Sagehen Creek Field Station

19 Jun, 06 AM - 22 Jun, 02 AM

The slave-making ant, Polyergus breviceps, is an obligate social parasite that relies completely on the behavior of its host, Formica spp., to carry out tasks such as foraging for food, taking care of the brood, and maintaining the nest. My research at Sagehen Creek Reserve will focus on the behavior, chemical ecology and population genetics of Polyergus breviceps and their hosts, Formica as part of my dissertation thesis. There are three species of Formica that Polyergus breviceps enslaves at Sagehen: F. fusca, F. argentea and, more rarely, F. neorufibarbis. One of the questions I?m interested in answering is whether Polyergus in Sagehen, enslaving different hosts, are genetically and chemically distinct from one another. In other words I am interested in answering the question: is there evidence for host specificity with regard to genetics and ecology of Polyergus? Collection of individuals from Sagehen Creek Reserve will also add to another, larger-scale component of my dissertation work involving the phylogeography of Polyergus and their hosts in North America.

Visit #15592 @Sagehen Creek Field Station

Approved

Under Project # 8664 | Research

Population genetics and co-evolution of Polyergus breviceps and its host Formica spp.

graduate_student - University of California, Berkeley

Reservation Members(s)

Candice Torres Jun 19 - 22, 2008 (4 days)

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Classroom 1 Jun 19 - 22, 2008
East Cabin (Lower Camp) 1 Jun 19 - 22, 2008
Lab / Classroom 1 Jun 19 - 22, 2008