EcoFoG Papers -- Query Results

de Thoisy, B., Duron, O., Epelboin, L., Musset, L., Quénel, P., Roche, B., et al. (2021). Ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of zoonotic and vector-borne infectious diseases in French Guiana: Transdisciplinarity does matter to tackle new emerging threats. Infection, Génétics and Evolution, 93, 104916. Abstract: French Guiana is a European ultraperipheric region located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It constitutes an important forested region for biological conservation in the Neotropics. Although very sparsely populated, with its inhabitants mainly concentrated on the Atlantic coastal strip and along the two main rivers, it is marked by the presence and development of old and new epidemic disease outbreaks, both research and health priorities. In this review paper, we synthetize 15 years of multidisciplinary and integrative research at the interface between wildlife, ecosystem modification, human activities and sociodemographic development, and human health. This study reveals a complex epidemiological landscape marked by important transitional changes, facilitated by increased interconnections between wildlife, land-use change and human occupation and activity, human and trade transportation, demography with substantial immigration, and identified vector and parasite pharmacological resistance. Among other French Guianese characteristics, we demonstrate herein the existence of more complex multi-host disease life cycles than previously described for several disease systems in Central and South America, which clearly indicates that today the greater promiscuity between wildlife and humans due to demographic and economic pressures may offer novel settings for microbes and their hosts to circulate and spread. French Guiana is a microcosm that crystallizes all the current global environmental, demographic and socioeconomic change conditions, which may favor the development of ancient and future infectious diseases. http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=1052
Lebrini, M., Mbomekallé, I. M., Dolbecq, A., Marrot, J., Berthet, P., Ntienoue, J., et al. (2011). Manganese(III)-containing wells-dawson sandwich-type polyoxometalates: Comparison with their manganese(II) counterparts. Inorg. Chem., 50(14), 6437–6448. Abstract: We present the synthesis and structural characterization, assessed by various techniques (FTIR, TGA, UV-vis, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction for three compounds, magnetic susceptibility, and electrochemistry) of five manganese-containing Wells-Dawson sandwich-type (WDST) complexes. The dimanganese(II)-containing complex, [Na2(H2O) 2MnII2(As2W15O 56)2]18- (1), was obtained by reaction of MnCl2 with 1 equiv of [As2W15O 56]12- in acetate medium (pH 4.7). Oxidation of 1 by Na2S2O8 in aqueous solution led to the dimanganese(III) complex [Na2(H2O)2Mn III2(As2W15O56) 2]16- (2), while its trimanganese(II) homologue, [Na(H2O)2MnII(H2O)Mn II2(As2W15O56) 2]17- (3), was obtained by addition of ca. 1 equiv of MnCl2 to a solution of 1 in 1 M NaCl. The trimanganese(III) and tetramanganese(III) counterparts, [MnIII(H2O)Mn III2(As2W15O56) 2]15- (4) and [MnIII2(H 2O)2MnIII2(As2W 15O56)2]12- (6), are, respectively, obtained by oxidation of aqueous solutions of 3 and [MnII2(H2O)2MnII2(As 2W15O56)2]16- (5) by Na2S2O8. Single-crystal X-ray analyses were carried out on 2, 3, and 4. BVS calculations and XPS confirmed that the oxidation state of Mn centers is +II for complexes 1, 3, and 5 and +III for 2, 4, and 6. A complete comparative electrochemical study was carried out on the six compounds cited above, and it was possible to observe the distinct redox steps MnIV/III and MnIII/II. Magnetization measurements, as a function of temperature, confirm the presence of antiferromagnetic interactions between the Mn ions in these compounds in all cases with the exception of compound 2. © 2011 American Chemical Society. http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=346
Groc, S., Orivel, J., Dejean, A., Martin, J. M., Etienne, M. P., Corbara, B., et al. (2009). Baseline study of the leaf-litter ant fauna in a French Guianese forest. Insect. Conserv. Divers., 2(3), 183–193. Abstract: 1. Leaf-litter ants represent a major component of biodiversity and are excellent bioindicators reflecting the health of terrestrial ecosystems. This study, conducted in an unspoiled forest near the Nouragues Research Station, represents the first inventory of leaf-litter ant diversity conducted in French Guiana, and so can be considered as the baseline dataset for ants in this country. 2. Ants were extracted from the leaf-litter using the Ants of the Leaf Litter Protocol, along an altitudinal gradient at four forest sites, including an inselberg. 3. A total of 196 ant species representing 46 genera distributed over eight subfamilies were collected. Four distinct communities spread over a gradient of diversity were thus identified: the liana forest was the most species-rich (140 species) followed by the forested plateau (102 species), the transition forest (87 species) and the forest at the top of the inselberg (71 species). 4. The discovery of species new to science plus several species recorded for the first time in French Guiana, coupled with the particular context of this area, suggests that the Nouragues Research Station might represent a centre of endemism. Once completed, this leaf-litter ant dataset will contribute greatly to the knowledge of ant biodiversity in French Guiana, and has the potential to progressively become an indispensable tool for country-wide conservation planning programmes. Keywords: Ants of the Leaf Litter Protocol; baseline study; leaf-litter ants; Nouragues; Winkler method http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=108
