O comportamento de insetos sociais, em especial de formigas, tem sido muito estudado nos últimos tempos, devido à capacidade destes insetos realizarem tarefas complexas a partir de interações entre indivíduos simples. Ao se moverem sobre um ambiente na busca de alimento, as formigas depositam no solo uma substância química, denominada feromônio, que atrai as formigas que se encontram no ninho e as guia em direção ao alimento encontrado. O processo de construção e seguimento destas trilhas permite que as formigas descubram os menores caminhos e as melhores fontes de alimento no ambiente. Com o objetivo de estudar as características das formigas que contribuem para a sua adaptação a diferentes condições do meio, diversos experimentos vêm sendo realizados com estes insetos. Dentro deste contexto, esta tese apresenta experimentos inéditos realizados com formigas em laboratório, sobre uma rede artificial de túneis, onde diversos caminhos interconectados conduzem a uma fonte de alimento. As decisões das formigas foram analisadas nos níveis individual e coletivo, sob mudanças no meio, compreendendo o bloqueio/desbloqueio de ramos. A medição de diversas características individuais das formigas permitiu desenvolver dois modelos matemáticos sobre o seu comportamento, que foram aplicados à situação em que não se alterou a condição do ambiente com relação ao acesso aos ramos (estática), como também a mudanças no meio (dinâmica). A análise realizada do comportamento coletivo foi utilizada na comparação dos resultados obtidos pelas simulações dos modelos. De forma geral, o segundo modelo proposto foi mais eficiente que o primeiro na situação estática, porém ele ainda necessita de ajustes nas demais situações. O bom desempenho do segundo modelo proposto levou a aplicação de sua principal característica, a função de escolha que considera a concentração de feromônio sobre os ramos do meio e a capacidade de orientação das formigas, a um problema de otimização combinatorial, o roteamento em redes de telecomunicações. O algoritmo de roteamento proposto foi avaliado sob variações no nível de tráfego e topologia da rede, e seu desempenho foi comparado ao de dois algoritmos usados por concessionárias de telecomunicações, considerando diversas medidas de desempenho. O algoritmo desenvolvido obteve resultados encorajadores, sugerindo a aplicabilidade da estrutura do modelo proposto a outros problemas complexos de otimização. / The behavior of social insects, particularly of ants, has been intensively studied in the last years, due to their capacity to perform complex tasks through interactions among simple individuals. When moving in the environment searching for food, ants deposit on the ground a chemical substance, called pheromone, to attract ants in the nest and guide them towards the source of food that was found. The process of laying/following the pheromone trails allows ants to find the shortest paths and best sources of food of the environment. With the aim to study the characteristics of the ants that contribute to their adaptation to different environment conditions, several experiments with ants have been performed and reported in this research. In this context, this thesis presents novel experiments with ants in the laboratory, in an artificial network of tunnels, where several interconnected paths lead the insects from the nest to the food source. Ants\' decision were analyzed according to the individual and collective levels, under changes in the environment, comprising the blockage/release of branches. The measure of several individual characteristics of ants allowed the development of two mathematical models of their behavior, which were applied to the non-changing (static) environment access to all branches and to changing (dynamic) access. The analysis of the collective behavior of ants in the experiments was used to compare the results derived from the simulations of the models. In general, the second proposed model was more accurate than the first one in simulating ants behavior for the static situation, however, it needs some improvements for the other situations. The satisfactory behavior of the second model led to apply its main feature, the choice taking into consideration the pheromone concentration over the branches and the ants ability to orient themselves, to solve an optimization problem, the routing in telecommunications networks. The proposed routing algorithm was evaluated under variations on the traffic level and topology of the network, and its performance was compared with two routing algorithms used by telecommunications companies, considering several performance measures. The developed algorithm produced encouraging results, suggesting the possibility to apply the framework of the proposed model to other optimization problems.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-07-28T20:13:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 nilhiangoncalvesdealmeida.pdf: 901056 bytes, checksum: f81be41f6ec01326237e68fcf570b703 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-07-29T11:42:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 nilhiangoncalvesdealmeida.pdf: 901056 bytes, checksum: f81be41f6ec01326237e68fcf570b703 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-29T11:42:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nilhiangoncalvesdealmeida.pdf: 901056 bytes, checksum: f81be41f6ec01326237e68fcf570b703 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Avaliação do processo de tomada de decisão na determinação de rotas em Acromyrmex subterraneus (Forel, 1893) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). O forrageamento é imprescindível à sobrevivência e reprodução dos animais, devendo ser entendido como um imperativo biológico. Operárias de formigas cortadeiras utilizam de forma sinérgica informações individual (memória) e social (feromônio de trilha) a