Disease dynamics in a specialized parasite of ant societies.

PloS One
Sandra B AndersenDavid P Hughes

Abstract

Coevolution between ant colonies and their rare specialized parasites are intriguing, because lethal infections of workers may correspond to tolerable chronic diseases of colonies, but the parasite adaptations that allow stable coexistence with ants are virtually unknown. We explore the trade-offs experienced by Ophiocordyceps parasites manipulating ants into dying in nearby graveyards. We used field data from Brazil and Thailand to parameterize and fit a model for the growth rate of graveyards. We show that parasite pressure is much lower than the abundance of ant cadavers suggests and that hyperparasites often castrate Ophiocordyceps. However, once fruiting bodies become sexually mature they appear robust. Such parasite life-history traits are consistent with iteroparity--a reproductive strategy rarely considered in fungi. We discuss how tropical habitats with high biodiversity of hyperparasites and high spore mortality has likely been crucial for the evolution and maintenance of iteroparity in parasites with low dispersal potential.

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Citations

Oct 29, 2013·Annual Review of Entomology·Jacobus J BoomsmaJørgen Eilenberg
Jun 20, 2014·Integrative and Comparative Biology·David P Hughes
Jan 20, 2016·The ISME Journal·Steven R Parratt, Anna-Liisa Laine
Aug 14, 2012·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Catherine L Parr, Corey Bradshaw
Jan 27, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Kelly L WeinersmithScott P Egan
Sep 26, 2017·Annual Review of Entomology·Sylvia CremerMatthias A Fürst
Jun 3, 2020·Mycologia·Stephen J Saltamachia, João P M Araújo
May 2, 2020·G3 : Genes - Genomes - Genetics·Ian WillCharissa de Bekker
Nov 2, 2017·Frontiers in Microbiology·Bernal Matarrita-CarranzaAdrián A Pinto-Tomas
Nov 20, 2018·The Journal of Applied Ecology·Steven R Parratt, Anna-Liisa Laine
Aug 17, 2019·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·Noppol KobmooTatiana Giraud

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
spore collection
dissection

Software Mentioned

GoogleEarth

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