Lamarre, G. P. A., Decaëns, T., Rougerie, R., Barbut, J., Dewaard, J. R., Hebert, P. D. N., et al. (2016). An integrative taxonomy approach unveils unknown and threatened moth species in Amazonian rainforest fragments. Insect Conserv Divers, 9(5), 475–479. Abstract: This study focuses on the importance in hyperdiverse regions, such as the Amazonian forest, of accelerating and optimising the census of invertebrate communities. We carried out low-intensity sampling of tropical moth (Lepidoptera) assemblages in disturbed forest fragments in Brazil. We combined DNA barcoding and taxonomists’ expertise to produce fast and accurate surveys of local diversity, including the recognition and census of undescribed and endemic species. Integrating expert knowledge of species distributions, we show that despite limited sampling effort, our approach revealed an unexpectedly high number of new and endemic species in severely threatened tropical forest fragments. These results highlight the risk of silent centinelan extinctions and emphasise the urgent need for accelerated invertebrate surveys in high-endemism and human-impacted tropical forests. Keywords: Amazonian forest; Belém center of endemism; centinelan extinction; conservation; DNA barcoding; Lepidoptera; species discovery http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=730
Salas-Lopez, A., Violle, C., Mallia, L., & Orivel, J. (2018). Land-use change effects on the taxonomic and morphological trait composition of ant communities in French Guiana. Insect Conserv Divers, 11(2), 162–173. Abstract: Abstract Land-use changes frequently lead to major changes in the composition and diversity of organisms. A reduction in the range of strategies enabling organisms to survive in a given environment and changes in the average trait values of species may potentially be associated with variations in species? number and identity. We investigated the variation in ant taxonomic composition and morphological trait diversity along a land-use gradient in French Guiana. We measured 13 core ant morphological traits on all species sampled. We then selected the set of five traits that best captured changes along the land-use gradient. Potential effects of the variation in morphological trait diversity and average values were evaluated by examining morphological traits individually as well as in combination. We found that variation in taxonomic diversity was unrelated to the plot-level morphospace. Conversely, a significant shift in taxonomic composition was accompanied by changes in the average values of community traits along the studied gradient, examined both individually and in combination. We argue that morphological trait values may be related to the success of different species in surviving in a given environment and, therefore, are indicative of the taxonomic turnover in ants along the land-use gradient. Nevertheless, in contradiction with theoretical expectations, the morphospace is only slightly affected by habitat filtering and loosely impacted by taxonomic changes. Examining the sensitivity of the morphospace to abiotic and biotic factors and how it reflects varying ecological pressures for species is thus of the utmost importance. Keywords: Community assembly; Formicidae; functional diversity; gradient analysis; habitat filtering; land-use intensification; n-dimensional hypervolume approach http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=892
Leponce, M., Dejean, A., Mottl, O., & Klimes, P. (2021). Rapid assessment of the three-dimensional distribution of dominant arboreal ants in tropical forests. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14(4), 426–438. Abstract: Ants are omnipresent in tropical forests, especially territorially dominant arboreal ants whose territories are spatially segregated forming ‘ant mosaics’. These ecologically important species are rarely used in conservation monitoring because of the difficulty in collecting them. We developed a standardised baitline protocol to study the distribution of dominant ants on canopy trees and also a procedure to objectively define species dominance, even in unknown ant assemblages. Besides eliminating the need to climb trees, this protocol allows live arboreal ant specimens to be sampled at different heights. Behavioural aggressiveness assays between the collected workers provide data on the three-dimensional distribution of colonies and on interactions between species. We compared the results of the behavioural tests to those from null models. In the New Guinean lowland forest studied, we show that the canopy was either shared by multiple territorial species or inhabited by a single species with a large territory. The baitline protocol collected up to half of the arboreal ant species found in a felling census. However, the proportion of species collected at baits decreased with the increasing spatial dominance of single territorial species. Behavioural observations used in the protocol allowed a more efficient detection of ant mosaics than null models. Territorially dominant ants were active on both understorey and canopy trees. The protocol is fast and easy to replicate. It is a potential tool for understanding and monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of arboreal ant assemblages and can detect populous colonies, including those of invasive species http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=1047