fim de selecionar e transportar o alimento. Este transporte ocorre por meio de uma rede de trilhas químicas e físicas, estas por sua vez apresentam várias bifurcações. Em cada bifurcação a tomada de decisão sobre qual rota seguir pode estar relacionada com (i) o comprimento de cada ramo da trilha, (ii) a qualidade do alimento ao final de cada ramo e (iii) a hierarquia estabelecida na utilização das informações disponíveis. Investigou-se a influência destes três fatores na determinação de rotas de forrageamento utilizando sistemas de trilhas artificiais. Verificou-se a escolha de rotas em três pontos de bifurcação consecutivos que conduziam as forrageiras ao longo de ramos curtos ou longos ao recurso. A seleção do ramo curto ocorreu nas três bifurcações, tanto nas fases de recrutamento das escoteiras, na qual não há transporte de carga foliar, quanto na das forrageiras, quando ocorre o transporte. No entanto, na bifurcação mediana a proporção de operárias no ramo curto foi menor em relação às bifurcações das extremidades. Com relação ao efeito da qualidade do alimento, avaliou-se a tomada de decisão das forrageiras em dois pontos de bifurcação consecutivos dos quais divergiam rotas curtas e longas e havia acesso a recursos com duas concentrações de sacarose. Alternando-se a disposição dos recursos nos ramos curto e longo, foi verificado o transporte preferencial do recurso de maior qualidade independente se este estava no ramo curto ou longo, evidenciando que a qualidade energética do recurso alimentar foi determinante para que ocorresse seu transporte. Para verificar a ocorrência de uma ordem hierárquica na utilização das informações individual e social, foi utilizada uma trilha em Y na qual apenas um ramo conduzia ao recurso alimentar. Este ramo teve uma seção recoberta por papel filtro onde houve aplicação de feromônio de trilha pelas operárias, estimada pela contagem do fluxo. Após uma forrageira individualmente marcada (operária-alvo) realizar 1, 3 ou 5 visitas ao recurso, o papel filtro foi transferido para o ramo que não conduzia ao alimento. Registrou-se o tempo gasto pela operária-alvo na seleção de ramo e a frequência de escolhas corretas (ramo com alimento). Independente do número de visitas prévias da operária-alvo ao recurso, a frequência de escolhas certas foi alta. Também o número de visitas não influenciou no tempo para a tomada de decisão. No entanto, quanto maior foi o fluxo de operárias, o qual reflete a concentração de feromônio, maior foi o tempo para a tomada de decisão. Assim, ao conflitar as informações individual e social, verificou-se que a informação individual foi priorizada. O presente estudo demonstra que rotas curtas são preferencialmente utilizadas, mas a qualidade do alimento altera a seleção destas rotas. Ademais, a informação individual sobre a presença do alimento foi determinante na seleção de rotas, sendo priorizada em relação à informação social. / (Evaluation of the decision making process of determining route in Acromyrmex subterraneus (Forel, 1893) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Foraging is essential to animal survival and reproduction, and must be understood as a biological imperative. Leaf-cutting ant workers mainly use individual (memory) and social (trail pheromone) information in a synergic way in order to select and transport food, as well as travelling along trails which have many bifurcations. At each bifurcation, the decision making about which route to follow is related to (i) the length of each trail branch, (ii) the food quality at the end of each branch and (iii) the established hierarchy on using available information. The influence of these three factors on foraging route determination was investigated using artificial trail systems. Route selection was verified in artificial trails with three consecutive bifurcations, which led the foragers to the resource through short or long branches. Selection of the short branch occurred at the three bifurcations in both the scout recruitment and the forager recruitment phase. However, at the central bifurcation the proportion of workers at the short branch was lower in relation to the end bifurcations. With regards to food quality effect, forager decision making was evaluated at two consecutive bifurcations from which diverge short and long routes and there was access to resources with two saccharose concentrations. Shifting the resource disposition at short and long branches, preferential transport of high quality food was verified irrespective of whether it was at the short or the long branch, showing that energetic quality of food resource was determinant to its transport occurrence. To verify if there was a hierarchy order on using the individual and social information, a Y-trail was utilized where only one branch led to the food resource. This branch has a section covered by filter paper where there was trail pheromone deposition by workers, estimated by worker flow counting. After an individually marked forager (target-worker) makes 1, 3 or 5 trips to the resource, filter paper was transferred to the branch which did not lead to the food. The time expended by the target-worker for branch selection and right choice (branch with food) frequency was registered. Regardless of the target-worker’s previous trips to the resource, right choice frequency was high. Also, the previous trip number did not influence the time expended for the decision making. However, the higher the worker flow, the more time expended on decision making. Thus, by conflicting individual and social information, it has been verified that the individual one was prioritized. This study demonstrated that short routes are preferentially selected, but food quality alters route selection. Also, individual information about food presence was crucial on route selection, being prioritized in relation to social information.

