Journal article
Complex body size differences in thermal tolerance among army ant workers (Eciton burchellii parvispinum)
Journal of thermal biology, v 78
01 Dec 2018
PMID: 30509648
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
In social insects, group members can differ in thermal physiology, and these differences may affect colony function. Upper thermal tolerance limits (CTmax) generally increase with body size among and within ant species, but size effects on lower thermal tolerances (CTmin) are poorly known. To test whether CTmin co-variation with body size matched patterns for CTmax, we measured CTmax and CTmin in workers of four size based worker subcastes in the army ant Eciton burchellii parvispinum. CTmax increased with worker body size as expected. CTmin showed a more complex relationship with size: the two intermediate-size subcastes (media and porters) tolerated lower temperatures than the smallest (minims) and the largest (soldiers) worker subcastes. Body-size effects on CTmax were not predictive of body-size effects on CTmin. These patterns held for colonies collected across elevations that spanned approximately 8 degrees C in mean annual temperature, even though high elevation colonies had significantly lower CTmin overall. We predict Eciton army ant subcastes will be differentially affected by directional changes in high and low temperature extremes. Worker subcastes perform distinct but complementary roles in colony function, and differential temperature effects among subcastes could impair colony performance and negatively impact colony fitness.
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Details
- Title
- Complex body size differences in thermal tolerance among army ant workers (Eciton burchellii parvispinum)
- Creators
- Kaitlin Baudier - Arizona State UniversitySean O'Donnell - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Journal of thermal biology, v 78
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 4
- Grant note
- Drexel University Claudio Elia Memorial Fellowship Organization for Tropical Studies Tyson Research Fellowship Drexel University College of Arts & Sciences startup funds William L. McLean III Fellowship through the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000454467700034
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85055754940
- Other Identifier
- 991019167871504721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology
- Zoology