dc.contributor.author
Davis, Hannah E.
dc.contributor.author
Meconcelli, Stefania
dc.contributor.author
Radek, Renate
dc.contributor.author
McMahon, Dino P.
dc.date.accessioned
2018-10-25T14:52:17Z
dc.date.available
2018-10-25T14:52:17Z
dc.identifier.uri
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/23123
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-917
dc.description.abstract
Social insects employ a range of behaviours to protect their colonies against disease, but little is known about how such collective behaviours are orchestrated. This is especially true for the social Blattodea (termites). We developed an experimental approach that allowed us to explore how the social response to disease is co-ordinated by multistep host-pathogen interactions. We infected the eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, and then, at different stages of infection, reintroduced them to healthy nestmates and recorded behavioural responses. As expected, termites groomed pathogen-exposed individuals significantly more than controls; however, grooming was significantly elevated after fungal germination than before, demonstrating the importance of fungal status to hygienic behaviour. Significantly, we found that cannibalism became prevalent only after exposed termites became visibly ill, highlighting the importance of host condition as a cue for social hygienic behaviour. Our study reveals the presence of a coordinated social response to disease that depends on stage of infection. Specifically, we show how the host may play a key role in triggering its own sacrifice. Sacrificial self-flagging has been observed in other social insects: our results demonstrate that termites have independently evolved to both recognize and destructively respond to sickness.
en
dc.format.extent
10 Seiten
dc.rights.uri
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
Social evolution
en
dc.subject
Behavioural ecology
en
dc.subject
Animal behaviour
en
dc.subject.ddc
500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::590 Tiere (Zoologie)::595 Arthropoden (Gliederfüßer)
dc.subject.ddc
500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::590 Tiere (Zoologie)::591 Einzelne Themen in der Naturgeschichte
dc.title
Termites shape their collective behavioural response based on stage of infection
dc.type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber
14433
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi
10.1038/s41598-018-32721-7
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle
Scientific Reports
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume
8
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32721-7
refubium.affiliation
Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
refubium.affiliation.other
Institut für Biologie
refubium.funding
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
refubium.note.author
Die Publikation wurde aus Open Access Publikationsgeldern der Freien Universität Berlin und der DFG gefördert.
refubium.resourceType.isindependentpub
no
dcterms.accessRights.openaire
open access
dcterms.isPartOf.issn
2045-2322