Oecophylla Smaragdina Research Articles

A comparative analysis of the insect colonisation on sprague dawley carcass at aquatic and terrestrial environments in Shah Alam Selangor

Forensic entomology is the use of insect colonisation infesting corpse for the determination of time elapsed since death. The geographic location, weather and other environmental factors contributes a significant impact on the insect colonisation found on the remains. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the types of insect colonisation on Sprague Dawley carcass decomposing on aquatic and terrestrial environments. Three sets of live Sprague Dawley rats were euthanised using cervical dislocation method and placed in a wire cage at aquatic or terrestrial areas. It was observed daily for seven days at varied time intervals (9am, 12pm and 4pm). The insects were collected and preserved with 70% alcohol, recorded and observed under stereo microscope for identification by comparative analysis of morphology. It was observed that the carcasses at the aquatic environment decomposed one day earlier compared to the terrestrial environment. Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, Oecophylla smaragdina, Camponotus sp, Monomorium pharaonis, Anoplolepis gracilipes were found dominantly for both terrestrial and aquatic environments, while Porcellio sp. was dominant only in the aquatic environment. As for the larvae determination, only Chrysomya rufifacies larvae species was found dominant in both environments. The findings of this study may help to determine whether the body has been moved from one spot to another. This information will give indication whether the search for a primary or secondary crime scene is warranted during an investigation.

Antennal sensilla of the weaver ant Oecophylla Smaragdina (F.)-Males and Females sense differently?

Antenna of males and female insects are distinct in morphology and function, and such differences exist in the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina (F.). In this ant, behaviour is predominantly olfactory driven. Foraging, nursing, feeding, defense etc., are the predominant female behaviour. Males are in less numbers and are seldom in the colony. This study explores the sexual dimorphism in O. smaragdina with respect to antennal morphology, morphometry and sensilla profile, which are often considered key components of the peripheral sensory system. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies revealed that the sensilla profile on the antenna probably reflects the sensitivity. Antennal morphology and sensilla profile differ in males and females. Sensilla repertoire of the females (major worker) is different in the number and types of chemosensilla. Sensilla basiconica type1 and type 2, sensilla trichoidea curvata, sensilla ampullacea and sensilla coeloconica were the abundant ones observed on the female antenna. Males have sparse sensilla, and its putative sensilla basiconicais strikingly different. The results suggest that the sensilla profile can be reflective of the behavioral repertoire in these ants.

Intercolony distance predicts the decision to rescue or attack conspecifics in weaver ants

Group formation and recognition mechanisms can strongly influence the decision to cooperate or attack in animal societies. Therefore, testing how individuals recognize group membership, and the decision to cooperate or attack during social interactions is critical to understanding the evolution of sociality. We explore decision-making in the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina, a highly territorial and also cooperative species. Here, we report a previously undescribed rescue behavior for weaver ants, and determine the role of distance and group membership in residents’ decisions to either rescue or attack conspecifics in distress. First, we tested if residents preferentially rescued nestmates and attacked non-nestmates. Our results show that rescue was more likely for nestmates; however, surprisingly, conspecifics from neighboring colonies were rescued in 43% of the distress trials. Furthermore, attacks became more frequent as distance between colonies increased showing a dear enemy effect, which may be explained by familiarity, odor recognition, and/or relatedness. Our work exploring the factors that influence the decision to rescue or attack provides novel evidence to understand the underlying selective pressures that shape decisions of cooperation or conflict in highly cooperative societies.

The Ant Mosaic Distribution of Oecophylla smaragdina and Dominant Ant Species: Effects on Ants Communities in Agroforestry in Tarakan Island

Agroforestry system enhanced ant biodiversity. Ant structure in the ecosystem has been driven by many factors, e.g., competition and predation among species. Dominant species and predator may give impact to species diversity in the ecosystem. We had field research to examine the interactions among dominant ant species, predator Oecophylla smaragdina, and other ants in Tarakan, North Kalimantan. In agroforestry system as the study site, ants and other insects on 66 crop trees were collected by sweeping and beating. The obtained number of two species Tapinoma melanocephalum and Oecophylla smaragdina occupied more than 60% of all collected ants. Two dominant ants tended to be separately distributed. The community structure may be ant mosaic pattern. Furthermore, the densities of the two dominant ants were higher, but their diversities in the tree were lower than dominant species and predator absence. Probably, the tendency seems to be active on the distribution of other ants.

