Mermithergate

Mermithergate and normal workers of Camponotus punctulatus

Soldier, worker and mermithergate of Pheidole dentata

A mermithergate is an ant worker that has a changed appearance as a result of a nematode infection. The word was coined by William M. Wheeler in 1910^[1]. It is a combination of the nematode genus Mermis, for which Wheeler first described the phenomenon, and ergate, which means ant worker. Infected females (queens) are called mermithogynes.

Up to five percent of some populations of Cephalotes atratus suffer from an infection by the tetradonematid nematode Myrmeconema neotropicum. It causes the ant's abdomen to turn from black to bright red, strikingly resembling a red berry. In addition, the ant now holds it up most of the time, and it is easily ripped off. Birds easily mistake these for real fruit and pick them, while they avoid eating normal ants. The nematodes pass through the bird's digestive system as eggs without harming it. The circle closes when C. atratus workers feed on the bird droppings, thus getting infected.^[2]

Footnotes

1. ^ Wheeler 1910
2. ^ University of California: Ant parasite turns host into ripe red berry, biologists discover — Retrieved on 2008-01-20.

References

• Wheeler, W.M. (1910): The effects of parasitic and other kinds of castration in insects. Journal of Experimental Zoology 8: 377-438. PDF
• Wheeler, W.M. (1929): A Camponotus mermithergate from Argentina. Psyche 36: 102-106. PDF

Further reading

• Wheeler, W.M. (1901): The parasitic origin of macroërgates among ants. American Naturalist 35: 877-886. PDF
• Wheeler, W.M. (1928): Mermis parasitism and intercastes among ants. Journal of Experimental Zoology 50: 165-237. PDF

External links

• Dale Ward: Ant Nematode

This ant-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Parasitism Ants Nematodes Ant stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР? 6th Soap Opera Digest Awards Suel Forrester Look at other dictionaries: mermithergate — n. [Gr. mermis, cord; ergates, worker] (ARTHROPODA: Insecta) In Formicidae, a worker parasitized by the nematode Mermis; a mermithophore …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology mermithergate — mer·mith·ergate …   English syllables mermithergate — |mərmə̇th+ noun Etymology: New Latin Mermith , Mermis + English ergate : a worker ant hypertrophied and altered in bodily form by parasitic nematodes compare mermithized …   Useful english dictionary Mermithogyne — Usually characterised by shorted wings, mermithogynes are found in parts of the Formicidae, being queens affected by parasitic nematode worms of the genus Mermis. Also see: Mermithergate, Mermithaner, Polymorphism in the Formicidae. Further… …   Wikipedia mermithophore — n. [Gr. mermis, cord; pherein, to carry] (NEMATA) An anomalous form resulting from parasitism by the nematode Mermis; a mermithaner, mermithergate, mermithogyne, mermithostratiote …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”