Teixeia, G. A., de Aguiar, H. J. A. C., Petitclerc, F., Orivel, J., Lopes, D. M., & Barros, L. A. C. (2021). Evolutionary insights into the genomic organization of major ribosomal DNA in ant chromosomes. Insect Molecular Biology, 30(3), 340–354. Abstract: The major rDNA genes are composed of tandem repeats and are part of the nucleolus organizing regions (NORs). They are highly conserved and therefore useful in understanding the evolutionary patterns of chromosomal locations. The evolutionary dynamics of the karyotype may affect the organization of rDNA genes within chromosomes. In this study, we physically mapped 18S rDNA genes in 13 Neotropical ant species from four subfamilies using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Furthermore, a survey of published rDNA cytogenetic data for 50 additional species was performed, which allowed us to detect the evolutionary patterns of these genes in ant chromosomes. Species from the Neotropical, Palearctic, and Australian regions, comprising a total of 63 species from 19 genera within six subfamilies, were analysed. Most of the species (48 out of 63) had rDNA genes restricted to a single chromosome pair in their intrachromosomal regions. The position of rDNA genes within the chromosomes appears to hinder their dispersal throughout the genome, as translocations and ectopic recombination are uncommon in intrachromosomal regions because they can generate meiotic abnormalities. Therefore, rDNA genes restricted to a single chromosome pair seem to be a plesiomorphic feature in ants, while multiple rDNA sites, observed in distinct subfamilies, may have independent origins in different genera. http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=1048
Dejean, A., Corbara, B., Céréghino, R., Leponce, M., Roux, O., Rossi, V., et al. (2015). Traits allowing some ant species to nest syntopically with the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima in its native range. Insect Science, 22(2), 289–294. Abstract: Supercolonies of the red fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) develop in disturbed environments and likely alter the ant community in the native range of the species. For example, in French Guiana only 8 ant species were repeatedly noted as nesting in close vicinity to its mounds. Here, we verified if a shared set of biological, ecological, and behavioral traits might explain how these 8 species are able to nest in the presence of S. saevissima. We did not find this to be the case. We did find, however, that all of them are able to live in disturbed habitats. It is likely that over the course of evolution each of these species acquired the capacity to live syntopically with S. saevissima through its own set of traits, where colony size (4 species develop large colonies), cuticular compounds which do not trigger aggressiveness (6 species) and submissive behaviors (4 species) complement each other. © 2013 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Keywords: Ant community; Fire ants; Invasive species; Solenopsis saevissima; Species coexistence; Supercoloniality http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=594
Lenoir, A., Devers, S., Touchard, A., & Dejean, A. (2016). The Guianese population of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is unicolonial. Insect Science, 23(5), 739–745. Abstract: In this study, conducted in French Guiana, a part of the native range of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima, we compared the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of media workers with previous results based on intraspecific aggressiveness tests. We noted a strong congruence between the two studies permitting us to delimit 2 supercolonies extending over large distances (up to 54 km), a phenomenon known as unicoloniality. Solenopsis geminata workers, taken as an out-group for cluster analyses, have a very different cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Because S. saevissima has been reported outside its native range, our conclusion is that this species has the potential to become invasive because unicoloniality (i.e., the main attribute for ants to become invasive) was shown at least for the Guianese population. © 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Keywords: biological invasions; cuticular hydrocarbons; fire ants; unicoloniality http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=696
Dejean, A., Azémar, F., Céréghino, R., Leponce, M., Corbara, B., Orivel, J., et al. (2016). The dynamics of ant mosaics in tropical rainforests characterized using the Self-Organizing Map algorithm. Insect Science, 23(4), 630–637. Abstract: Ants, the most abundant taxa among canopy-dwelling animals in tropical rainforests, are mostly represented by territorially dominant arboreal ants (TDAs) whose territories are distributed in a mosaic pattern (arboreal ant mosaics). Large TDA colonies regulate insect herbivores, with implications for forestry and agronomy. What generates these mosaics in vegetal formations, which are dynamic, still needs to be better understood. So, from empirical research based on 3 Cameroonian tree species (Lophira alata, Ochnaceae; Anthocleista vogelii, Gentianaceae; and Barteria fistulosa, Passifloraceae), we used the Self-Organizing Map (SOM, neural network) to illustrate the succession of TDAs as their host trees grow and age. The SOM separated the trees by species and by size for L. alata, which can reach 60 m in height and live several centuries. An ontogenic succession of TDAs from sapling to mature trees is shown, and some ecological traits are highlighted for certain TDAs. Also, because the SOM permits the analysis of data with many zeroes with no effect of outliers on the overall scatterplot distributions, we obtained ecological information on rare species. Finally, the SOM permitted us to show that functional groups cannot be selected at the genus level as congeneric species can have very different ecological niches, something particularly true for Crematogaster spp., which include a species specifically associated with B. fistulosa, nondominant species and TDAs. Therefore, the SOM permitted the complex relationships between TDAs and their growing host trees to be analyzed, while also providing new information on the ecological traits of the ant species involved. © 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Keywords: ant plant relationships; dynamics of associations; myrmecophytes; tropical rainforests http://php.ecofog.gf/refbase/show.php?record=689

