Odors produced by soil microbes attract red fire ants to safer nest
sites

Date:
September 10, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Newly mated queens of the red fire ant select nest sites with a
relatively low pathogen risk by detecting odors produced by soil
bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting fungi, according
to a new study.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
[Red fire ant (stock | Credit: (c) elharo / stock.adobe.com] Red fire ant (stock image).

Credit: (c) elharo / stock.adobe.com [Red fire ant (stock | Credit:
(c) elharo / stock.adobe.com] Red fire ant (stock image).

Credit: (c) elharo / stock.adobe.com Close Newly mated queens of the
red fire ant select nest sites with a relatively low pathogen risk by
detecting odors produced by soil bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting fungi, according to a study published September 10 in
the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Daifeng Cheng and Yongyue
Lu of South China Agricultural University, and colleagues. As noted by
the authors, this is the first time that the chemical signals of soil microorganisms have been reported to affect the nesting choice of newly
mated queens.


========================================================================== Soil-dwelling insects are at risk of pathogen infection. When choosing
nesting sites, insects could reduce this risk by avoiding contact with pathogens. Yet it has not been clear whether social insects can reliably
detect and avoid pathogens at potential nesting sites. In the new study,
the researchers show that newly mated queens of a soil-dwelling ant --
the red fire ant Solenopsis invicta -- nest preferentially in soil
containing more actinobacteria, which produce compounds that inhibit
the growth of pathogenic fungi.

The ants are attracted to two volatile compounds produced by these
bacteria.

Queens in the actinobacteria-rich, pathogen-depleted soil benefit from
a higher survival rate, enabling the ant population to grow. According
to the authors, the results show for the first time that ants may
be attracted to soil based on chemical cues produced by resident actinobacteria, which may provide protection against pathogenic fungi. The findings may help guide strategies that alter the soil microbiota to
manage S. invicta, which is notorious invasive pest in many countries,
where its rapid spread has caused great economic losses and ecological problems.

The authors note, "Queens of the red fire ant apply an interesting way
to avoid potential pathogens infection when nesting."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Hongmei Huang, Lu Ren, Huijing Li, Axel Schmidt, Jonathan
Gershenzon,
Yongyue Lu, Daifeng Cheng. The nesting preference of an invasive ant
is associated with the cues produced by actinobacteria in soil. PLOS
Pathogens, 2020; 16 (9): e1008800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008800 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200910150326.htm

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