Benjamin Palm
@haplodiploid.bsky.social
studying ants 🐜 @unicologne.bsky.social
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
New Ant Lab video out today: Ants mating and flying at the same time! youtu.be/bG9I9u-aM8g
June 19, 2025 at 4:06 PM
New Ant Lab video out today: Ants mating and flying at the same time! youtu.be/bG9I9u-aM8g
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
Join us in #Köln! @Simo and @jaimesnino.bsky.social will be discussing what makes #ants such an interesting taxa! And insights on our own research on #socialevolution, #genome #evolution, #aging, and #developmental processes! 6 June 2025 - 6 p.m - International House cif.uni-koeln.de/events
May 15, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Join us in #Köln! @Simo and @jaimesnino.bsky.social will be discussing what makes #ants such an interesting taxa! And insights on our own research on #socialevolution, #genome #evolution, #aging, and #developmental processes! 6 June 2025 - 6 p.m - International House cif.uni-koeln.de/events
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
Happy to see that a small article Elia Nalini (from @euracalpenv.bsky.social ) and I wrote for the myrmecological news blog is now finally published! 🐜 We present our @monitant.bsky.social project and also our Citizen Science approach. 🔎
blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/2025/04/09/m...
blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/2025/04/09/m...
MonitAnt: European-level monitoring strategy for mound-building Formica ants
Formica rufa workers engaged in food sharing (trophallaxis) (© Elia Nalini) In the popular imagination, when we think about environmentally impactful ants, the first images that come to mind are of...
blog.myrmecologicalnews.org
April 9, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Happy to see that a small article Elia Nalini (from @euracalpenv.bsky.social ) and I wrote for the myrmecological news blog is now finally published! 🐜 We present our @monitant.bsky.social project and also our Citizen Science approach. 🔎
blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/2025/04/09/m...
blog.myrmecologicalnews.org/2025/04/09/m...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
🐜🐜🐜Fans of Myrmicinae! New paper in Syst Biol in collaboration with C. Rabeling🐜🐜🐜
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
April 4, 2025 at 1:23 AM
🐜🐜🐜Fans of Myrmicinae! New paper in Syst Biol in collaboration with C. Rabeling🐜🐜🐜
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
🐜 An updated taxonomic revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus for the Afrotropical region based on the worker caste, with five newly described species: doi.org/10.3897/zook...
#newspecies #taxonomy #ants #entomology
#newspecies #taxonomy #ants #entomology
March 5, 2025 at 9:25 AM
🐜 An updated taxonomic revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus for the Afrotropical region based on the worker caste, with five newly described species: doi.org/10.3897/zook...
#newspecies #taxonomy #ants #entomology
#newspecies #taxonomy #ants #entomology
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
🚨 New Paper Alert! 🚨
🐜 How did ants evolve their highly specialized queens and workers?
With @adriatica.bsky.social, we reveal a key evolutionary innovation: adult control over larval feeding unlocked extreme caste dimorphism and complex societies. 🧵👇
🔗 Read in @pnas.org: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
🐜 How did ants evolve their highly specialized queens and workers?
With @adriatica.bsky.social, we reveal a key evolutionary innovation: adult control over larval feeding unlocked extreme caste dimorphism and complex societies. 🧵👇
🔗 Read in @pnas.org: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
February 26, 2025 at 12:37 PM
🚨 New Paper Alert! 🚨
🐜 How did ants evolve their highly specialized queens and workers?
With @adriatica.bsky.social, we reveal a key evolutionary innovation: adult control over larval feeding unlocked extreme caste dimorphism and complex societies. 🧵👇
🔗 Read in @pnas.org: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
🐜 How did ants evolve their highly specialized queens and workers?
With @adriatica.bsky.social, we reveal a key evolutionary innovation: adult control over larval feeding unlocked extreme caste dimorphism and complex societies. 🧵👇
🔗 Read in @pnas.org: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
Had a few minutes to do some photography today. Pleased with this shot of a Texas leafcutter ant in our lab colony, standing in the fungus garden.
February 25, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Had a few minutes to do some photography today. Pleased with this shot of a Texas leafcutter ant in our lab colony, standing in the fungus garden.
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
New research article! 📰
Jardim et al. studied personality in H. striatula ants, finding low repeatability in behaviors and no evidence of behavioral syndromes. 🐜
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...
#InsectesSociaux #SocialInsects #AnimalPersonality #Ants #BehavioralScience #Eusociality #Behaviouralsyndrome
Jardim et al. studied personality in H. striatula ants, finding low repeatability in behaviors and no evidence of behavioral syndromes. 🐜
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...
#InsectesSociaux #SocialInsects #AnimalPersonality #Ants #BehavioralScience #Eusociality #Behaviouralsyndrome
February 17, 2025 at 8:14 AM
New research article! 📰
Jardim et al. studied personality in H. striatula ants, finding low repeatability in behaviors and no evidence of behavioral syndromes. 🐜
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...
