Transgressive gene expression disrupts the molting process in hybrids of two invasive termites.

The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) and the Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi) are among the most destructive termite pests in the world. Both species have spread to various regions worldwide with overlapping distributions in a few areas where they can potentially hybridize. Observations suggest that workers in hybrid colonies are slower to molt than those of the parental species, suggesting a disruption in the molting process as a form of hybrid incompatibility.

Microbial, genetic, and urban drivers of ant invasions.

Invasive ants are among the most destructive invaders worldwide, causing ecological disruption, economic losses, and public health risks. While classic traits such as polygyny, colony budding, and supercoloniality are well-known contributors to their success, emerging research reveals a broader suite of mechanisms driving their invasiveness. This review synthesizes recent findings on the microbial, genetic, and behavioral factors that facilitate ant invasions.

Reduced Cuticular Hydrocarbon Production in a Unicolonial Population of the Ant, Nylanderia fulva, Is Associated with Low Desiccation Resistance in its Invasive Range.

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are ubiquitous among insects where they form an outer wax layer that helps maintain water balance and prevent desiccation. In social insects, CHCs were subsequently co-opted as semiochemicals in many contexts, including nestmate recognition, which maintains boundaries among competing colonies by ousting non-nestmates. In some ant populations, workers do not discriminate against non-nestmates.

Transgenerational epigenetic effect of kings' aging on offspring's caste fate mediated by sperm DNA methylation in termites.

The discovery of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the unraveling of its molecular mechanisms are currently solving previously puzzling challenges that Mendelian genetics based solely on DNA could not explain, leading to significant paradigm shifts across various fields of biology. There has been a long-standing controversy over the factors determining the caste fate of individuals in social insects. Increasing evidence supports heritable influences on division of labor.

First evidence of the A302S Rdl insecticide resistance mutation in populations of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in North America.

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), is a pervasive indoor pest with prominent medical, veterinary, and economic impacts. Bed bug infestations are controlled by a wide range of insecticides, including pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, pyrroles, and phenylpyrazoles; however, bed bugs have evolved resistance mechanisms to most of these insecticides.

Identification of a colony- and dose-dependent worker aggregation pheromone in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes virginicus.

Collective behaviors of social insects are often regulated by pheromones. In subterranean termites, some workers forage for and exploit decaying wood for new food resources while forming tunnels from their nest. Colonizing new food resources requires workers to build and disinfect tunnels and chambers inside the nest and ingest decaying wood; therefore subterranean termite colonies should have mechanisms to establish and maintain groups of workers to perform these functions.

Inter-clonal competition over queen succession imposes a cost of parthenogenesis on termite colonies.

In social insect colonies, selfish behaviour due to intracolonial conflict among members can result in colony-level costs despite close relatedness. In certain termite species, queens use asexual reproduction for within-colony queen succession but rely on sexual reproduction for worker and alate production, resulting in multiple half-clones of a single primary queen competing for personal reproduction. Our study demonstrates that competition over asexual queen succession among different clone types leads to the overproduction of parthenogenetic offspring, resulting in the production of dysfunctional parthenogenetic alates.

Solving the 250-year-old mystery of the origin and global spread of the German cockroach, .

The origin of the German cockroach, , is enigmatic, in part because it is ubiquitous worldwide in human-built structures but absent from any natural habitats. The first historical records of this species are from ca. 250 years ago (ya) from central Europe (hence its name).

Immigration and seasonal bottlenecks: high inbreeding despite high genetic diversity in an oscillating population of Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Most population genetic studies concern spatial genetic differentiation, but far fewer aim at analyzing the temporal genetic changes that occur within populations. Vector species, including mosquitoes and biting midges, are often characterized by oscillating adult population densities, which may affect their dispersal, selection, and genetic diversity over time. Here, we used a population of Culicoides sonorensis from a single site in California to investigate short-term (intra-annual) and long-term (inter-annual) temporal variation in genetic diversity over a 3 yr period.

Complete chromosome-level genome assembly data from the tawny crazy ant, (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

The tawny crazy ant, (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has a native range that extends from northern Argentina to southern Brazil. In the U.S.

Post-embryonic development of the female reproductive system of the Neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae).

In termites, the maturation of the female reproductive system is progressive following post-embryonic development. In Silvestritermes euamignathus, the imaginal line is characterized by five nymphal instars that develop into the imago, but it can deviate in some instars to neotenic reproductives. In order to understand the rate of development of the female reproductive system throughout post-embryonic development, we analyzed the morphology of the reproductive system of nymphs, characterizing the stage of development and comparing it with neotenics and primary queens.

Bacterial Isolates Derived from Nest Soil Affect the Attraction and Digging Behavior of Workers of the Red Imported Fire Ant, Buren.

