Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ALINE DO NASCIMENTO FILGUEIRA SILVA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ALINE DO NASCIMENTO FILGUEIRA SILVA
DATE: 04/09/2024
TIME: 08:00
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

The contribuiton of soldiers in alliviating the effects of predator chemical cues in Nasutitermes  corniger (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae)

KEY WORDS:

chemical communication, trait-mediated interaction, predator-prey, interaction.

PAGES: 40
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Comportamento Animal
SUMMARY:

Predator-prey interactions are fundamental for understanding ecological dynamics. Termites, encounter ants as their main predators during foraging, must adapt their behavior to minimize risks. Here, we analyzed the effect of soldiers in the perception of predation risk during resource selection. We collected 26 colonies of Nasutitermes corniger and obtained chemical extracts of ants from the genus Pheidole, as predator cues. Three experiments were conducted: first, exposing groups with and without soldiers to predator cues in food resources; second, evaluating if groups with soldiers previously accessing resources were more efficient in avoiding predator-cued resources; third, analyzing termite groups' perception of different predator cue levels, varying soldier proportions. Data were analyzed using to Generalized Linear Models in the R software. Results showed that groups without soldiers preferred control baits, while groups with soldiers did not significantly differentiate between baits with or without predator cues. The presence of soldiers in the group with prior access to resource significantly affected the selection of resource with or without predator cues. Finally, the proportion of soldiers significantly influenced the response of termites in the first 30 minutes. Groups with high proportion of soldiers decrease the impact of predator cues in the selection of food resource. Our results show that N. corniger termites avoid risky resources without soldiers, but with more soldiers, they take more risks, highlighting the soldiers' crucial role in foraging and predator response.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - PAULO FELLIPE CRISTALDO
Externa à Instituição - TATHIANA GUERRA SOBRINHO - UFES
Externa à Instituição - FABIANA ELAINE CASARIN DOS SANTOS - UNESP