#InsectesSociaux #SocialInsects #AnimalPersonality #Ants #BehavioralScience #Eusociality #Behaviouralsyndrome
Jardim et al. studied personality in H. striatula ants, finding low repeatability in behaviors and no evidence of behavioral syndromes. 🐜
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...
#InsectesSociaux #SocialInsects #AnimalPersonality #Ants #BehavioralScience #Eusociality #Behaviouralsyndrome
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
It’s always fun to watch the two superstars of neotropical myrmecology - army ants and leafcutter ants - interact. Here, the harvesting activities of Atta cephalotes are disrupting an Eciton burchellii colony emigration. La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
February 21, 2025 at 4:39 AM
It’s always fun to watch the two superstars of neotropical myrmecology - army ants and leafcutter ants - interact. Here, the harvesting activities of Atta cephalotes are disrupting an Eciton burchellii colony emigration. La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
One of the ecological threats in urban areas is invasive species. The threat increases with the presence of multiple invasive ant species. 🐜 Given their dominance, is this co-occurrence feasible? How does it happen? #Urban #invasive_species #ants
We tell you here 👉🏼 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
We tell you here 👉🏼 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Behavioral responses to numerical differences when two invasive ants meet: the case of Lasius neglectus and Linepithema humile - Biological Invasions
Two of the world’s most invasive ants, Linepithema humile and Lasius neglectus, are destined to overlap in range as they continue to spread throughout Europe. Although L. humile arrived first, and is ...
link.springer.com
February 16, 2025 at 8:41 AM
One of the ecological threats in urban areas is invasive species. The threat increases with the presence of multiple invasive ant species. 🐜 Given their dominance, is this co-occurrence feasible? How does it happen? #Urban #invasive_species #ants
We tell you here 👉🏼 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
We tell you here 👉🏼 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
From citizen to scientist: evaluating ant observation accuracy on a Mediterranean archipelago https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.08.637263v1
February 10, 2025 at 3:06 AM
From citizen to scientist: evaluating ant observation accuracy on a Mediterranean archipelago https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.08.637263v1
One of my personal favorites in the SMNG collection: the ‘pirate ant’, Cardiocondyla pirata, described by Seifert & Frohschammer (2013) from Luzon 🏴☠️
February 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM
One of my personal favorites in the SMNG collection: the ‘pirate ant’, Cardiocondyla pirata, described by Seifert & Frohschammer (2013) from Luzon 🏴☠️
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
In the second paper (currently a preprint) from my Ph.D. with @danielkronauer.bsky.social we expand the understanding of ant sex determination by mapping a candidate sex determination locus in the clonal raider ant. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
January 31, 2025 at 10:51 PM
In the second paper (currently a preprint) from my Ph.D. with @danielkronauer.bsky.social we expand the understanding of ant sex determination by mapping a candidate sex determination locus in the clonal raider ant. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
My review of Cooperative Transport in Ants (and Elsewhere) has received it's 100th citation! To celebrate: cooperative transport media!
Oh, and of course a link to the paper:
myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/index.ph...
Oh, and of course a link to the paper:
myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/index.ph...
January 29, 2025 at 7:38 AM
My review of Cooperative Transport in Ants (and Elsewhere) has received it's 100th citation! To celebrate: cooperative transport media!
Oh, and of course a link to the paper:
myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/index.ph...
Oh, and of course a link to the paper:
myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/index.ph...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
The call for symposia for the 2026 international IUSSI conference is open! We're looking for ideas for exciting symposia for the IUSSI conference next year. Please submit your proposal by the end of March! iussi2026.org/wp-content/u...
iussi2026.org
January 15, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The call for symposia for the 2026 international IUSSI conference is open! We're looking for ideas for exciting symposia for the IUSSI conference next year. Please submit your proposal by the end of March! iussi2026.org/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
A bit more of my work... Hope that you enjoyed it! 🐜🌇🌃 #ants #UrbanTemperatures #AnimalsActivity In collaboration with @tomerczaczkes.bsky.social Graphical abstract by @theafenogaster.bsky.social
Link 👉🏼 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Link 👉🏼 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Urban abiotic stressors drive changes in the foraging activity and colony growth of the black garden ant Lasius niger
Changes in habitat characteristics are known to have profound effects on biotic communities and their functional traits. In the context of an urban-ru…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 17, 2025 at 9:44 AM
A bit more of my work... Hope that you enjoyed it! 🐜🌇🌃 #ants #UrbanTemperatures #AnimalsActivity In collaboration with @tomerczaczkes.bsky.social Graphical abstract by @theafenogaster.bsky.social
Link 👉🏼 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Link 👉🏼 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
2-Year Postdoc @Uni Mainz (Germany) with @crltt.bsky.social, S. Foitzik, and me
#Neurobiology #genomics #transcriptomics to investigate the olfactory system of ants from genes to neurons
Information: seafile.rlp.net/f/53a92045be...
