Talk:Ant–fungus mutualism

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 10 January 2022 and 27 April 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Lightninginabottle1 (article contribs).

Photo

I have added one of a relevant species, but it needs to show fungi in the picture as well. Richard001 (talk) 22:55, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

I have 3 suggestions to improve this page: 1) More could be added about the importance of partner fidelity between the species and how infidelity is detrimental. Especially as it pertains to the secondary symbionts.

2) There could be a section that speaks to the convergent evolution among species. It is true the attines are the major species of ant that partakes in such symbiosis but many species of ant that also partake in this symbiosis have evolved to develop similar traits and habits.

3) More could be added about the medical significance of the coevolution of antibiotic producing bacteria that fight the parasitic escovopsis.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Amariotti.23 (talk • contribs) 00:17, 29 September 2014 (UTC)

A semantic stickler (Agriculture)

I'm wondering if the term agriculture is actually appropriated here, I have been looking around but found no answer. Most definitions seem to agree on what the process is, but some of them seem to include it in complex human built systems (i.e. socio-economics, politics...) which seems logical, given the importance of agriculture in our civilization. I guess the question here is whether or not agriculture is a defining characteristic of civilisation since we consider ants to be eusocial but not civilised.

PS:this is my first contribution feel free to tell me if it's in the wrong place

Izaakh (talk) 11:29, 10 October 2018 (UTC)

Farming Behaviors

Hello, I have added a new section called Farming behaviors to elaborate on the way that ants cultivate their fungi and what behaviors aid in their successful symbiotic relationship. I will slowly add 1-2 sentences per day to the section so it is still under work/being edited. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Midnight1521 (talk • contribs) 18:46, 25 April 2022 (UTC) I have added two more sentences to this section elaborating further on the farming behaviors the ants exhibit. 18:17, 27 April 2022 Midnight1521

I am adding onto this section with additional information about how chemical signaling is used by fungus and ants as for them to differentiate between substrates. The first sentence of the second paragraph here mentions "studies." These are all available in the review paper by (Goes et al. 2020). The studies include (Richard et al. 2007; Bot et al. 2001; Viana et al. 2001; Valadares et al. 2015; Mueller et al. 2004; Biedermann & Kaltenpoth 2014; Katariya et al. 2017). MelOsa7 (talk) 07:36, 28 April 2022 (UTC)

I have completed the additions of sentences to the first paragraph of the farming behaviors portion of the wiki to further explain the behaviors arising in this relationship. Midnight1521 (talk) 18:28, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

Edits to The attines section

After the first sentence I intend to add, "“Before the first obligated cultivars were domesticated, attines kept limited, slow-growing gardens.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4961791/ At the end of the paragraph, I'll be adding three sentences: “The higher attine cultivars of gongylidia were domesticated about 30 million years ago. The attine’s use of fresh garden substrate for maintaining the gardens marked the start of the obligatory symbiotic relationship. These higher attines utilize the Leucoagaricus gongylophorus fungus, specifically.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4961791/ I intend to start a new paragraph and include, "The symbiosis between attine ants and Leucoagaricus fungi is not purely beneficial, but obligatory. The fungal cultivar provides the ants with food, but limits their diet to the monoculture gongylidia growth. Without the ants, the Leucoagaricus gongylophorus cultivar monoculture would be highly susceptible to infections. The fungus develops adaptations to their perceived threats by modifying their gongylidia. The gongylidia provide the ants with highly nutritious food, resulting in antifungal feces. This feature benefits the cultivar, limiting the spread of alien microflora, including the associated fungal parasite, Escovopsis.” Sources: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40343406; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7121007 Page pls (talk) 18:52, 25 April 2022 (UTC)Page_pls

Edits to the Introduction, Overview and Types sections

I have edited all three sections, adding a few sentences a day. These additions are meant to add clarity or detail compared to the original article. I have also cited my additions, and my classmates will be doing the same in the coming days. 18:19, 27 April 2022 Lightninginabottle1

Edits to the Secondary Symbiotic Relationships section

Hello, I added a few sentences to this section to elaborate on the relationship between the Attine ants and Pseudonocardia. In addition to the ants' relationship with Escovopsis. I also separated the single paragraph into two to create a smooth transition between the topics, as the latter half is more geared towards specific interactions with black yeast. Baymax224 (talk) 06:23, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Edits regarding Myrmecopterula genus

I have updated the article to reflect findings from 2014 and 2020 studies which name two ant cultivated fungi previously referred to as G2 and G4. I just sort of shoe horned it into the evolution section which mentioned these species though without messing with the previous content too much. Fungi is my specialty rather than ants. It may be more appropriate if this section is now split into taxonomy or a new section on the fungi involved. I'm still researching the subject and will likely have more to add at a later date. I've recently significantly added to the page on Leucoagaricus gongylophorus and created one on Myrmecopterula with the species pages in the works currently. So some additional content and references from these pages may be useful to add here too or content from here may help add to them (I didn't consult this page until after researching those independently). I'm also sort of accidentally compiling a list of fungus farming ant genera and species whilst trying to research the fungi so I may be able to add a list of involved species here at a later date or create a new page for that. Though I may need some assistance from those who are more knowledgeable about ants than I. Additionally the page on Apterostigma could now do with updating to reflect these changes and the specific ant species listed here might be worth creating pages for. MycoMutant (talk) 22:58, 9 July 2022 (UTC)