size of the nanitic worker generation, they can feed claustral ant queens with crickets.
Természetvédelmi közlemények, 2009
Occurrence of Platyarthrus schoblii (Isopoda, Oniscidea) and its ant hosts in Hungary, 2005
The myrmecophilous Platyarthrus schoblii Budde-Lund, 1885 is widely distributed and native in the... more The myrmecophilous Platyarthrus schoblii Budde-Lund, 1885 is widely distributed and native in the Mediterranean region. In Hungary it was first found at Budapest, in 2001, in a colony of Lasius neglectus van Loon, Boomsma and Andrásfalvy, 1990 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This invasive and polygynous ant species is dispersing in an antropochorous way throughout Europe.
There are 16 known colonies of L. neglectus in Hungary. Fourteen of them have been surveyed for the isopod, which was detected in eight cases (57%). In addition to L. neglectus, the isopod has been recently found with other native ant species [Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1791) and Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758)] in the country. We have also found the joint occurrence of P. hoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833 and P. schoblii. The co-occurrence and joint expansion of the ranges f L. neglectus and P. schoblii indicates their co-habitation and antropochorous dispersal while the appearance with L. emarginatus, L. niger and T. caespitum supports our hypothesis about possible adoption by different ant species.
Keywords: Platyarthrus; Introduction; Host ant; Invasive; Myrmecophilious; Jump dispersal; Establishment; Hungary
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Sep 8, 2010
Introduction: Ant workers can consistently differ in their behaviour in various situations, like ... more Introduction: Ant workers can consistently differ in their behaviour in various situations, like in emerging tasks. Ant colonies (the reproductive unit) can also exhibit consistent differences in behaviour, similarly to workers. Hence personality of social insects appears at least on two levels: individual and colonial [1]. Formica fusca, the common black ant is a facultative polygyne species, with several hundred workers per colony. Our aims were to measure repeatability of workers’ behaviour and investigate what effect the reproductive attribution (queen number) and the body size of the workers (head width) have on it. 1: MTA-DE "Lendulet" Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen 2: Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Humanbiology, University of Debrecen *email: panka.somogyi@gmail.com
A new distribution record for Prolixandromyces triandrus (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is presente... more A new distribution record for Prolixandromyces triandrus (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is presented from the Bukk Mountains in Northeastern Hungary, from the host species Velia (Plesiovelia) saulii (Heteroptera: Veliidae). Hitherto, this fungal parasite had only been observed in the Western Mediterranean region and Macaronesia. Prolixandromyces triandrus seems to be abundant in the Hungarian host population reported. Additionally, ribosomal DNA barcodes for this fungal species are also presented. A brief review is given of Laboulbeniales from aquatic/semiaquatic insect hosts in Hungary.
Systematic Entomology, Aug 21, 2017
The main goal of our research was to carry out a comprehensive study on the obligatorily myrmecop... more The main goal of our research was to carry out a comprehensive study on the obligatorily myrmecophilous Maculinea alcon (Denis & Schiffermüller) whose taxonomy has remained highly debated despite the fact that Maculinea Van Eecke species are some of the most intensively studied insects in Europe. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between the different forms exploiting different ecological environments with specific regard to ‘Hirschke's rebeli' (M. rebeli (Hirschke)) from the high altitudes of the Styrian Alps which was studied in this respect for the first time. Molecular analyses including multiple gene sequences, microsatellites and allozymes completed with Wolbachia screening, together with geometric morphometry were applied on various sets of samples. Our results showed that ‘rebeli’ from the type locality differed strongly from all other samples not only at the highly variable microsatellites, but also at standard genes and clearly represents a well‐separated unit (potentially subspecies) within M. alcon. As all individuals were infected with a single Wolbachia strain, this is possibly an ancient infection with high maternal transmission rate. It also suggests that the separation of the topotypic populations was probably a relatively recent event which could have been promoted by genetic drift or specific conditions at high altitudes, and maintained by restricted gene flow. Both the genetic and the morphometric studies supported the proposition that the geographical origin of the populations has a higher effect on the structure of variation than the food plant use. Moreover, we detected more genetic lineages than could be defined by differential host plant usage.
Fungal Ecology, Jun 1, 2019
Journal of Hymenoptera Research, Aug 31, 2017
Fungal Ecology, Apr 1, 2020
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Nov 2, 2023
Ants can found colonies in different ways. One is by claustral colony foundation, when fertilized... more Ants can found colonies in different ways. One is by claustral colony foundation, when fertilized queens typically have enough nutrients reserved in their bodies to raise the first 'nanitic' worker generation without any foraging activity. This colony-foundation strategy evolved in response to selective pressures (e.g. predators), but it limits the number of nanitic workers. We, therefore, assumed that fed queens might initially rear more nanitic workers, although feeding might also be associated with risks and stress. In this study, we analysed the effects of stress and different diets during the colony-foundation period on the success of colony founding by claustral black garden ant Lasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) queens. Our findings confirm that regularly fed claustral ant queens raise more pupae and workers, reflecting that limited brood size is a cost of safety behaviour for claustral ant queens. There is another notable aspect of our findings for laboratories: in order to maximize the size of the nanitic worker generation, they can feed claustral ant queens with crickets.
