Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent
Insects produce pigment and structural colours mainly for camouflage, signaling, physical protection or temperature regulation, and colour patterns can provide information about individual quality. Although the evolutionary function and nature of the variability in colouration are well known for man...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
2017-06-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Entomology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0039_Not_simply_red_Colouration_of_red_wood_ant_Formica_rufa_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_is_polymorphic_modular_and.php |
| _version_ | 1818963562678190080 |
|---|---|
| author | Oksana SKALDINA Jouni SORVARI |
| author_facet | Oksana SKALDINA Jouni SORVARI |
| author_sort | Oksana SKALDINA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Insects produce pigment and structural colours mainly for camouflage, signaling, physical protection or temperature regulation, and colour patterns can provide information about individual quality. Although the evolutionary function and nature of the variability in colouration are well known for many invertebrate taxa, there is little information on this topic for ants. We studied individual variation in the melanin-based colour traits of workers of the red wood ant, Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), from 20 colonies in Southern Finland and revealed the type of colouration in this species. First, using the threshold approach we distinguished between continuous and discrete variations. Furthermore, the analyses affirmed nine discrete morphs in terms of the colouration on the head and eight on the pronotum, while only continuous variation were found on the other body parts. Measuring the size of a particular colour pattern, the intensity of colour expression (degree of melanization) and statistical analyses allowed an assessment of the intra-individual variation in both discrete and continuous patterns. The results revealed substantial modularity in the above mentioned colouration traits. In workers of F. rufa there were individuals with a dark head and light coloured thorax and vice a versa. Size of the dark pigment colour patterns exhibited less modularity than the degree of melanization. Finally, the interrelation between colouration traits and individual body size revealed their size-dependent origin. Small individuals had relatively larger areas of colour on the head and thorax than big individuals. These results are likely to facilitate further taxonomical and ecological studies on red wood ants, as they show it is possible to assess colouration traits in ants. However, more studies are needed on the function of polymorphism and modular colouration in this group of ants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:47:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b3167ccbc6441e09ca196b356d068cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1210-5759 1802-8829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:47:12Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b3167ccbc6441e09ca196b356d068cb2022-12-21T19:40:17ZengInstitute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of ScienceEuropean Journal of Entomology1210-57591802-88292017-06-01114131732410.14411/eje.2017.039eje-201701-0039Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependentOksana SKALDINA0Jouni SORVARI1Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; e-mails: oksana.skaldina@uef.fi, jouni.sorvari@uef.fiDepartment of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; e-mails: oksana.skaldina@uef.fi, jouni.sorvari@uef.fiInsects produce pigment and structural colours mainly for camouflage, signaling, physical protection or temperature regulation, and colour patterns can provide information about individual quality. Although the evolutionary function and nature of the variability in colouration are well known for many invertebrate taxa, there is little information on this topic for ants. We studied individual variation in the melanin-based colour traits of workers of the red wood ant, Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), from 20 colonies in Southern Finland and revealed the type of colouration in this species. First, using the threshold approach we distinguished between continuous and discrete variations. Furthermore, the analyses affirmed nine discrete morphs in terms of the colouration on the head and eight on the pronotum, while only continuous variation were found on the other body parts. Measuring the size of a particular colour pattern, the intensity of colour expression (degree of melanization) and statistical analyses allowed an assessment of the intra-individual variation in both discrete and continuous patterns. The results revealed substantial modularity in the above mentioned colouration traits. In workers of F. rufa there were individuals with a dark head and light coloured thorax and vice a versa. Size of the dark pigment colour patterns exhibited less modularity than the degree of melanization. Finally, the interrelation between colouration traits and individual body size revealed their size-dependent origin. Small individuals had relatively larger areas of colour on the head and thorax than big individuals. These results are likely to facilitate further taxonomical and ecological studies on red wood ants, as they show it is possible to assess colouration traits in ants. However, more studies are needed on the function of polymorphism and modular colouration in this group of ants.https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0039_Not_simply_red_Colouration_of_red_wood_ant_Formica_rufa_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_is_polymorphic_modular_and.phphymenopteraformicidaecolouration variabilitymelanizationmodularitypigment patternspolymorphismwood ants |
| spellingShingle | Oksana SKALDINA Jouni SORVARI Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent European Journal of Entomology hymenoptera formicidae colouration variability melanization modularity pigment patterns polymorphism wood ants |
| title | Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent |
| title_full | Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent |
| title_fullStr | Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent |
| title_full_unstemmed | Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent |
| title_short | Not simply red: Colouration of red wood ant Formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is polymorphic, modular and size-dependent |
| title_sort | not simply red colouration of red wood ant formica rufa hymenoptera formicidae is polymorphic modular and size dependent |
| topic | hymenoptera formicidae colouration variability melanization modularity pigment patterns polymorphism wood ants |
| url | https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201701-0039_Not_simply_red_Colouration_of_red_wood_ant_Formica_rufa_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_is_polymorphic_modular_and.php |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oksanaskaldina notsimplyredcolourationofredwoodantformicarufahymenopteraformicidaeispolymorphicmodularandsizedependent AT jounisorvari notsimplyredcolourationofredwoodantformicarufahymenopteraformicidaeispolymorphicmodularandsizedependent |