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Dive into the research topics where Gary D. Alpert is active.

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Featured researches published by Gary D. Alpert.


Journal of Insect Physiology | 1998

Jaws that snap: control of mandible movements in the ant Mystrium

Wulfila Gronenberg; Bert Hölldobler; Gary D. Alpert

Ants of the genus Mystrium employ a peculiar snap-jaw mechanism in which the closed mandibles cross over to deliver a stunning blow to an adversary within about 0.5 ms. The mandible snapping is preceded by antennation and antennal withdrawal. The strike is initiated by contact of the adversary with mechanosensory hairs at the side of the mandible, and is powered by large yet slow closer muscles whose energy is stored by a catapult mechanism. Recording of closer muscle activity indicates that the mandibles are not triggered by any fast muscle. Instead, we suppose that activity differences between the left and right mandible muscles imbalance a pivot at the mandible tip and release the strike. The likelihood for the strike to occur can be modulated by an alarm pheromone. The presence of specialized sensilla and of a complex muscle receptor organ shows that the mandibles are also adapted to functions other than snapping and suggests that the force of the mandible can be finely adjusted for other tasks.


Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology | 1979

Stone dropping by Conomyrma bicolor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A new technique of interference competition

Michael H. J. Mglich; Gary D. Alpert

Summary1.The dolichoderine ant Conomyrma bicolor interferes with the activity of other desert ants when their nest entrances are in close proximity. C. bicolor workers surround these nests, pick up small stones and other objects with their mandibles, and drop them down the nest entrances.2.Interactions of C. bicolor with three species of Myrmecocystus (M. mexicanus, M. mimicus, and M. depilis) were investigated. ‘Stone dropping’ and associated behaviors prevent the Myrmecocystus colonies from foraging. Periodic checks throughout the summer revealed a consistently adverse effect on these Myrmecocystus species.3.Considerable overlap in food resources, activity times, as well as space among C. bicolor and the Myrmecocystus species suggest that ‘stone dropping’ is a technique of interference competition.4.We were not able to completely analyze the mechanism which keeps the victimized colonies from foraging. However, we report circumstantial evidence supporting the hypothesis that the stones function as a mechanical signal.


Cladistics | 2015

Molecular phylogeny of Indo-Pacific carpenter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Camponotus) reveals waves of dispersal and colonization from diverse source areas

Ronald M. Clouse; Milan Janda; Benjamin Blanchard; Prashant P. Sharma; Benjamin D. Hoffmann; Alan N. Andersen; Jesse E. Czekanski-Moir; Paul D. Krushelnycky; Christian Rabeling; Edward O. Wilson; Evan P. Economo; Eli M. Sarnat; David M. General; Gary D. Alpert; Ward C. Wheeler

Ants that resemble Camponotus maculatus (Fabricius, 1782) present an opportunity to test the hypothesis that the origin of the Pacific island fauna was primarily New Guinea, the Philippines, and the Indo‐Malay archipelago (collectively known as Malesia). We sequenced two mitochondrial and four nuclear markers from 146 specimens from Pacific islands, Australia, and Malesia. We also added 211 specimens representing a larger worldwide sample and performed a series of phylogenetic analyses and ancestral area reconstructions. Results indicate that the Pacific members of this group comprise several robust clades that have distinctly different biogeographical histories, and they suggest an important role for Australia as a source of Pacific colonizations. Malesian areas were recovered mostly in derived positions, and one lineage appears to be Neotropical. Phylogenetic hypotheses indicate that the orange, pan‐Pacific form commonly identified as C. chloroticus Emery 1897 actually consists of two distantly related lineages. Also, the lineage on Hawaiʻi, which has been called C. variegatus (Smith, 1858), appears to be closely related to C. tortuganus Emery, 1895 in Florida and other lineages in the New World. In Micronesia and Polynesia the C. chloroticus‐like species support predictions of the taxon‐cycle hypothesis and could be candidates for human‐mediated dispersal.


Naturwissenschaften | 2002

Gamergates in the myrmicine genus Metapone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Bert Hölldobler; Jürgen Liebig; Gary D. Alpert

Abstract. Gamergates (i.e. mated reproductive workers) are mostly known from ant species within the Ponerinae. We report here the discovery of gamergates in two species of the subfamily Myrmicinae. Until now, mated reproductive females in colonies of myrmicine species have been considered morphologically distinct from the worker caste. However, in two species of the myrmicine Metapone (Metapone madagascarica and a newly discovered, not yet described Metapone species) all workers have six ovarioles and a spermatheca; and some of them are mated. There are no morphological differences between mated and non-mated workers. Field observations and laboratory studies indicate that colonies of the Metapone species can reproduce with gamergates only.