Antennal asymmetry is not associated with social behaviour in Australian Hymenoptera

AbstractLateralisation of biological form and function are well known for vertebrates and are being increasingly documented among invertebrates in recent years. Behavioural lateralisation in insects, together with asymmetrical distributions of antennal sensilla, has been linked to the communication challenges faced by social, but not solitary, insects. Recent evidence on patterns of asymmetry in insects outside of the Hymenoptera suggests that this explanation for antennal sensilla asymmetry may not be phylogenetically constrained. We explore this possibility by examining the distribution of antennal sensilla in three species of ants (Formicidae), the meat ant Iridomyrmex purpureus (Dolichoderinae), the green tree ant Oecophylla smaragdina (Formicinae) and the shield ant Meranoplus sp. (Myrmicinae) in which colony organisation is eusocial, and two species of nomiine bees, Mellitidia tomentifera and Reepenia bituberculata (Halictidae: Nomiinae), where colony organisation is not eusocial. Our results demonstrate that while there are differences in the left–right asymmetry of antennal sensilla basiconica in workers of the formicine ant I. purpureus, there is no consistent sensilla asymmetry across the five species. We find a negative correlation between antennal sensilla density and body size in R. bituberculata, which was not apparent in the other species. Our results contradict the suggestion that asymmetrical distribution of antennal sensilla is associated with the evolution of eusocial behaviour.

Characterization of a Newly Isolated Probiotic Strain from Oecophylla smaragdina, an Edible Insect Popular Among the Indigenous Communities of Northeast India.

Northeast India is amongst the 34 Biodiversity Hot Spots of the world with large number of unexplored flora and fauna. A total of 74 potential isolates with probiotic properties were isolated from Oecophylla smaragdina, an edible insect used by local tribes as a nutritious medicinal food source out of which, the most potential probiotic candidate was identified as Bacillus sp. PD6 by 16S rRNA sequencing. Cell surface trait analysis shows hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation percentage of 46.2 ± 0.32% and 61.41 ± 0.28% respectively. The cell free extract (CFE) of the isolate shows the presence of essential amino acids viz, lysine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, and threonine indicating its nutritional value. It survives significantly at pH range from 1 to 10 and capable of hydrolyzing bile salt. The CFE shows antagonistic effect against B. cereus ATCC 11778, E. coli ATCC 25922 and L. monocytogenes ATCC BAA751. FTIR spectra of bacterial exo-polysaccharide shows the presence of νC=C-H stretch, νN-H stretch, νC-H stretch, νC-H bending and νC=O stretch bonds. It was found to be non-cytotoxic against primary mouse liver cell line and sheep erythrocytes and also, sensitive against wide range of broad and narrow spectrum antibiotics making it recommendable for human consumption.

Microbial Community Composition Reveals Spatial Variation and Distinctive Core Microbiome of the Weaver Ant Oecophylla smaragdina in Malaysia

The weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina is an aggressive predator of other arthropods and has been employed as a biological control agent against many insect pests in plantations. Despite playing important roles in pest management, information about the microbiota of O. smaragdina is limited. In this work, a number of O. smaragdina colonies (n = 12) from Malaysia had been studied on their microbiome profile using Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We characterized the core microbiota associated with these O. smaragdina and investigated variation between colonies from different environments. Across all 12 samples, 97.8% of the sequences were assigned to eight bacterial families and most communities were dominated by families Acetobacteraceae and Lactobacillaceae. Comparison among colonies revealed predominance of Acetobacteraceae in O. smaragdina from forest areas but reduced abundance was observed in colonies from urban areas. In addition, our findings also revealed distinctive community composition in O. smaragdina showing little taxonomic overlap with previously reported ant microbiota. In summary, our work provides information regarding microbiome of O. smaragdina which is essential for establishing healthy colonies. This study also forms the basis for further study on microbiome of O. smaragdina from other regions.