La destruction de l'habitat, les invasions biologiques et leur interaction sont des menaces majeures pour la biodiversité. La Nouvelle-Calédonie est menacée à la fois par des feux d'origine humaine, et par des fourmis invasives : il est important de comprendre leur impact sur ce biotope unique. Pour ce faire, une approche hiérarchique intégrant différents aspects de la biodiversité (composition, structure et fonction) a été adoptée. Les fourmis ont une grande importance écologique, en particulier en milieu tropical, et leur classification en groupes fonctionnels facilite l'interprétation de leur réponse aux perturbations environnementales. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient donc d'évaluer les impacts des feux, des fourmis invasives, et de leur interaction, sur les fourmis natives de Nouvelle-Calédonie, et ce à différentes échelles spatiales (globale, régionale, locale) et temporelles (court et long terme), ainsi qu'à divers niveaux d'organisation biologique (communautés, espèces, gènes). L'étude contribue à une meilleure connaissance de la myrmécofaune calédonienne, en révélant l'absence de fourmis souterraines spécialisées, et en documentant la distribution et composition des communautés de fourmis à l'échelle de l'île, en lien avec l'habitat et les fourmis exotiques. Les mécanismes par lesquels les feux impactent les fourmis natives, y compris en association avec les fourmis invasives, sont révélés. Le feu, en créant les conditions de micro- et macrohabitat favorisées par les fourmis invasives, facilite l'invasion, qui cause ensuite d'avantage de perte de diversité, soit quelques années après un incendie ou dans le contexte de la fragmentation à long terme. L'approche hiérarchique a permis de détecter des réponses contrastées au niveau des espèces et de la génétique, liées à différents traits d'histoire de vie, en plus des réponses mesurées au niveau des communautés. Cette étude souligne l'avantage d'une approche holistique pour adresser des problèmes liés à la biodiversité. / Habitat destruction, biological invasions and their interaction are global drivers of biodiversity loss. The New Caledonian hotspot of biodiversity is threatened by both anthropogenic fires and invasive ants: it is important to understand their impacts on its biota. Because biodiversity spans several levels of organisation (from genes to communities) and relates to different attributes (compositional, structural and functional), this thesis takes a hierarchical approach to address this issue. Ants are of great ecological importance, especially in tropical biomes, and their classification into functional groups provides a global framework for analysing their response to disturbance. My aims were therefore to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic fires and invasive ants, and their interaction, on the native New Caledonian ant fauna at different spatial (global, regional, local) and temporal (short and long term) scales, and at different levels of biological organisation (community, species, genes). The study contributes to an improved knowledge of the New Caledonian ants, by revealing the lack of specialised subterranean species, and by investigating island-scale patterns of ant communities, in relation to habitat and invasion. The mechanisms by which fire impacts native ants, either as a standalone process or in association with invasion could be identified. In particular, I show that fire, by creating macro- and microhabitats favoured by invasive ants, facilitates invasion, which then causes further diversity declines, either in the short- (post-burning) or long-term (forest fragmentation). The hierarchical approach used enabled the detection of contrasting trait-derived responses at the species and genetic level, in addition to responses measured at the community level. This study highlights the advantage of a holistic approach to investigating biodiversity-related issues.