Chemoecology | 2002

Predatory behavior and chemical communication in two Metapone species (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

Bert Hölldobler; Neil J. Oldham; Gary D. Alpert; Jürgen Liebig

Summary. Colonies of two species of Metapone (M. madagascarica, M. new species.) were collected in Madagascar and established in laboratory nests. It could be demonstrated that both species are specialist predators of termites (Cryptotermes kirbyi). During hunting the ants sting the termites and thereby paralyze and preserve the prey alive. In this way prey can be stored in the ant nest for extended periods. During foraging and colony emigrations the ants lay chemical trails with poison gland secretions. Among the seven compounds identified in the venom only methyl pyrrole-2-carboxylate elicits trail following behavior in both Metapone species.


ZooKeys | 2012

A synoptic review of the ant genera (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the Philippines

David M. General; Gary D. Alpert

Abstract An overview of the history of myrmecology in the Philippine archipelago is presented. Keys are provided to the 11 ant subfamilies and the 92 ant genera known from the Philippines. Eleven ant genera (12%), including 3 undescribed genera, are recorded for the first time from the Philippines. The biology and ecology of the 92 genera, illustrated by full-face and profile photo-images, of Philippine ants are summarized in the form of brief generic accounts. A bibliography of significant taxonomic and behavioral papers on Philippine ants and a checklist of valid species and subspecies and their island distributions are provided.


PLOS ONE | 2017

X-Ray microtomography for ant taxonomy: An exploration and case study with two new Terataner (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) species from Madagascar

Francisco Hita Garcia; Georg Fischer; Cong Liu; Tracy Lynn Audisio; Gary D. Alpert; Brian L. Fisher; Evan P. Economo

We explore the potential of x-ray micro computed tomography (μCT) for the field of ant taxonomy by using it to enhance the descriptions of two remarkable new species of the ant genus Terataner: T. balrog sp. n. and T. nymeria sp. n.. We provide an illustrated worker-based species identification key for all species found on Madagascar, as well as detailed taxonomic descriptions, which include diagnoses, discussions, measurements, natural history data, high-quality montage images and distribution maps for both new species. In addition to conventional morphological examination, we have used virtual reconstructions based on volumetric μCT scanning data for the species descriptions. We also include 3D PDFs, still images of virtual reconstructions, and 3D rotation videos for both holotype workers and one paratype queen. The complete μCT datasets have been made available online (Dryad, https://datadryad.org) and represent the first cybertypes in ants (and insects). We discuss the potential of μCT scanning and critically assess the usefulness of cybertypes for ant taxonomy.


ZooKeys | 2014

Taxonomy of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region with a revision of the P.arnoldi clade and description of four new species.

Francisco Hita Garcia; Peter G. Hawkes; Gary D. Alpert

Abstract The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to the three clades (Proceratium arnoldi, Proceratium stictum and Proceratium toschii clades) and revise the Proceratium arnoldi clade. Four new species from the Proceratium arnoldi clade are described as new: Proceratium sokoke sp. n. from Kenya, Proceratium carri sp. n. from Mozambique, and Proceratium nilo sp. n. and Proceratium sali sp. n. from Tanzania. In order to integrate the new species into the existing taxonomic system we present an illustrated identification key to distinguish the seven Afrotropical species of the Proceratium arnoldi clade. In addition, we provide accounts for all members of the Proceratium arnoldi clade including detailed descriptions, diagnoses, taxonomic discussions, distribution data and high quality montage images.


Chemoecology | 1998

Chemical trail communication in the amblyoponine species Mystrium rogeri Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae)

Bert Hölldobler; Malu Obermayer; Gary D. Alpert

Summary. Workers of the amblyoponine species Mystrium rogeri employ trail communication during recruitment to food sources and new nest sites. The trail pheromone originates from a hitherto unknown sternal gland located in the 7th abdominal sternite. The recruiting ant deposits the gland secretions by a special gaster-dragging behavior. The recruitment behavior can be complemented by a rapid vertical body shaking performed by some recruiting ants inside the nest. M. rogeri workers possess a large pygidial gland, the secretion of which elicits a repellent response in other ant species.


Zootaxa | 2016

The myrmicine ant genus Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a global taxonomic review with descriptions of twelve new species.

Robert W. Taylor; Gary D. Alpert

The 28 known species of Metapone are monographed and illustrated. Twelve are described as new: M. africana, Gabon; M. balinensis, Bali, Indonesia; M. enigmatica, northeast New Guinea; M. hoelldobleri, northeast Queensland, Australia; M. javana, Java, Indonesia; M. manni, Viti Levu, Fiji; M. mathinnae, Flinders Island, Tasmania, Australia; M. philwardi, northeast New Guinea; M. salomonis, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; M. tecklini, northeast Queensland; M. titan, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea; M. wallaceana, Lombok, Indonesia; spp.n. New synonymies include M. greeni Forel = M. johni Karavaiev (Sri Lanka) syn.n, and M. jacobsoni Crawley (Sumatra) = M. nicobarensis Tiwari & Jonathan (Great Nicobar Island) syn.n.

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Francisco Hita Garcia

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

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Evan P. Economo

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

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Tracy Lynn Audisio

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

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Jürgen Liebig

Arizona State University

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Georg Fischer

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

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Brian L. Fisher

California Academy of Sciences

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David M. General

University of Arkansas at Monticello

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