#Neurobiology #genomics #transcriptomics to investigate the olfactory system of ants from genes to neurons
Information: seafile.rlp.net/f/53a92045be...
January 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM
2-Year Postdoc @Uni Mainz (Germany) with @crltt.bsky.social, S. Foitzik, and me
#Neurobiology #genomics #transcriptomics to investigate the olfactory system of ants from genes to neurons
Information: seafile.rlp.net/f/53a92045be...
#Neurobiology #genomics #transcriptomics to investigate the olfactory system of ants from genes to neurons
Information: seafile.rlp.net/f/53a92045be...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
#1 Here are some photos of one of my favorite army ant action scenes, an intersection of two army ant emigrations. Army ants frequently relocate their colonies, and when they do so, they sometimes run into other army ant colonies that are doing the same.
January 9, 2025 at 11:16 PM
#1 Here are some photos of one of my favorite army ant action scenes, an intersection of two army ant emigrations. Army ants frequently relocate their colonies, and when they do so, they sometimes run into other army ant colonies that are doing the same.
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
This just came online in Systematic Biology, the open access, but unedited version can be found here:
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
January 10, 2025 at 3:01 AM
This just came online in Systematic Biology, the open access, but unedited version can be found here:
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
If you are one of those interesting people who like sausage-like ants, you are in for a treat: we just published in @zookeys.pensoft.net a taxonomic update for Afrotropical Zasphinctus describing 5 new species! You read that right FIVE!
Happy 2025 for you as well
zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1312...
Happy 2025 for you as well
zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1312...
January 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
If you are one of those interesting people who like sausage-like ants, you are in for a treat: we just published in @zookeys.pensoft.net a taxonomic update for Afrotropical Zasphinctus describing 5 new species! You read that right FIVE!
Happy 2025 for you as well
zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1312...
Happy 2025 for you as well
zookeys.pensoft.net/article/1312...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
Ants in the tribe Attini are known for growing fungal "gardens" in their nests, and they also harbor a bacteria and other microbes to protect them from unwanted, disease-causing fungi. A new research review suggests this intricate microbiome could offer tools to fight agricultural or human diseases.
Why Fungus-Farming Ants Could Be a Source for New Antimicrobial Compounds
Ants in the tribe Attini grow fungal gardens in their nests and also harbor protective microbes that ward off other unwanted, disease-causing fungi.
entomologytoday.org
January 7, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Ants in the tribe Attini are known for growing fungal "gardens" in their nests, and they also harbor a bacteria and other microbes to protect them from unwanted, disease-causing fungi. A new research review suggests this intricate microbiome could offer tools to fight agricultural or human diseases.
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
Today in
@currentbiology.bsky.social: a Quick Guide to the wondrous and fascinating biology of the clonal raider ant: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kOXg3QW8S...
@currentbiology.bsky.social: a Quick Guide to the wondrous and fascinating biology of the clonal raider ant: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kOXg3QW8S...
January 6, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Today in
@currentbiology.bsky.social: a Quick Guide to the wondrous and fascinating biology of the clonal raider ant: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kOXg3QW8S...
@currentbiology.bsky.social: a Quick Guide to the wondrous and fascinating biology of the clonal raider ant: authors.elsevier.com/a/1kOXg3QW8S...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
🐜 Ants learn to recognize enemy colonies through associative learning - when attacked, they link the attacker's colony scent with aggression. This explains why ants are often more aggressive toward neighboring colonies they've fought before.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Associative learning of non-nestmate cues improves enemy recognition in ants
Bey et al. show that ants that are attacked by other ants learn the recognition cues of their attackers. This leads to increased aggression against all ants from the attacker’s colony that share the same cues. Ants thus associatively learn the recognition cues of their attackers to form an “enemy template” that improves nestmate recognition.
www.cell.com
January 2, 2025 at 6:09 AM
🐜 Ants learn to recognize enemy colonies through associative learning - when attacked, they link the attacker's colony scent with aggression. This explains why ants are often more aggressive toward neighboring colonies they've fought before.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Benjamin Palm
!!Call for specimens!! I am seeking material of Dolichoderus carbonarius or D. c. latisquamis for nondestructive DNA extraction. If you or collectors you know may have obtained these somewhere in Indomalaya, they would be extremely useful! Rarely collected but highly distinctive shorturl.at/Jk0ah
Dolichoderus carbonarius
Images of species Dolichoderus carbonarius from AntWeb.
www.antweb.org
December 31, 2024 at 4:29 AM
!!Call for specimens!! I am seeking material of Dolichoderus carbonarius or D. c. latisquamis for nondestructive DNA extraction. If you or collectors you know may have obtained these somewhere in Indomalaya, they would be extremely useful! Rarely collected but highly distinctive shorturl.at/Jk0ah