Identification

Title

Mimetic host shifts in a social parasite of ants: Behavioural study

Abstract

This dataset derives from cross-over experiments using ant worker rescue behaviour towards caterpillars of the socially parasitic butterfly from two host-ecotypes. The data comprise datasets collected from four 4 experiments 3 hours after testing and from 4 experiments 7 days later. They all include nest numbers, the order of retrieval ranked by the attention of nurse ants to the ant pupae, large larvae and small larvae and the adult Maculinea rebeli. The data give the rank order of test items as they were rescued in order to explain social status achieved in natural and unnatural host colonies. This dataset is part of the study of mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants, which is a joint study of the NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK), the University of Oxford (UK), University of Bialystok (Poland), Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland) and UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Germany). Detailed research method can be found in Thomas et al. (2012) Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants. Proc. R. Soc. B vol. 280 no.1751. (http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.2336)

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/download?fileIdentifier=d6a8bc3d-b6fb-47bc-a693-612e2454cf50

name: Download the data

description: Get a copy of this data

function: order

https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/d6a8bc3d-b6fb-47bc-a693-612e2454cf50.zip

name: Documents

description: Documents available to assist with re-use of this dataset.

function: information

Unique resource identifier

code

1351092141705

codeSpace

CEH:EIDC:

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Wikidata

reference date

date type

creation

effective date

2012-10-29

Keyword set

keyword value

Conservation ecology

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-180

East bounding longitude

180

North bounding latitude

90

South bounding latitude

-90

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2001-01-01

End position

2005-12-31

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2013-01-22

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

We assessed the social status achieved by each form of M. rebeli within colonies of each Myrmica species in a standard bioassay that involved perturbing laboratory ant colonies and recording the order in which the ants' own brood or the mimetic caterpillars were rescued. Groups of 5 butterfly larvae from each region were adopted into matching colonies of naïve French M. schencki and M. sabuleti. Every test colony also contained 5 brood items each of kin ant pupae, large and small larvae, making a total of 20 immature individuals and 20 workers per replicate. Cultures were established in laboratory colonies containing a small moist sponge pad beneath an inverted 6 cm diameter saucer with a notched entrance, under which the ants gathered their brood and M. rebeli. Three hours after the M. rebeli caterpillars had been introduced, we perturbed the experimental colonies by uncovering the brood chamber and relocating it over another pad nearby; we then recorded the order in which the nurse ants rescued their 15 brood items or the 5 M. rebeli and carried them into the new nest. The same experiment was repeated 7 days later, which represents a sufficient period for M. rebeli caterpillars to attain their maximum potential integration with a host society, yet remaining a similar size to when first adopted, i.e. the same size or smaller than the Myrmica pupae and large larvae. The number of replicates for each ant-butterfly combination tested varied due to a lack of some ants and butterfly deaths (especially with unnatural hosts).

Conformity

Data format

name of format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

version of format

unknown

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

You must acknowledge this resource: Thomas et al. (2013). Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants. Proc. R. Soc. B vol. 280 no.1751.

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

organisation name

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Responsible party

organisation name

Environmental Information Data Centre

email address

eidc@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Responsible party

organisation name

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

University of Oxford

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

University of Bialystok

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

Polish Academy of Sciences

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

NERC Environmental Information Data Centre

email address

eidc@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

publisher

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

organisation name

Environmental Information Data Centre

full postal address

Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg

Lancaster

LA1 4AP

UK

email address

eidc@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2019-09-06T11:36:29

Metadata language

eng