Effects of methoprene on workers of the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata

One of the long standing questions in biology is the origin and control of behaviors. Hormones have been found to greatly affect behaviors. In insects juvenile hormone (JH) is possibly the most important hormone, affecting the development and control of behaviors. JH is considered an important factor that affects social behavior of insects. We studied the relation of JH with worker behavioral plasticity in the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata). In ants in general the concentration of JH is typically high in nurses as well as queens, yet low in foragers. We experimentally administered the JH analog methoprene to foragers. We expected that their roles will reverse due to changes in hormone levels in their hemolymph. Our preliminary results demonstrate a change in forager behavior after being exposed to methoprene. These workers ceased to perform tasks and behaved more like very young nurses or queens. The results of this study will help determine the role of JH in the development of behaviors in these worker ants as well as help shed light on the physiological processes that control behaviors in animals.