Science
Ecology - Invasive Species - Modeling - Analysis
Social insects, such as ants, are fascinating because of the interplay between individual behaviors and group behaviors. In addition, many species of ants become invasive species, disrupting native flora and fauna. I am interested in understanding mechanisms of ant behavior that translate to invasiveness and potential avenues for biological control. My research has included observational and experimental empirical work, and mathematical or simulation models to test and explore alternative behavioral repertoires.
Invasive Species Biology
My first field work as an undergrad was on the distribution of invasive fire ants in Texas, and I participated in the first releases of decapitating phorid flies that attack fire ants. Invasive species are a major threat to biological diversity, and thus our understanding of the ecology of invasive species is really important for conservation.
Porter, S.D., Valles, S.M., Wild, A.L., Dieckmann, R., Plowes, N. (2015) Solenopsis invicta virus 3: Further host-specificity tests with native Solenopsis ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Florida Entomologist. 98(1): 122-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1653/024.098.0120
Chemical Ecology and Foraging Behavior
What are the chemicals that ants use to communicate? Where do they produce these chemicals, and what are the messages that ants can transmit with these chemicals? Ants are known to have incredibly sensitive chemoreceptors on their antennae. Surprisingly, even for common species, there is little known about the chemicals produced. It requires a steady hand and significant patience to surgically remove ant glands for analysis.
Did you know that ants can smell like cookies? Lemon drops? Almond extract?
The following papers arose during Nicola's postdoc (2010-2013), funded by Bert Hoelldobler at ASU.
Plowes, N., Johnson, R., Hölldobler, B. (2013) Foraging behavior in the ant genus Messor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) Myrmecological News 18: 33-49.
Plowes et al. (2014) Chemical communication during foraging in the harvesting ants Messor pergandei and Messor andrei. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 200(2): 129-137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-014-1186-y
Hölldobler, B., Obermayer, M., Plowes, N., Fisher, B. (2014) New exocrine glands in ants: the hypostomal gland and basitarsal gland in the genus Melissotarsus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Naturwissenschaften 101(7): 527-532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-014-1186-y
Hölldobler,B., Plowes, N. et al. (2013) Pygidial gland chemistry and potential alarm-recruitment function in column foraging, but not solitary, Nearctic Messor harvesting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of Insect Physiology 59(9): 863-869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.06.006
Theoretical Models of Group Behavior: Conflict + Foraging
How do groups with no central control (or brain) make complex decisions? I am particularly interested in how groups resolve conflicts over space. What happens when two colonies of ants "bump" into each other and fighting ensues? What goes on during fights? When do they end? And most important, who is the victor?
To explore the answers to some of these questions, I pair experimental + observational field and lab work with simulation and numerical models (frequently collaborating with very smart mathematicians).
The following papers were variously supported by: Eldridge Adams at UCONN, Bert Hoelldobler at ASU, Fred Adler 'Uni of Utah, and Nicola Plowes at MCC.
Adams, E.S., Plowes, N.J.R. (2019) Self Organizing conflicts: group assessment and the spatio-temporal dynamics of ant territory battles. Behavioural Processes, 162: 119-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2019.01.009
Adler, F., Quinonez, S., Plowes, N, Adams, E.S. (2018) Mechanistic models of conflict between ant colonies and their consequences for territory scaling. American Naturalist, 192(2): 204-216. https://doi.org/10.1086/698121
Plowes, N, Ramsch, K., Middendorf, M., Hölldobler, B. (2014) An empirically based simulation of group foraging in the harvesting ant, Messor pergandei. Journal of Theoretical Biology 340: 186-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.07.014
Plowes, N. & Adams, E. (2005) An empirical test of Lanchester's square law: mortality during battles of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B. 272:1809-1814. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3162
Orientation and Navigation in Ants
How do ants know where home is? It turns out that there are multiple ways in which ants can figure it out! Sometimes they use chemical trails, other times they use internal pedometers, and even cooler than that- many ants use visual cues. Visual cues can include matching their visual environment to mental snapshots, to following patterns of polarized light.
The following papers arose from unpublished foundational research on Veromessor pergandei during Nicola's postdoc (2010-2013) that was supported and funded by Bert Hoelldobler at ASU.
Freas, C.A., Congdon, J.V., Plowes, N.J.R., Spetch, M.L. (2020) Pheromone cue triggers switch between vectors in the desert harvest ant, Veromessor pergandei. Animal Cognition, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01354-7
Freas, C., Congdon, J.V., Plowes, N., Spetch, M.L. (2019) Same but different: Socially foraging ants backtrack like individually foraging ants but use different mechanisms. Journal of insect physiology 118, 103944 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103944
Freas, C., Plowes, N., Spetch M.L. (2019) Not just going with the flow: foraging ants attend to polarised light even while on the pheromone trail. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 205 (5), 755-767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-019-01363-z
Plowes, N., Du, Y., Congdon, J.V., Bulitko, V., Soares, E.S., Spetch, M.L. (2019) Odometry and backtracking: social and individual navigation in group foraging desert harvester ants (Veromessor pergandei). Animal Cognition, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1086/698121