title: The thermo-sensitive sensilla coeloconica of leaf-cutting ants (Atta vollenweideri).
abstract: Social insects show a variety of temperature-guided behaviors. Depending on whether heat reaches the sensillum via air movements (convective heat) or as radiant heat, specific adaptations of thermo-sensitive sensilla are expected. In the present study the morphology and the physiology of thermo-sensitive peg-in-pit sensilla (S. coeloconica) of the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri were investigated. S. coeloconica are located predominantly in a single cluster on the apical antennomere, and connect to the outside through a small aperture. The sensory peg is double-walled, embedded in a chamber and innervated by three unbranched dendrites. Using tungsten electrodes, activity of the sensory neurons was measured. In most cases, the neuron with the largest spike amplitude responds to changes in air temperature (convective heat) as well as to radiant heat. In response to a drop in air temperature, the neuron shows a phasic-tonic response followed by a complete adaptation within 1 min (cold-sensitive neuron). Based on their morphology and physiology, it is suggested that the S. coeloconica are involved in the recently described thermal orientation behavior of A. vollenweideri leaf-cutting ants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Germany. ruchty@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruchty
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kuebler
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruschioni
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roces
authors.forename: Nunzio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isidoro
authors.forename: Christoph J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kleineidam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004566:Electrodes; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014414:Tungsten
chemical_list: D014414:Tungsten