红火蚁工蚁对绿僵菌侵染蛹的防御行为  

Bahaviour of Solenopsis invicta workers to protect pupae from infection by Metarhizium anisopliae

作　　者：邱华龙[1] 吕利华[2] 张春阳[3] 何余容[1] 

机构地区：[1]华南农业大学资源环境学院昆虫系,广州510642 [2]广东省农业科学院植物保护研究所/广东省植物保护新技术重点实验室,广州510640 [3]广东省农业科学院果树研究所,广州510640

出　　处：《应用生态学报》2014年第9期2658-2664,共7页Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology

基　　金：国家国际科技合作计划项目(2011DFB30040);广东省科技计划项目(2011B031500020);广州市科技计划项目(2013J4500032)资助

摘　　要：研究了红火蚁工蚁感染绿僵菌后在蛹室的行为变化,以及健康工蚁对侵染蛹的行为保护机制.结果表明:工蚁被绿僵菌侵染后,在蛹室的活动时间逐渐减少,由第1天的103.4 s降至第3天的38.5 s;而且育幼时间占蛹室活动时间的比例也下降,由第1天的13.6%降至第3天的3.5%.当蛹被绿僵菌侵染后,工蚁对侵染蛹的梳理总时间为对照组的5.3倍,每次梳理的平均持续时间为对照组的5.2倍.梳理行为能显著减少侵染蛹的体表分生孢子数量,在无工蚁、2只工蚁和10只工蚁存在条件下,蛹体表平均孢子数分别为103.1、51.6和31.3个.工蚁的存在能抑制蛹体表孢子的萌发,处理20 h后,无工蚁、2只工蚁和10只工蚁存在条件下,蛹体表孢子萌发率分别为95.1%、80.4%和59.9%.蛹的羽化率随着工蚁数量增加显著升高.红火蚁工蚁通过社会行为防御病原真菌侵染蛹的策略为种群的延续和发展提供了保障.Previous studies have focused on how ants deal with workers infected by pathogens but how pupae are protected from infection by fungi is not well understood. The behavioral mechanisms adopted by Solenopsis invicta （red imported fire ants, RIFA） adult workers to protect pupae against Metarhizium anisopliae infection were studied. We observed the behavioral changes of M. anisopliae infected adult workers in the brood chamber as well as the behavioral changes of healthy workers to fungus exposed pupae. The time of fungus infected workers spent in the pupal chamber reduced significantly from 103.4 s on the first day to 38.5 s on the third day. Moreover, the percentage of time spending on brood care in the pupal chamber reduced significantly from 13.6% on the first day to 3.5% on the third day. When pupae were infected by M. anisopliae, workers performed 5.3 times more grooming to fungus exposed pupae than controls, and the duration of each grooming bout to fungus exposed pupae was 5.2 times longer than controls. Grooming did remove many conidia on the surface of fungus exposed pupae. The mean numbers of conidia on the surface of pupae were 103.1, 51.6 and 31.3 when no workers, two workers and ten workers accompanied a pupa, respectively. The presence of workers resulted in a lower germination rate of conidia on the surface of pupae. The mean germination rates of conidia after 20 h of inoculation on the surface of pupae were 95.1%, 80.4% and 59.9%, in the treatments with no worker, two workers and ten workers respectively. There was a positive correlation between the emergence rate of pupae and the number of accompanying workers. RIFA protect their pupae from infection by M. anisopliae through social behaviors which enable the sustainable development of their population.

关 键 词：红火蚁 虫生真菌 育幼 梳理 社会行为 

分 类 号：S476[农业科学—农业昆虫与害虫防治]