Surface adhesion is used by many animals and is often critical to survival. Ponerinae, a large subfamily of ants with approximately 1,405 species, includes some species that exhibit a unique adhesive strategy. Certain species of Ponerinae have tubercle shaped structures on the dorsal surface of the larvae and are posited to adhere the developing ants to the surface of the nest for easy feeding. First, we investigated tubercle morphology by taking SEM images of Hypoponera larvae to confirm the distinct features of the adhesive tubercles. Next, to analyze the evolution of this trait, we looked at its distribution across the Ponerinae phylogeny by doing a presence/ absence analysis. These data were collected by direct observation and from the literature via photos, diagrams, and descriptions of larval morphology. We used a genus level phylogeny of the Ponerinae to how those species with adhesive structures were related to each. Our results indicate that the presence of adhesive structures in certain genera is limited within the Ponerinae family and does not exhibit a clear pattern of phylogenetic clustering. This may indicate a unique need for adhesive larvae in certain species based on habitat type or nest construction. By taking a comparative evolutionary approach to understanding this trait, we can better elucidate the function of these adhesive structures and build a framework for understanding its development. This can inform our future work which will focus on the function of these adhesive structures in a species natural environment and the chemical properties of the adhesive.
CoAS Research Day Poster Presentation at Drexel University (2025)
Most animals move to gain access to food, shelter, mates, and to escape predators and unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind, competition). However, while moving, environmental conditions often vary, which results in the utilization of various forms of locomotion or movement adjustment, particularly on unconventional terrain. For example, ants are fast runners and have the ability to navigate complex environments. Recent observations in the field suggest that ants alter their typical tripod gait to move through submaximal terrain. The purpose of my experiment is to quantify changes in gait kinematics and speed of Cephalotes atratus while running across dowels that vary in size, replicating semi-natural conditions like vines and twigs. In addition to gait and speed, behavioral changes (i.e., turning around, jumping off, slipping, and falling) was also quantified to determine the role of substrate diameter in behavior while actively foraging. The results of this study improve our understanding of how ants alter their kinematics and behavior when traversing a suboptimal surface.
Kinematic and behavior observations were first seen in a local PA ant species, Camponotus pennsylvanicus. We saw similar changes to gait and locomotor behavior with these species and they were an excellent model to test our high speed video capture set up prior to data collection using our tropical ant species found in Panama. These ants were chosen because they are known to forage on vines and twigs and they were abundant during the dry season in December when data collection took place.
Sigma Xi Poster Presentation at Villanova University (2022)
Biology Senior Thesis Talk (2022)