Plant–animal interaction systems are complex food webs where the members—plants, pollinators, herbivores, parasites and predators of the pollinators/herbivores—interact with each other in ways which maximize their own fitness. Based on the net outcome, such interactions could be mutually beneficial to the interacting members (mutualism) or beneficial to only one of the interacting members at the cost of the other interacting members (herbivory, predation, parasitism). It is possible that such outcomes are actually a continuum and could swing in either direction from beneficial to detrimental and vice versa. Such transitions happen not only over long time scales, but could also happen within shorter time scales based on conditionalities. Conditional outcomes are those in which the outcome of an interaction between two partners is conditional on the involvement of a third partner. Thus, studying such outcomes necessitates taking into account systems beyond the classical two-partner interactions. In such complex multitrophic plant–animal interaction systems in which there are direct and indirect interactions between species, comprehending the dynamics of these multiple partners is very important for an understanding of how the system is structured. In Chapter 2 we investigate Ficus racemosa and its community of obligatory mutualistic and parasitic fig wasps that develop within the fig inflorescence or syconium, as well as their interaction with opportunistic ants. We focus on temporal resource partitioning among members of the fig wasp community over the development cycle of the fig syconia during which wasp oviposition and development occur and we study the activity rhythm of the ants associated with this community. We found that the members of the wasp community partitioned their oviposition across fig syconium development phenology and showed interspecific variation in activity across the diel cycle. The wasps presented a distinct sequence in their arrival at fig syconia for oviposition. We documented night oviposition in several fig wasp species for the first time. Ant activity on the fig syconia was correlated with wasp activity and was dependent on whether the ants were predatory or trophobiont-tending species; only numbers of predatory ants increased during peak arrivals of the wasps. In Chapter 3, we found that predatory ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) patrolling F. racemosa trees were attracted to the odour from fig syconia at different developmental phases, as well as to the odours of fig wasps, whereas other predatory ants (Technomyrmex albipes) responded only to odours of syconia from which fig wasps were dispersing and to fig wasp odour. However, trophobiont-tending ants (Myrmicaria brunnea) patrolling the same trees and exposed to the same volatiles were unresponsive to fig or fig wasp odours. The predatory ants demonstrated a concentration-dependent response towards volatiles from figs receptive to pollinators and those from which wasps were dispersing while the trophobiont-tending ants were unresponsive to such odours at all concentrations. Naıve predatory ants failed to respond to the volatiles to which the experienced predatory ants responded, indicating that the response to fig-related odours is learned. In Chapter 4 we characterise the dynamics of the volatile bouquet of the fig syconium from the initiation through pre-receptive, receptive, and late inter-floral stages which act as signals/ cues for different fig wasp species. We were also interested in diel patterns of volatile emission as some fig wasp species were strictly diurnal (the pollinator, Ceratosolen fusciceps) whereas other fig wasps such as Apocryptophagus fusca were observed ovipositing even during the nocturnal hours. We identified volatiles that were specific to syconium development phase as well as to the time of day in this bouquet. α-muurolene was identified as the sesquiterpene specific to receptive-phase as well as being present only during the day thus coinciding with the diurnal pollinator arrival pattern. Volatiles such as (E)-β-ocimene were present in increasing levels across the developmental stages of the fig and thus could act as background volatiles providing suitable information to fig wasps about host plants and their phases. Chapter 5 examines the responses of predatory and trophobiont-tending ant species to the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) extracts of four galler and two parasitoid fig wasp species associated with F. racemosa. Interestingly, the antennation response of both experienced and na¨ıve ants to these wasp extracts was identical indicating that prior exposure to such compounds is not necessary for eliciting such response. We also characterised these cuticular hydrocarbon extracts to find potential compounds which could as short-range cues for predatory ants. Ants were more responsive to the cuticular extracts of parasitoids rather than to those of galler wasps, implying that the CHC profile of carnivorous prey may contain more elicitors of aggressive behaviour in ants compared to herbivorous prey whose profiles may be more similar to those of their plant resources. We also find congruency between the cuticular profiles of parasitoids and their hosts suggesting that parasitoids could sequester compounds from their diet. Important findings and conclusions of the thesis are presented in Chapter 6. The first two parts of the appendices section discuss work carried out on alternative ways of analysing multivariate data sets such as plant volatiles and insect cuticular hydrocarbons. Appendix A details the use of Random Forests, an algorithm-based method of analysing complex data sets where there are more variables than samples, a situation akin to microarray data sets. This work illustrates the use of such techniques in chemical ecology, highlighting the potential pitfalls of classical multivariate tests and the advantages of newer more robust methods. Appendix B, an invited article following the publication of the earlier work, compares different data transformation procedures currently employed in such multivariate analysis. Appendix C details sex-specific differences in cuticular hydrocarbons of fig wasps, using the pollinator C. fusciceps as a case study.