Identifikasi Mikroorganisme Tanah dan Serangga yang Berasosiasi dengan Pohon Gaharu

<p>Papua is considered as one of the centre of gaharu productions in Indonesia, because 58% of its natural diversification exist in this region. �The soil microorganism and insect have been known as vector for the penetration of �Fusarium lateritium which cause the gaharu effect.� This research was aimed to identify �both the soil microorganism and insect that associated with gaharu plant.�The result of the study revealed that (1) The soil microorganism that live in gaharu habitate were Trichoderma viridae, Fusarium spp, Corynebacterium sp., Criconemoides sp., and �Pratylenchus sp., and (2) The insect that live in gaharu habitate were Anomala pallida, Hypomyces inflatus, Arachnoidea, Dolichoderes bituberculatus, Oecophylla smaragdina, Dysdercus cingulatus, Teleogryllus mitratus, and dragon Flies.</p>

Caste-Specific Expression of Na+/K+-ATPase in the Asian Weaver Ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775).

Social insect colonies adopt different levels of survival strategies and exhibit well-defined reproductive division of labour. Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775) has physiological and behavioral adaptations that enable them to forage at extreme environmental conditions and are lethal to most other insects. Ion homeostasis is the key process in an organism's survival mechanism. Among ion pumps, the ATP-dependent sodium-potassium ion pump is essential for maintaining the Na+ and K+ ionic balance and is well known as the primary consumer of energy. Oecophylla smaragdina plays pivotal role as a model among social insects for understanding ion homeostasis at the organization level of the castes. We have evaluated the expression and activity of Na+/K+-ATPase among various castes of O. smaragdina (worker subcastes, queen and male). Real-time PCR and immunoblotting analyses revealed the differential expression of Na+/K+-ATPase in the castes. Significantly higher expression of Na+/K+-ATPase mRNA and protein were observed in the minor workers, queen, major workers and males respectively. These results suggest that in the weaver ant colony, the castes might have variously adapted and evolved with a well-developed ion transport mechanism which allows them to perform allocated tasks within the nest and could be a key to their adaptive benefits towards division of labour.

A Kicking Butterfly Chrysalis

One of the primary characteristics of the pupal stage of most holometabolous insects is their immobility. This paper describes a previously unknown example of mobility in a pierid pupa from SE Asia. The movements of the pupae of Catopsilia pomona assume the form of a vigorous kicking motion when disturbed. Their sensitivity to touch was found to decrease with time since ecdysis, but detachment of the silk girdle was sufficient to solicit kicking in all pupae. Microscopic analysis indicated that the kicks are generated at the posterior of the abdomen by the retention of freedom of movement in two abdominal segments (A5 and A6). Video analysis suggests that the kicks are probably products of general cutaneous sensitivity rather than specialized sensilla and generate both ‘surprise’ and force by their extreme speed (<1s). The hypothesis that this is an anti-predator defense is supported by field observations and video of attempted predation by weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) in which individual attackers boarding the pupae were shaken off and thrown to the ground.

Occurrence of polyhouse vegetable pests in Kerala

Purposive survey was conducted in 82 polyhouses comprising 13 agro-ecological zones covering 12 districts of Kerala, during 2014–16 with a view to document the pests and natural enemies associated with salad cucumber, yard long bean, tomato, chilli, amaranthus, bittergourd and cabbage. Twenty eight species of pests were recorded in the study comprising of nineteen insect pests, five plant parasitic nematodes, two each of mite and mammalian pests. The incidence of mammalian pests in polyhouse is reported for the first time. American serpentine leaf miner, Liriomyza trifolii, cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, leaf caterpillar, Spodoptera litura, spider mite, Tetranychus truncates and root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, were the predominant ones. The natural enemies recorded were Aenasius arizonensis, Coccinella transversalis, Scymnus coccivora, Oecophylla smaragdina Carcelia sp, and Argiope aurantia.

Phylogenetic Position of the Western Bangladesh Populations of Weaver Ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina is distributed from India through SE Asia to North Australia including many tropical western pacific Islands. A recent phylogenetic study of O. smaragdina revealed the central Bangladesh population as SE Asian mainland clade despite of its geographical proximity to India. However, the sample analyzed was limited and the geographical border between the two groups has not been presented. In this study, several samples collected from western parts of Bangladesh have been used to examine the phylogenetic position. A total of 20 O. smaragdina colonies were sampled from 12 Districts during 2013 to 2014. Their haplotype and phylogenetic relationships were determined by analyzing mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene (Cytb) of 606 bp and Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of 775bp. Bayesian analysis inferred that the western parts of Bangladesh were occupied by Indian type, which is the first record in the country. The present study suggested that, although the Ganges river has no border effect, both Indian type and SE Asian types occur in Bangladesh.