Természetvédelmi közlemények, 2009
Occurrence of Platyarthrus schoblii (Isopoda, Oniscidea) and its ant hosts in Hungary, 2005
The myrmecophilous Platyarthrus schoblii Budde-Lund, 1885 is widely distributed and native in the... more The myrmecophilous Platyarthrus schoblii Budde-Lund, 1885 is widely distributed and native in the Mediterranean region. In Hungary it was first found at Budapest, in 2001, in a colony of Lasius neglectus van Loon, Boomsma and Andrásfalvy, 1990 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This invasive and polygynous ant species is dispersing in an antropochorous way throughout Europe.
There are 16 known colonies of L. neglectus in Hungary. Fourteen of them have been surveyed for the isopod, which was detected in eight cases (57%). In addition to L. neglectus, the isopod has been recently found with other native ant species [Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1791) and Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758)] in the country. We have also found the joint occurrence of P. hoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833 and P. schoblii. The co-occurrence and joint expansion of the ranges f L. neglectus and P. schoblii indicates their co-habitation and antropochorous dispersal while the appearance with L. emarginatus, L. niger and T. caespitum supports our hypothesis about possible adoption by different ant species.
Keywords: Platyarthrus; Introduction; Host ant; Invasive; Myrmecophilious; Jump dispersal; Establishment; Hungary
Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Sep 8, 2010
Introduction: Ant workers can consistently differ in their behaviour in various situations, like ... more Introduction: Ant workers can consistently differ in their behaviour in various situations, like in emerging tasks. Ant colonies (the reproductive unit) can also exhibit consistent differences in behaviour, similarly to workers. Hence personality of social insects appears at least on two levels: individual and colonial [1]. Formica fusca, the common black ant is a facultative polygyne species, with several hundred workers per colony. Our aims were to measure repeatability of workers’ behaviour and investigate what effect the reproductive attribution (queen number) and the body size of the workers (head width) have on it. 1: MTA-DE "Lendulet" Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen 2: Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Humanbiology, University of Debrecen *email: panka.somogyi@gmail.com
A new distribution record for Prolixandromyces triandrus (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is presente... more A new distribution record for Prolixandromyces triandrus (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is presented from the Bukk Mountains in Northeastern Hungary, from the host species Velia (Plesiovelia) saulii (Heteroptera: Veliidae). Hitherto, this fungal parasite had only been observed in the Western Mediterranean region and Macaronesia. Prolixandromyces triandrus seems to be abundant in the Hungarian host population reported. Additionally, ribosomal DNA barcodes for this fungal species are also presented. A brief review is given of Laboulbeniales from aquatic/semiaquatic insect hosts in Hungary.
Systematic Entomology, Aug 21, 2017
The main goal of our research was to carry out a comprehensive study on the obligatorily myrmecop... more The main goal of our research was to carry out a comprehensive study on the obligatorily myrmecophilous Maculinea alcon (Denis & Schiffermüller) whose taxonomy has remained highly debated despite the fact that Maculinea Van Eecke species are some of the most intensively studied insects in Europe. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between the different forms exploiting different ecological environments with specific regard to ‘Hirschke's rebeli' (M. rebeli (Hirschke)) from the high altitudes of the Styrian Alps which was studied in this respect for the first time. Molecular analyses including multiple gene sequences, microsatellites and allozymes completed with Wolbachia screening, together with geometric morphometry were applied on various sets of samples. Our results showed that ‘rebeli’ from the type locality differed strongly from all other samples not only at the highly variable microsatellites, but also at standard genes and clearly represents a well‐separated unit (potentially subspecies) within M. alcon. As all individuals were infected with a single Wolbachia strain, this is possibly an ancient infection with high maternal transmission rate. It also suggests that the separation of the topotypic populations was probably a relatively recent event which could have been promoted by genetic drift or specific conditions at high altitudes, and maintained by restricted gene flow. Both the genetic and the morphometric studies supported the proposition that the geographical origin of the populations has a higher effect on the structure of variation than the food plant use. Moreover, we detected more genetic lineages than could be defined by differential host plant usage.
Fungal Ecology, Jun 1, 2019
Journal of Hymenoptera Research, Aug 31, 2017
Fungal Ecology, Apr 1, 2020