The genus Dinoponera has its distribution in South America. The genus has only six species and characterized by the secondary loss of the queen. In this group, there is no caste division and the reproduction is performed by a mated worker (gamergate). The objectives of this study were to investigate the division of worker, focusing the ontogeny of the behaviors and their relationship with the social structure of this species. The colonies were collected and maintained in artificial nests in the Laboratório de Entomologia da Universidade Federal de Sergipe. We made a behavioral catalogue with 2688 behavioral acts. The period of observation of colonies and the variation of colonies were not enough to support age poliethism. The cluster analysis showed that there was little fidelity of formed groups. The results suggest that there is a higher number of generalists, i.e. workers that performed all tasks rather. / O gênero Dinoponera possui ocorrência restrita à América do Sul, nele estão contidas seis espécies, todas sem rainhas típicas. Nas formigas deste gênero não há divisão de castas, a reprodução é realizada por uma operária (gamergate) com ovários desenvolvidos. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram investigar a divisão de trabalho em Dinoponera quadriceps, enfatizando a ontogenia dos comportamentos e sua relação com a estrutura social da espécie. As colônias foram coletadas e mantidas em ninhos artificiais no laboratório de Entomologia da Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Foi construído um catálogo de comportamentos com 2688 atos comportamentais. O tempo de observação das colônias e as variações nas populações não foram suficientes para afirmarmos categoricamente que há polietismo etário, entretanto há fortes indícios que realmente acontece nessa espécie. A análise de cluster demonstrou que havia pouca fidelidade entre os grupos formados nas colônias. Os resultados sugerem que existe uma quantidade maior de operárias generalista, ou seja, aquelas que fazem de tudo um pouco, do que operárias especialistas.

Résumé<p><p>Les tétraponérines 1 à 8 sont des alcaloïdes biosynthétisés à des fins défensives par la fourmi Tetraponera sp. originaire de Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée. Ces alcaloïdes sont dotés de nombreuses propriétés biologiques :insecticides, cytotoxiques, neurotoxiques et antimicrobiennes.<p><p> <p><p>Récemment, le laboratoire de chimie organique s’est intéressé à l’étude de l’influence du squelette tricyclique de ces molécules sur leur activité biologique. A cet effet, la synthèse d’analogues « 666 » des tétraponérines (5-alkyldécahydro-2H,6H-dipyrido[1,2-a:1’,2’-c] pyrimidine) avait été entamée.22 Au cours de cette étude préliminaire, les intermédiaires [76] (squelette « 666 ») et [77] (squelette « iso 666 ») avaient été synthétisés avec des rendements moyens à faibles.<p><p>Dans le cadre de notre thèse, nous avons mis au point des schémas de synthèse conduisant avec de meilleurs rendements aux dérivés [76] et [77].<p><p> <p>Les paramètres de la réaction conduisant à [76] par condensation de la ∆1-pipéridéine, générée à partir du trimère de la ∆1-pipéridéine (a-tripipéridéine), avec le malonate de diéthyle ont été étudiés. Dans les meilleures conditions (pH 11.3, tampon aqueux, 17h, 20°C), le rendement en [76] obtenu est de 34% (précédemment 4%). Dans des solvants organiques, la formation du dérivé [76] n’a jamais été observée.<p><p>Bien qu’amélioré ce rendement reste faible et une autre voie de synthèse a été envisagée. Cette nouvelle approche consiste en la condensation de la ∆1-pipéridéine avec la <p>2-(2,2diéthoxyéthyl)pipéridine qui peut être préparée à partir du 2-(2-pipéridyl)éthanol commercial. Le dérivé [112] est obtenu avec un rendement de 80% pour l’étape de condensation. Les dérivés alkylés [78] ont ensuite été synthétisés en traitant l’a-aminonitrile [112] par les bromures de propyl et dodécylmagnésium.<p> <p>Nous avons ensuite étudié le mécanisme de formation du composé [77] et nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la tétrahydroanabasine [121] était un intermédiaire clé dans la formation du dérivé [77] à partir d’a-tripipéridéine. Ceci nous a permis d’améliorer le rendement de la synthèse du composé [77] à partir d’a-tripipéridéine [120] en se mettant dans des conditions favorables à la formation de la tétrahydroanabasine. Le dérivé [77] est ainsi obtenu avec un rendement de 76%. Les dérivés alkylés [79] correspondants ont été ensuite synthétisés.