New studies underscore what an evolutionary marvel ants truly are. For example, the invasive species Myrmica rubra have evolved a specialized cuticular wax covering on their bodies that aids in resisting water loss. The interdisciplinary team around Mainz University, PD Dr. Florian Menzel at the helm, carried out the studies. What it shows is that the wax layer does a lot more than just stop them from losing water — it allows ants to cooperate with one another. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of this adaptation in curbing global warming. This adaptation is made all the more necessary by the way global warming seems to be accelerating the insect population’s downward trend.
To test how ants respond to extreme temperatures and vertebrate ectotherm wax layer physical properties. First, the researchers gave ants adapted to different acclimatization temperatures a few weeks of treatment. This method gave them the opportunity to study how these conditions influenced the mechanical integrity and structure of the wax layer.
Dual Functions of the Wax Layer
To avoid dehydrating in their semi-permeable exoskeleton, insects depend on a waxy coating that is responsible for their shine. This protective layer serves two critical functions: it keeps moisture in and facilitates communication among individuals in a colony. These functions have discordant requirements, which can make it difficult for insects to optimize both functions simultaneously.
Selina Huthmacher, one of the researchers who worked on that study, described that paradox.
“It is the reason why the wax layer of insects can serve to prevent dehydration and for communication at one and the same time, although the two functions have diametrically opposed requirements.” – Huthmacher
To characterize the wax layer, the researchers noticed that as temperatures dropped, the wax layer radically transformed. As they ran their tests on ants at a range of temperatures, researchers observed an intriguing shift. As it got colder, their waxy cuticle that protects them from desiccation and facilitates communication started to take on more crystalline gel-like forms.
Viscosity: Key to Functionality
The study revealed that the wax layer of ants has two distinct phases: one viscous phase and one more fluid phase. The viscous phase has a honey-like viscosity, while the fluid phase is more like olive oil. This change in viscosity is important for the function of the wax layer.
Ants’ capacity to refine their cuticle wax layer viscosity is especially impressive.
“With regard to [ants], we demonstrated that there is not only a gel phase and a liquid phase but also that the liquid phase exhibits two different levels of viscosity.” – PD Dr. Florian Menzel
This flexibility gives ants the ability to preserve high communication reliability while keeping them safe from the dangers of dehydration, even under unpredictable conditions presented by their environments.
“This means that ants actively respond to natural changes in viscosity by altering the chemical composition of the wax layer and thus adapting its fluidity to current needs.” – PD Dr. Florian Menzel
Altogether, this research exposes some pretty important findings. They’re more pertinent than ever with insect populations around the world in free-fall due to climate change, among other factors. Destructive by nature, ants knit together ecosystems, and the urgency to map the mechanisms behind their survival is underscored by a worldwide decline stemming from global development.
Implications for Ant Survival
The study’s implications go far beyond Myrmica rubra alone. By understanding how these insects manage their wax layers under environmental stressors, researchers can gain insights into broader ecological impacts.
Dr. Menzel noted that their research underscores the importance of these adaptive features:
This flexibility will likely be crucial to species’ survival as climates become more extreme, and cool species may still serve important ecological functions.
“In certain wax layers, there was an effect that was actually the opposite,” – Selina Huthmacher
This adaptability may ultimately help some species survive in increasingly harsh climates, preserving their ecological roles.