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History of Ants (Formicidae)
Ants have existed on Earth for at least 100 million years and, based on the fossil record, probably evolved somewhere between 110 and 120 mya. Ants are one of the most successful groups of insects, based on the species diversity and ecological impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. In tropical forests, ants can comprise upward of 15%–20% of the animal biomass. This dominance has not always been a characteristic of the group. Their massive presence and influence on terrestrial ecosystems came about roughly 50 mya (LaPolla, J.S.).
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Paraponerinae
Tribe: Paraponerini
Genus: Paraponera
Species: P. Clavata
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The study of fossil ants began primarily with inclusions in Eocene Baltic amber, with the first fossils illustrated as early as 1742 by Sendel in his folio volume “Historia Succinorum” (LaPolla, J.S.). Early studies of the phylogenetic relationships among separate ant taxa did not lead to many accurate conclusions due to the fact that they were based mainly on phenotypic observations.
The phylogenetic tree seen here was proposed by John E. Lattke. This was created based on comparing 36 physical characteristics in each genus of ant. This tree was derived from the four most parsimonious trees found using Mymecia as an out group. This resulted in a polytomy at the base of the tree. One of the problematic genus's was the second down on the list, Paraponera. This genus contains only two species, the extinct species Paraponera Dieteri, and the extant species Paraponera Clavata (Lattke, John E.). As time went on, more advanced technology lead to the use of molecular data to determine more accurately the phylogenetic relationships between genus's of Ants. Through the use of microsatellites, a new phylogeny was proposed (Butler, Ian A.). This Phylogenetic tree is what is currently believed to be most accurate today.
Paraponera Clavata - "The Bullet Ant"
The bullet ant is one of the largest described ant species (~2.5 cm). It is a predatory ant that is found found in tropical rain forests from Nicaragua to the Amazon Basin. P. Clavata normally nests at the base of a single host tree on a sloped terrain; however, some arboreal colonies have been found.
The location of the nest is very important as abiotic factors such as temperature and moisture play important roles in the lives of ants. For this reason, the nest is typically created on the downhill side of the host tree so that the tree trunk will provide protection from running ground water, and the trees canopy will provide protection from falling rain (Elahi, Robin). In return, P. Clavata has been found to be beneficial for their host tree as they will fight off incoming predators such as an invading group of leaf-cutting ants (Wetterer, James K.). Each colony contains between 1000 to 2500 individual ants. The ants form a eusocial colony, meaning they have cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, reproductive division of labor. The workers in the colony ascend trees to forage for nectar and arthropods to bring back to the nest (Elahi, Robin). Although not as dramatic as sen in other ant species, P. Clavata workers grow allometrically, meaning there is disproportionate growth between two body parts. The workers head capsules grow faster than the legs, petiolar node, antennal scape, and thorax. This plays a role in the sized based behavioral differences in the workers. Head width is much greater in foragers and guards than it is in any of the workers that remain in the nest, such as those that care for the brood. However the width of oocytes exactly the opposite. Oocyte diameter is largest for brood carriers, and smallest for guards (Breed, M.d.).
The bullet ant gets its name from it's extremely painful sting, which is said to feel as if you had been hit with a bullet fired from a gun. This sting injects a venom known as poneratoxin. Poneratoxin is a voltage-gated sodium channel modulator. It works by significantly lowering the threshold of voltage gated ion channels in the neurons of the dorsal root ganglia, which is responsible for signaling pain in mammals. The pain has been described as a "wave of burning throbbing all consuming pain" (Johnson, Stephen R.). The poneratoxin can also cause waves of involuntary muscle contractions. These symptoms can go on without ceasing for up to 24 hours. While not well studied, it has been noted that even though they all belong to the species P. Clavata, ants from different locations have differing severities of stings (Weber, N.A.).
References
Breed, M.d. "Allometry in the Giant Tropical Ant, Paraponera Clavata." Insectes Sociaux 49.2 (2002): 125-28. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Breed, M.d. "Worker Size, Ovary Development and Division of Labor in the Giant Tropical Ant, Paraponera Clavata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 61.3 (1988): 285-91. JSTOR. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Butler, Ian A., Kimberly Siletti, Peter R. Oxley, and Daniel J. C. Kronauer. "Colony Pedigree Studies across a Wide Range of Species." PLoS ONE. N.p., 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
Elahi, Robin. "The Effect of Water on the Ground Nesting Habits of the Giant Tropical Ant, Paraponera Clavata." Journal of Insect Science 5.38 (2005): 1-7. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Johnson, Stephen R. "A Reexamination of Poneratoxin from the Venom of the Bullet Ant Paraponera Clavata." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 May 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Lattke, John E. "Phylogenetic Relationships and Classification of Ectatommine Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Insect Systematics & Evolution 25.1 (1994): 105-19. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
LaPolla, J.S. & Dlussky, G.M. (2013) Ants and the fossil record. Annual Review of Entomology, 58, 609–630.
Weber, N. A. "The Sting Of The Ant, Paraponera Clavata." Science 89.2302 (1939): 127-28. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Wetterer, James K. "Attack by Paraponera Clavata Prevents Herbivory by the Leaf-Cutting Ant, Atta Cephalotes." Biotropica 26.4 (1994): 462. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
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