<p><p> <p><p>Lors de la synthèse des analogues « 666 » des tétraponérines, le composé [93] avait été isolé au cours d’essais de condensation du malonate de diéthyle sur la ∆1-pipéridéine générée par décarboxylation oxydative de la lysine par la N-bromosuccinimide. La structure de ce composé avait été proposée sur base d’une partie de ses propriétés spectroscopiques.22<p><p> <p><p>Dans le cadre de notre thèse nous avons montré que cette hypothèse de structure était incorrecte suite à une analyse complète et détaillée des spectres RMN 2D et d’une dégradation chimique. Une nouvelle hypothèse de structure ([159], squelette « 556 ») a été avancée. <p><p> <p>De plus nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la 3-bromo-1-pipéridéine [152] est un intermédiaire dans la formation de [159]. Sur cette base, nous avons mis au point un nouveau schéma de synthèse totale de [159] au départ du 5-amino-1-pentanol (rendement global 42%) qui confirme la nouvelle structure proposée.<p><p> <p><p>En vue de synthétiser les analogues alkylés « 556 » des tétraponérines, nous avons synthétisé la 2-acétonyl-3-bromo-1-carbométhoxypipéridine [201] et la 3-bromo-1-carbométhoxy-2-(2-oxo-1-dodécyl)pipéridine [208]. Après déprotection, réarrangement via un ion aziridinium et condensation avec la ∆1-pipéridéine, nous avons obtenu les dérivés acétonyle « 556 » [204] et 2-oxododécyle « 556 » [209]. Faute de temps, nous n’avons pas pu mettre au point la réduction de leurs fonctions cétones en méthylènes. <p><p> <p><p>Enfin, pour compléter les résultats des tests biologiques de notre étude structure-activité, nous avons synthétisé la cis- et trans-2-méthyl-6-n-pentylpipéridine (dérivés à courte chaîne des cis- et trans-solénopsines B) et la tétraponérine-5 (T-5).<p><p>Les différents composés synthétisés au cours de ce travail ont été évalués pour leur activité cytotoxique sur une souche de cellules cancéreuses humaines du colon (HT.29).<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Les Hyménoptères sociaux (abeilles, fourmis et guêpes) doivent leur succès écologique à une division dutravail marquée par l’existence de castes. Les reines sont spécialisées dans la reproduction, tandis que les ouvrières sont stériles et prennent en charge la construction du nid et sa défense, la récolte de nourriture et l’élevage des jeunes. Le développement d’un œuf femelle en une reine ou une ouvrière est généralement régi par des facteurs environnementaux, tels que la qualité ou la quantité de la nourriture.En réalisant une étude de génétique des populations chez la fourmi Cataglyphis hispanica, nous avons mis en évidence un mode de reproduction inhabituel appelé hybridogenèse sociale. Cette espèce est caractérisée par la co-existence de deux lignées génétiques au sein des populations. Les reines de chaque lignée s’accouplent systématiquement avec un mâle de l’autre lignée génétique. Ainsi, les reines de la lignée 1 s’accouplent toujours avec un mâle de la lignée 2, et les reines de la lignée 2 s’accouplent avec un mâle de la lignée 1. Les ouvrières sont issues du croisement entre les deux lignées :il s’agit donc d’individus hybrides. A l’inverse, les individus reproducteurs (nouvelles reines et mâles) sont produits exclusivement par reproduction asexuée. La caste femelle (reine ou ouvrière) est donc déterminée génétiquement; les ouvrières portent un génome hybride, alors que les reproducteurs possèdent un génome non-hybride hérité exclusivement de la mère.Les travaux réalisés dans le cadre de cette thèse de doctorat visent à comprendre l’origine et l’évolution de l’hybridogenèse sociale chez les fourmis Cataglyphis par le biais d’approches variées (génétique des populations, phylogéographie et manipulation de colonies en laboratoire). Ils sont articulés selon plusieurs axes complémentaires :la description du phénomène, l’étude de sa distribution géographique et phylogénétique au sein du genre Cataglyphis, et l'étude de ces mécanismes génétiques sous-jacents. / In eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees, wasp and ants, it is commonly accepted that the diploid female eggs are bipotent and develop either into a queen or a worker depending on environmental factors. While conducting a population genetic study of the ant Cataglyphis hispanica, we discovered an