de Thoisy, B., Duron, O., Epelboin, L., Musset, L., Quénel, P., Roche, B., et al. (2021). Ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of zoonotic and vector-borne infectious diseases in French Guiana: Transdisciplinarity does matter to tackle new emerging threats. Infection, Génétics and Evolution, 93, 104916.

Lebrini, M., Mbomekallé, I. M., Dolbecq, A., Marrot, J., Berthet, P., Ntienoue, J., et al. (2011). Manganese(III)-containing wells-dawson sandwich-type polyoxometalates: Comparison with their manganese(II) counterparts. Inorg. Chem., 50(14), 6437–6448.

Groc, S., Orivel, J., Dejean, A., Martin, J. M., Etienne, M. P., Corbara, B., et al. (2009). Baseline study of the leaf-litter ant fauna in a French Guianese forest. Insect. Conserv. Divers., 2(3), 183–193.

Lamarre, G. P. A., Decaëns, T., Rougerie, R., Barbut, J., Dewaard, J. R., Hebert, P. D. N., et al. (2016). An integrative taxonomy approach unveils unknown and threatened moth species in Amazonian rainforest fragments. Insect Conserv Divers, 9(5), 475–479.

Salas-Lopez, A., Violle, C., Mallia, L., & Orivel, J. (2018). Land-use change effects on the taxonomic and morphological trait composition of ant communities in French Guiana. Insect Conserv Divers, 11(2), 162–173.

Leponce, M., Dejean, A., Mottl, O., & Klimes, P. (2021). Rapid assessment of the three-dimensional distribution of dominant arboreal ants in tropical forests. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14(4), 426–438.

Teixeia, G. A., de Aguiar, H. J. A. C., Petitclerc, F., Orivel, J., Lopes, D. M., & Barros, L. A. C. (2021). Evolutionary insights into the genomic organization of major ribosomal DNA in ant chromosomes. Insect Molecular Biology, 30(3), 340–354.

Dejean, A., Corbara, B., Céréghino, R., Leponce, M., Roux, O., Rossi, V., et al. (2015). Traits allowing some ant species to nest syntopically with the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima in its native range. Insect Science, 22(2), 289–294.

Lenoir, A., Devers, S., Touchard, A., & Dejean, A. (2016). The Guianese population of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima is unicolonial. Insect Science, 23(5), 739–745.

Dejean, A., Azémar, F., Céréghino, R., Leponce, M., Corbara, B., Orivel, J., et al. (2016). The dynamics of ant mosaics in tropical rainforests characterized using the Self-Organizing Map algorithm. Insect Science, 23(4), 630–637.