TY - JOUR

T1 - Immune challenges increase network centrality in a queenless ant

AU - Alciatore, Giacomo

AU - Ugelvig, Line V.

AU - Frank, Erik

AU - Bidaux, Jérémie

AU - Gal, Asaf

AU - Schmitt, Thomas

AU - Kronauer, Daniel J. C.

AU - Ulrich, Yuko

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Social animals display a wide range of behavioural defences against infectious diseases, some of which increase social contacts with infectious individuals (e.g. mutual grooming), while others decrease them (e.g. social exclusion). These defences often rely on the detection of infectious individuals, but this can be achieved in several ways that are difficult to differentiate. Here, we combine non-pathogenic immune challenges with automated tracking in colonies of the clonal raider ant to ask whether ants can detect the immune status of their social partners and to quantify their behavioural responses to this perceived infection risk. We first show that a key behavioural response elicited by live pathogens (allogrooming) can be qualitatively recapitulated by immune challenges alone. Automated scoring of interactions between all colony members reveals that this behavioural response increases the network centrality of immune-challenged individuals through a general increase in physical contacts. These results show that ants can detect the immune status of their nest-mates and respond with a general 'caring' strategy, rather than avoidance, towards social partners that are perceived to be infectious. Finally, we find no evidence that changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles drive these behavioural effects.

AB - Social animals display a wide range of behavioural defences against infectious diseases, some of which increase social contacts with infectious individuals (e.g. mutual grooming), while others decrease them (e.g. social exclusion). These defences often rely on the detection of infectious individuals, but this can be achieved in several ways that are difficult to differentiate. Here, we combine non-pathogenic immune challenges with automated tracking in colonies of the clonal raider ant to ask whether ants can detect the immune status of their social partners and to quantify their behavioural responses to this perceived infection risk. We first show that a key behavioural response elicited by live pathogens (allogrooming) can be qualitatively recapitulated by immune challenges alone. Automated scoring of interactions between all colony members reveals that this behavioural response increases the network centrality of immune-challenged individuals through a general increase in physical contacts. These results show that ants can detect the immune status of their nest-mates and respond with a general 'caring' strategy, rather than avoidance, towards social partners that are perceived to be infectious. Finally, we find no evidence that changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles drive these behavioural effects.

KW - social immunity

KW - clonal raider ant

KW - automated tracking

KW - interaction network

KW - social behaviour

KW - DISEASE RESISTANCE

KW - TRANSMISSION

KW - RECOGNITION

KW - HYMENOPTERA

KW - FORMICIDAE

KW - MANAGEMENT

KW - EVOLUTION

KW - HEMOLYMPH

KW - PATHOGEN

KW - PATTERNS

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1456

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1456

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34493081

VL - 288

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 1958

M1 - 20211456

ER -