unusual reproductive system called social hybridogenesis. Under this system, queens and workers develop from eggs with different genetic make-up. Two divergent genetic lineages coexist within a population. Queens of each lineage mate with males originating from the other lineage. Workers are produced by sexual reproduction; hence, they are first generation hybrids of the two lineages. By contrast, new queens and males are produced by thelytokous and arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, respectively. By using alternative modes of reproduction, queens appear to maximize their reproductive success by increasing the transmission rate of their genes to the reproductive offspring while benefiting from genetic diversity and heterosis effects in their worker force. Males, however, do not contribute genes to the next generation as they only sire sterile workers. This system is expected to be evolutionary short-lived as lineages may be selected to stop the production of males with null direct fitness. This PhD project aims at understanding the origin and evolution of social hybridogenesis in Cataglyphis. Using several different approaches including population genetics methods based on microsatellite makers, phylogeography and experimental manipulations on lab colonies, I explored tthe characteristics of social hybridogenesis, the genetic mechanisms underlying the system and its distribution within the genus Cataglyphis. My results, together with other recent findings, question the paradigm of environmental caste determination in eusocial Hymenoptera and suggest that genetic influences on caste determination may be more common than previously thought. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study examines thermoregulation behavior of wood ant genus Formica on elevation gradient. Two years long dataloger records of inner nest and ambient temperature were combined with detailed spring-summer manual measurement of nest temperature in different depths below nest surface. Results show that inner nest temperature was higher than air temperature in all seasons. Temperature of ant nest is highest in the deepest layer, the heat flows from inside out. We can assume that thermal homeostasis of ant nest in spring and summer i.e. in period of ant highest activity is influenced mainly by inner heat sources - microbial activity and ant metabolism. Insulation seems to have direct effect on nest temperature only in early spring; in summer insulation affects nest temperature indirectly, via ant activity. In winter there is pronounced effect of nest volume which corresponds high isolative properties of nest material. Our results indicate that thermoregulatory behavior of wood ants is driven by endogenous factors, namely colony needs in sense of queen oviposition brood development. Both of these require high temperature. Nests at variable altitude did not differ in average seasonal temperature or seasonal temperature fluctuation. Variability of nest temperature was bigger among nests from one...

Succession is often studied by using a chronosequence. When using a chronosequence we study a set of sites with different ages at the same time and by comparing them we conclude what kind of changes occurred during time (space for time substitution). Only a few studies however compare how results obtained by using a chronosequence differ from those obtained by long-term studies. In my theses I repeated a study that investigated succession of ant communities on brown coal mining spoil dumps in Sokolov district after 19 years. There are chronosequences of two types of sites (spontaneous succession and recultivation) in Sokolov coal mining district. By repeating the original study I could compare changes that occurred du- ring time with changes along a chronosequnce. Relationship between occurrence of ant groups with different ecological requirements and age of site was also investigated. RDA model and variation partitioning were used to find out statistical significance between sites and their age. An increase in number of species was recorded on the spoil dumps. 22 ant species were found in the year 2020, from which 5 species were new on the dumps. All the new species are specialists, two of them are dendrophilous. A statistically significant increase in abundance of forest species with site age was...

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