Populations of monogyne and polygyne red imported fire ants (RIFA), Buren, are distributed throughout the southern United States. This ant species is hazardous to farm animals and workers, damages infrastructure, and depletes native arthropod populations. Colony expansion is affected by several biotic factors, but the effects of soil microbes on ant behavior related to soil excavation within nest sites have not been investigated.

Short and long-term costs of inbreeding in the lifelong-partnership in a termite.

Social life and lifelong partner commitments are expected to favor thorough partner choice, as an ill-suited partnership may have long-term consequences, adversely affecting the parents and spanning several cohorts of offspring. Here, we used ~1400 termite incipient colonies to estimate the short- and long-term costs of inbreeding upon the survival of the parents over a 15-month period, their productivity, and the resistance of their offspring toward pathogen pressure. We observed that foundation success was not influenced by the relatedness of partners, but by their levels of microbial load.

RNA meets toxicology: efficacy indicators from the experimental design of RNAi studies for insect pest management.

RNA interference (RNAi) selectively targets genes and silences their expression in vivo, causing developmental defects, mortality and altered behavior. Consequently, RNAi has emerged as a promising research area for insect pest management. However, it is not yet a viable alternative over conventional pesticides despite several theoretical advantages in safety and specificity.

Development of microsatellite markers for population genetics of biting midges and a potential tool for species identification of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones.

Background: Proper vector surveillance relies on the ability to identify species of interest accurately and efficiently, though this can be difficult in groups containing cryptic species. Culicoides Latreille is a genus of small biting flies responsible for the transmission of numerous pathogens to a multitude of vertebrates. Regarding pathogen transmission, the C.

Assessing colony elimination in multicolonial ants: Estimating field efficacy of insecticidal baits against the invasive dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus).

Background: A frequent goal of pest management strategies targeting social insects is total colony elimination. Insecticidal baits are highly effective at controlling social insect pests, although their ability to provide total colony elimination has only been well studied in a few species. Genetically testing colony elimination in many urban pest ants can be challenging due to indistinct colony boundaries observed in unicolonial, invasive species; however, some pest ants, such as the dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus), maintain strict colony borders through aggression towards non-nestmates.

Cloning and Functional Characterization of a Double-Stranded RNA-Degrading Nuclease in the Tawny Crazy Ant ().

RNA interference is a powerful tool that post-transcriptionally silences target genes. However, silencing efficacy varies greatly among different insect species. Recently, we attempted to knock down some housekeeping genes in the tawny crazy ant (), a relatively new invasive species in the southern United States, but only achieved relatively low silencing efficiency when dsRNA was orally administered.

Species delimitation and mitonuclear discordance within a species complex of biting midges.

The inability to distinguish between species can be a serious problem in groups responsible for pathogen transmission. Culicoides biting midges transmit many pathogenic agents infecting wildlife and livestock. In North America, the C.

Distinct colony boundaries and larval discrimination in polygyne red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta).

Evaluating the factors that promote invasive ant abundance is critical to assess their ecological impact and inform their management. Many invasive ant species show reduced nestmate recognition and an absence of boundaries between unrelated nests, which allow populations to achieve greater densities due to reduced intraspecific competition. We examined nestmate discrimination and colony boundaries in introduced populations of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta; hereafter, fire ant).

Exotic Ants of the Asia-Pacific: Invasion, National Response, and Ongoing Needs.

Human activity has facilitated the introduction of many exotic species via global trade. Asia-Pacific countries comprise one of the most economically and trade-active regions in the world, which makes it an area that is highly vulnerable to invasive species, including ants. There are currently over 60 exotic ant species in the Asia-Pacific, with the red imported fire ant, , among the most destructive.

Consistent signatures of urban adaptation in a native, urban invader ant Tapinoma sessile.

Biological invasions are becoming more prevalent due to the rise of global trade and expansion of urban areas. Ants are among the most prolific invaders with many exhibiting a multiqueen colony structure, dependent colony foundation and reduced internest aggression. Although these characteristics are generally associated with the invasions of exotic ants, they may also facilitate the spread of native ants into novel habitats.

Colonization by the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, Modifies Soil Bacterial Communities.

The long-standing association between insects and microorganisms has been especially crucial to the evolutionary and ecological success of social insect groups. Notably, research on the interaction of the two social forms (monogyne and polygyne) of the red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, with microbes in its soil habitat is presently limited. In this study, we characterized bacterial microbiomes associated with RIFA nest soils and native (RIFA-negative) soils to better understand the effects of colonization of RIFA on soil microbial communities.

Development of a Set of Microsatellite Markers to Investigate Sexually Antagonistic Selection in the Invasive Ant .

Sexually antagonistic selection (SAS) occurs when distinct alleles are differentially selected in each sex. In the invasive tawny crazy ant, a genomic region is under SAS, while the rest of the genome is randomly selected in males and females. In this study, we designed a suite of 15 microsatellite markers to study the origin and evolution of SAS in .