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Behavioural biomechanics of insect herbivory - a case study on leaf-cutter ants

Description du projet

Comment élaborer des cultures anti‑insectes

Les insectes herbivores constituent une menace permanente pour l’agriculture et la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Le fait de comprendre le rôle joué par les contraintes biomécaniques dans la performance des insectes herbivores prolifiques permettrait de résoudre ce problème de manière innovante. Le projet MechAnt, financé par l’UE, utilisera des fourmis coupe‑feuille comme système modèle pour obtenir des connaissances fondamentales sur le rôle de la mécanique des insectes se nourrissant de végétaux. Ce projet évaluera l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’organisation sociale des colonies de fourmis coupe‑feuille est basée sur des normes ergonomiques, qui sont à leur tour pilotées par les propriétés des feuilles. Un large éventail de domaines scientifiques sera utilisé pour identifier et expliquer les mécanismes et les contraintes déterminant la performance de coupe des insectes.

Objectif

Insect herbivores are a dominant element in terrestrial ecosystems, and pose a continuing threat to global food security. However, little is known about a key determinant of insect herbivore success: the mechanics of plant-feeding. MechAnt proposes to transform our understanding of insect-plant relations by providing a rigorous biomechanical investigation into how insects cut leaves, using the major ecosystem engineers and principal insect pest of the New World, the leaf-cutter ants, as a model system. Specifically, MechAnt will combine the traditionally separate fields of behavioural ecology, mechanical engineering, materials science, computer vision and machine learning to investigate: (1) the mechanical and energetic constraints determining the cutting ability, and ontogeny of task choice of differently-sized workers, and hence the adaptive value of physical castes in eusocial insects; (2) the relationship between plant material properties, ease of cutting, and mandibular wear, which will reveal the key mechanical determinants of plant-herbivore species interactions; (3) the division of labour, ontogeny and demography of leaf-cutter colonies foraging on leaves of different “toughness”, testing the hypothesis that leaf-cutter colonies are organised according to ergonomic criteria. By integrating insights ranging from nano-scale mechanics up to whole-colony ecology, MechAnt will quantitatively link the mechanical properties of plants with the performance of individual foragers, the organisation of foraging parties, and the demography and social organisation of leaf-cutter ant colonies. The resulting understanding of the biomechanical innovations underpinning the success of the leaf-cutter ants will yield insights into the behavioural ecology of advanced plant-feeders, highlight the role of biomechanical constraints in the behaviour and evolution of herbivorous insects, and pave the way for the development of novel crop protection strategies.

Régime de financement

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

Institution d’accueil

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 998 764,00
Adresse
SOUTH KENSINGTON CAMPUS EXHIBITION ROAD
SW7 2AZ LONDON
Royaume-Uni

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Région
London Inner London — West Westminster
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 998 764,00

Bénéficiaires (1)