An Approach to Reveal the Possible Underlying Mechanisms Inherent to Oecophylla smaragdina as a Biocontrol Agent

Oecophylla smaragdina, a biological pest control agent attacks its prey with their mandibles followed by ejection of venom; rendering them paralyzed. Even though Oecophylla smaragdina is a successful pest control agent, no attempts have been made to outline its molecular mechanism of action hitherto. The first part of this study intends characterization of venom constituents using preliminary methods followed by coupled gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis. The results indicate the anticipated presence of neurotoxin in ant venom (2,5-dipropyl-decahydroquinoline). This alkaloid is a known non-competitive inhibitor of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but the proper mechanism of inhibition by decahydroquinoline was obscure and has been addressed in this study. Based on the results and known facts, the second part of this study deals with in silico docking and molecular dynamics simulations to portray the molecular level inhibition of nAChRs by decahydroquinolines. Molecular docking and dynamics studies indicate that the inhibition of nAChRs by decahydroquinoline is attained by occluding the pore lumen of nAChRs in the serine–leucine ring. The GC–MS analysis followed by in silico studies thereby indicates that the potent non-competitive inhibitor of nAChRs found in the venom of Oecophylla must be posing paralyzing effects on its prey.

SPECIES COMPOSITION AND HABITAT OF INSECTS AT LUNG NGOC HOANG NATURAL PRESERVATION AREA IN HAU GIANG PROVINCE

The survey is carried out at Lung Ngoc Hoang Natural Preservation area in Hau Giang province from May 2016 to May 2017 in four different habitats: habitat of agriculture, habitat of agro-forestry, habitat of Melaleuca forest and habitat of water with 35 sampling stations. The method of using the landing net to collect specimens was used in this research. The study result showed that there were 100 insect species belonging to 80 genera of 29 families in 9 Orders. They were characterized by high dominance index and frequency of appearance. Amongst the surveyed species, Oecophylla smaragdina and Dolichodorus thoracicus hadthe highest frequency of appearance in both wet and dry seasons. The findings also indicated that Coastal dike was the most diverse habitat of species composition as well as the number of individual insects, which were found in both seasons.

Insects as source of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory peptides

Hypertension is well known as one of the major risk for cardiovascular diseases which annually affect millions of people. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) plays a key role in blood pressure regulation process. Indeed, hypertension treatment by synthetic ACE inhibitors (e.g. captopril, lisinopril and ramipril) is effective; however, their use can cause serious side effects, such as hypotension, cough, reduced renal function and angioedema. Thus, research was focused on natural ACE inhibitory peptides sources such as foodstuffs and also, more recently, edible insects. In the last decades, ACE inhibitory activity has been detected in protein hydrolysates from insect species belonging to the orders of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and also Orthoptera. Further investigations led to identify specific ACE inhibitory peptides from the silkwormBombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), the yellow mealwormTenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the cotton leafwormSpodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and also from the weaver antOecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Even if ACE inhibitory activity of these bioactive peptides has beenin vitro assayed and is comparable to those of some bioactive peptides derived from other animal protein sources, thein vivo effectiveness of most of these bioactive peptides still needs to be confirmed. The aim of this review is to present an outline of the currently available data on the potential use of insects for hypertension treatment with a focus on the ACE inhibitory peptides identified in these invertebrates to date.

Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals the Overlapping Distribution of the Indian and Southeast Asian Clades of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central Bangladesh

Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals the Overlapping Distribution of the Indian and Southeast Asian Clades of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central Bangladesh

Foliar uptake of nitrogen from ant faecal droplets: An overlooked service to ant‐plants

