Psyche: A Journal of Entomology

Ants and Their Parasites


Publishing date
01 Mar 2012
Status
Published
Submission deadline
01 Sep 2011

1Departamento de Entomología Tropical, ECOSUR (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur), Avenida Centenario Km 5.5, AP 424, 77900 Chetumal, QROO, Mexico

2Faculté des Sciences, Université François Rabelais, IRBI, UMR CNRS 6035, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France

3Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Straße 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany


Ants and Their Parasites

Description

Ants accumulate and protect collective resources and, with the exception of nomadic species, live in a nest, which is considered to be one of the bases of the evolution of eusociality. Resources and/or protective services provided by ant colonies are exploited in manifold ways by an amazing diversity of other organisms acting as guests and/or parasites: viruses, bacteria, rickettsias, fungi, sporozoa, amoeba, ciliates, nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, mollusks, diplopods, crustaceans, mites, spiders, and a large variety of parasitic or parasitoid insects. Such associations can be obligatory or facultative, permanent or temporary, and harmful or beneficial for the host. Due to the diversity of interactions, an understanding of the nature of these relationships and the mechanisms of integration used by parasites as well as the defense strategies developed by their potential host remains a challenge. Parasites certainly raise particular selection pressures on colony phenotype, and, additionally, they may shape composition and dynamics of ant communities. Over the past two decades, a growing interest has emerged for studying the impact of parasites on colony phenotype and their role in the ecology and evolution of their hosts. Despite their apparent importance, detailed knowledge is lacking, for example, about diversity and abundance of ant parasites or selection pressures imposed through parasitism on host reproductive strategies. In this special issue of Psyche, we will give specific attention to both the mechanisms used by ant parasites to integrate into their host colony and to the way parasitism pressure could affect patterns of reproduction and life history in ant hosts. We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles on various aspects concerning ants and their parasites. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Biodiversity of ant parasites
  • Dynamics of host-parasite association
  • (Co)evolution and phylogeny
  • Host specificity
  • Hyperparasitism, superparasitism, and multiparasitism
  • Mechanisms of integration in host colonies and host defense
  • Natural history and behavior
  • Community impact of ant parasites
  • Potential for biological pest-ant control
  • Life cycles and reproductive strategies
  • Reciprocal fitness impacts (symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism)

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:


Articles

  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 342157
  • - Editorial

Ants and Their Parasites

Jean-Paul Lachaud | Alain Lenoir | Volker Witte
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 380474
  • - Review Article

Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants

Hsun-Yi Hsieh | Ivette Perfecto
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 151989
  • - Review Article

Spider-Ant Associations: An Updated Review of Myrmecomorphy, Myrmecophily, and Myrmecophagy in Spiders

Paula E. Cushing
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 351232
  • - Research Article

Pseudacteon Parasitoids of Azteca instabilis Ants in Southern Mexico (Diptera: Phoridae; Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Brian V. Brown | Stacy M. Philpott
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 153975
  • - Review Article

The Host Genera of Ant-Parasitic Lycaenidae Butterflies: A Review

Konrad Fiedler
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 840860
  • - Research Article

Chemical Integration of Myrmecophilous Guests in Aphaenogaster Ant Nests

Alain Lenoir | Quentin Chalon | ... | Raphaël Boulay
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 239392
  • - Review Article

Towards a Better Understanding of the Evolution of Specialized Parasites of Fungus-Growing Ant Crops

Sze Huei Yek | Jacobus J. Boomsma | Michael Poulsen
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 432151
  • - Research Article

Sporadic Infection of Wolbachia in a Recently Established Population of Formica fusca

Krista K. Ingram | Andrew P. Hoadley | ... | Jee Won So
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 725237
  • - Review Article

Myrmica Ants and Their Butterfly Parasites with Special Focus on the Acoustic Communication

F. Barbero | D. Patricelli | ... | S. Bonelli
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 134746
  • - Review Article

Diversity of Species and Behavior of Hymenopteran Parasitoids of Ants: A Review

Jean-Paul Lachaud | Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud
Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
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