Biology subjects

Trigos-Peral, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Trigos-Peral, G..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Viral infection patterns in ants are affected by colony structure and phylogenetic lineage

Across ant species, there are differences in how their societies are structured. Single-queened (monogynous) societies only have one reproducing queen in the colony, and new queens disperse and start colonies independently. In multiple-queened (polygynous) societies, the colony instead can contain several reproductive queens, and newborn queens often remain and reproduce within their natal colony. As a result, polygynous societies are comparatively larger, more genetically diverse, and can span large areas through several interconnected nests, whereas monogynous societies are typically smaller in scale. In this study, we investigated how these different social structures, as well as their phylogenetic lineage, affect the diversity (number of virus species per ant sample) and abundance (number of viral sequences per sample) of viruses in ants. We produced pooled RNA sequence libraries from 15 ant species, representing both monogynous and polygynous social structures, and the two largest ant subfamilies: Formicinae and Myrmicinae, with each library containing the RNA of up to 400 individual worker ants from a single population. We identified 168 virus species in total, of which 152 species were new to science. Out of these 168 viruses, 59 were active viruses based on the host immune response. We observed that polygynous ant species harbor a higher diversity of viruses and also tend to have higher virus abundance compared to monogynous species. Also, the ant subfamily Myrmicinae had a higher virus diversity than Formicinae. These findings highlight how social structure and evolutionary history shape viral diversity in ants.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2026

Small scale habitat components as key drivers of biodiversity in urban park design

Urban green spaces are increasingly recognised as important refuges for biodiversity, yet their ecological value depends strongly on design and management. Here, we investigate how fine scale structural and microhabitat components shape urban ant assemblages, using ants as indicators of broader arthropod responses to urbanisation. Ant communities were sampled in twelve urban green spaces in Cordoba (southern Spain) over a ten{square}year period (2004-2013) using pitfall traps, alongside detailed characterisation of vegetation structure and ground{square}layer microhabitats. In total, 38 species and 25,578 individuals were recorded. Microhabitat variables explained 58% of the variation in species occurrence. Community differences among microhabitats were driven primarily by nestedness, with dense herbaceous cover acting as a core habitat and edge{square}related components contributing disproportionately to beta diversity. Tree abundance showed a unimodal relationship with species richness, with maximum diversity at intermediate densities, while shrub and lawn cover had weak or inconsistent effects. Fine{square}scale elements such as leaf litter, stones, woody debris, and small bare{square}ground patches strongly influenced species occurrence by providing thermal refugia, nesting substrates, and foraging opportunities. The invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibited strong but spatially restricted dominance and species{square}specific negative effects on native ants, emphasising the role of habitat context in mediating invasion impacts. Our results demonstrate that urban biodiversity is maximised by enhancing fine{square}scale habitat heterogeneity rather than increasing green cover alone. We highlight practical design principles for urban green infrastructure that prioritise structural diversity and ground{square}layer complexity to support resilient arthropod communities.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Urban Lasius niger ants more readily accept low concentration sucrose solution than rural ants

Urbanisation causes broad changes in biotic and abiotic factors, which are often detrimental to animals. While extensive attention has been focussed on food resources for pollinators, comparatively little research has examined resources for aphidophagous insects. Many ants, such as Lasius niger, are highly aphidophagous, relying on honeydew secretions for the majority of their carbohydrate intake. Ants will also often reject sugar solution which is of lower concentration than that they were expecting. Here, we ask whether Lasius niger ants from urban environments show differential acceptance to various sucrose solution molarities. We offered outgoing ants on active foraging trails drops of sucrose solutions over a range of molarities (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2M), and quantified acceptance. Acceptance was scored using a simple behavioural measure of whether the ant remained in contact with the sucrose drop for over 3 seconds (full acceptance), broke away from the drop within 3 seconds but remained in the area and eventually drank to satiation (partial acceptance), or did not drink to satiation and walked away (rejection). Urban ants showed a significantly higher acceptance of all sucrose molarities than rural ants, with this difference especially pronounced at lower molarities. This may indicate that they are under nutritional stress for carbohydrates. Ant responses to sucrose solutions may allow a straightforward measure of the availability of carbohydrate resources in the environment.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Impact of Biogenic Structures of the Soil-Nesting Ants Lasius niger and Lasius flavus on the Soil Microarthropod Community in Urban Green Spaces

Organisms that physically modify their environment, known as ecosystem engineers, can influence resource availability, species interactions and the structure of soil communities. However, the specific effect of ecosystem engineers like ants on the abundance and diversity of non-engineering soil organisms remains understudied. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a survey of a multi-taxon belowground community of soil microarthropods - Collembola, Mesostigmata, Oribatida and Actinedida - in urban areas, comparing nest mounds of the ant species Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) and Lasius flavus (Fabricius, 1782) with areas without ant-nesting activity (control). We hypothesised differences in abundance and distribution patterns of different soil microarthropod taxa between ant mounds and the control soil. We also hypothesised that ant-induced soil disturbance is species specific, and may result in different patterns of diversity and composition of soil microarthropod assemblages within trophic levels, such as among detritivores (e.g. Collembola) and predators (e.g. Mesostigmata, which are mainly free-living predatory species in soil litter habitats). Our results reveal how ecological filters shape different soil microarthropod groups responses to ant-driven changes in their environment. As we expected, soil disturbance caused by ant nest-building activity significantly influenced the abundance, distribution patterns and diversity of these soil microarthropods.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Biotic challenges in the city: Dietary restrictions and body fat content of female sexuals in urban ant populations

Urban habitats represent an important challenge for many organisms. Besides the abiotic changes, urban habitats are also characterized by changes in the biotic conditions, such as a more uniform species composition and declining population sizes. For urban ants this can result in dietary shortages. In our study, we tested whether urban ant colonies might suffer from dietary restrictions by carrying out a common garden experiment in which ant colonies from urban and rural habitats were exposed to high carbohydrate, protein, and fat / protein diets. We also investigated the body fat content of individuals from both habitat types. Our findings suggest a lower availability of high-quality carbohydrates in urban areas. Additionally, while not statistically significant, rural colonies exhibited a tendency to consume greater quantities of proteins and fat compared to urban colonies. This trend was in line with a higher body fat content observed in female sexuals (gynes) from rural colonies. These results might indicate the outcome of an evolutionary feedback process in which ant colonies adapt to nutritional constraints in urban environments. They achieve this by minimizing the investment in gynes, which might require fewer reserves for survival during colony foundation due to reduced competition for nesting sites within urban green spaces.

ecology↗