Abstract Nutrient supplies to plants from ants are well known from specialised myrmecophytic symbioses and from plants growing in soil close to ant nests. However, above‐ground nutrient pathways may play a largely unrecognised role also in less specialised ant–plant interactions—the numerous facultative relationships, where ants forage on plants. In a laboratory experiment, weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) were confined to the canopies of coffee (Coffea arabica) seedlings, excluding any ant‐to‐plant transfer of nutrients via the soil strata. When ants were fed 15N‐labelled glycine and subsequently deposited faecal droplets on the seedlings, coffee leaves showed increased levels of 15N and total nitrogen compared to control plants without ants. This was evident for both exposed leaves and leaves covered in plastic bags (i.e. not directly exposed to ants). Thus, nitrogen from ant excretions was absorbed through the coffee leaves, and subsequently, translocated within the plants and possibly leading to the observed higher shoot/root (wet weight) ratios observed on ant‐plants compared to controls. Synthesis. These results reveal an undescribed foliar uptake of ant‐provided nutrients. If this is a general mechanism, a vast amount of ant–plant interactions involves fertilisation. Foliar fertilisation by ants may be an important steady benefit to plants, which has driven the evolution of ant–plant mutualisms in parallel with the well‐recognised but probably more fluctuating benefit from herbivore protection. Given the world‐wide abundance of plant canopies foraged by ants, this nutrient pathway may be of high ecological significance.

Worker brain development and colony organization in ants: Does division of labor influence neuroplasticity?

Brain compartment size allometries may adaptively reflect cognitive needs associated with behavioral development and ecology. Ants provide an informative system to study the relationship of neural architecture and development because worker tasks and sensory inputs may change with age. Additionally, tasks may be divided among morphologically and behaviorally differentiated worker groups (subcastes), reducing repertoire size through specialization and aligning brain structure with task-specific cognitive requirements. We hypothesized that division of labor may decrease developmental neuroplasticity in workers due to the apparently limited behavioral flexibility associated with task specialization. To test this hypothesis, we compared macroscopic and cellular neuroanatomy in two ant sister clades with striking contrasts in worker morphological differentiation and colony-level social organization: Oecophylla smaragdina, a socially complex species with large colonies and behaviorally distinct dimorphic workers, and Formica subsericea, a socially basic species with small colonies containing monomorphic workers. We quantified volumes of functionally distinct brain compartments in newly eclosed and mature workers and measured the effects of visual experience on synaptic complex (microglomeruli) organization in the mushroom bodies-regions of higher-order sensory integration-to determine the extent of experience-dependent neuroplasticity. We demonstrate that, contrary to our hypothesis, O. smaragdina workers have significant age-related volume increases and synaptic reorganization in the mushroom bodies, whereas F. subsericea workers have reduced age-related neuroplasticity. We also found no visual experience-dependent synaptic reorganization in either species. Our findings thus suggest that changes in the mushroom body with age are associated with division of labor, and therefore social complexity, in ants. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1072-1085, 2017.

Natural radionuclides and stable elements in weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) from tropical northern Australia

Natural radionuclides and stable elements were measured in weaver ants, leaves and soils collected from three sites in tropical northern Australia. Radionuclide concentration ratios for ants relative to soil were derived from the measurements and used to refine the current environmental radiological assessment for remediation of Ranger uranium mine. Use of site-specific concentration ratios for weaver ants gave a more conservative estimate of environmental exposure to the arthropod wildlife group than use of default concentration ratios in the ERICA Tool. This was primarily because the 226Ra concentration ratio for weaver ants was more than 7 times greater than for generic arthropods.

KUANTITAS ANAKAN KULTUR SEMUT RANGRANG, &lt;em&gt;Oecophylla smaragdina&lt;/em&gt;, SECARA ARTIFISIAL DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN BEBERAPA JENIS PAKAN BERBEDA

Oecophylla smaragdina or weaver ants is social insect that has an important role in the ecosystem. One of its main function is as a biological control agent in agriculture. The use of weaver ants in an effort to develop a biocontrol continues and increases, this has caused the significant decrease of the natural population of O. smaragdina. Therefore, the weaver ants rearing is needed to maintain its existence in natural habitat without excessive exploitation. The purpose of this study were to determine the effect of different types of feed i.e. snails, earthworms, and okara (tofu by-product) in the production of weaver ants kroto; and to determine the different of treatments of feeds provided to the production quantity of weaver ants kroto. The experimental method used in this study with a completely randomized design. Treatment was given by different protein sources feeding i.e. snails (Pomacea canaliculata), earthworm (Lumbricus rubellus), and okara. Five replicates were appliead for each treatment. Earthworms fed ants produced highest number of kroto with total of 1,030 individuals and weight 87.4 gram in total. Snails fed ants produced 866 individuals and weight 73.1 gram. Okara fed ants produced 543 individuals and weight 45.9 gram.