William Fernando Antonialli-Junior

• PHD
• Mato Grosso do Sul State University

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) constitute an important class of chemical compounds present in the cuticular layer of insects, where their main functions are to prevent desiccation of the cuticle and as signals for intraspecific recognition. Studies concerning CHCs have shown a phenotypic flexibility of their composition, depending on environmental f...

The ecological success of ants hinges on their ability to adjust foraging strategies. Foragers are crucial for securing food resources and display heterogeneities in exploring their foraging area, learning new environmental cues to successfully return to their nests. Despite reports that old workers typically handle foraging and abiotic factors tha...

O tipo de recurso alimentar disponível no ambiente pode influenciar no comportamento das colônias de formigas, além disso, os hidrocarbonetos cuticulares (HC’s) são compostos importantes para o reconhecimento de companheiras de ninho e sua composição pode ser influenciada por diversos fatores entre eles e a dieta. Nossa hipótese é de que operárias...

The venom of social wasps can be a natural promising product for the development of drugs, since in recent decades studies have investigated its antimicrobial potential, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, among others for its future applicability in the pharmacological industry. Although some studies have already highlighted the impo...

Cuticular hydrocarbons play multiple roles in social insects. Their primary function is to waterproof the external surface of the body of individuals in order to prevent desiccation, however, they also act as a chemical signature in social insects, unique to each colony, through which individuals recognize themselves as nestmates. These compounds m...

Ant venom has several functions, including predation, communication, defense against predators, and action against pathogens. There is a scarcity of data about ant venom components that could provide support for understanding the mechanisms of action. The objective here was to identify the amino acids and proteins in the venom of the predatory ant...

Ants use chemical cues known as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for both intraspecific and interspecific recognition. These compounds serve ants in distinguishing between nestmates and non-nestmates, enabling them to coexist in polydomous colonies characterized by socially connected yet spatially separated nests. Hence, the aim of this study was to i...

When an insect walks, it leaves chemical cues that derive from the arolium, a tarsal structure. These cues may contain important information about other species that occur in their community and can then mediate interactions of competition, predation, and information about resources with ants from their own colony. The compounds of these cues are r...

Several studies have investigated the consequences of exposure to neonicotinoids in honeybees. Given the lack of studies concerning the consequences of exposure of social wasps to neonicotinoids, as well as the ecological importance of these insects, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic exposure to sublethal concentra...

Entomofauna associated with decaying cadavers may be useful in criminal investigation, either through the development of immature insects of interest or through entomological succession in corpses. These factors may vary if the insects are exposed to toxic substances that can modify the insect's developmental cycle, as well as its own occurrence, w...

The foraging activity can be defined as the search for food resources and is an activity of utmost importance for ant colony maintenance. Workers can be exposed to adverse environmental conditions during foraging, and because of it, some species can adjust their foraging behavior to achieve greater success in the search for resources. The foraging...

In the last few years, with the increase in agricultural productivity, there has also been an increase in the use of insecticides to combat insects considered pests. However, these chemical compounds end up affecting nontarget insects that also interact with the crops. Studies have shown that social bees are among the insects that are suffering mos...

The detection of the geomagnetic field by animals to use as a cue in homing and migration is known as magnetoreception. The ferromagnetic hypothesis explains magnetoreception assuming that magnetic nanoparticles in cellular structures are used as magnetic field transducers. Considering magnetoreception in social insects, the most studied has been t...

In social insects, juvenile hormone (JH) affects the degree of ovarian development, reproductive status, and temporal polyethism in workers. JH also contributes to determining the epicuticular chemical composition, which differentiates the castes of queens and workers. However, a few studies have evaluated the action of JH on behavioral ontogeny, c...

Considerando a importância do bioma Pantanal e das espécies que nele habitam o objetivo desse estudo foi descrever a fauna de himenópteros associada a bancos de macrófitas aquáticas no Pantanal do Nabileque, fornecendo informações sobre a composição, riqueza e abundância de espécies definindo padrões de associações entre as espécies animais e veget...

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of most terrestrial arthropods primarily serve as a protective barrier against desiccation and infection. Throughout evolution, these compounds have acquired another fundamental function: the exchange of signals during interactions between nestmates. However, even though cuticular hydrocarbons perform a dual function i...

Por consequência da diversidade no repertório de tarefas individuais em colônias de vespas sociais, fêmeas dominantes e subordinadas diferem significativamente em sua longevidade e, por isto, elas e outros insetos sociais são particularmente interessantes para o estudo de longevidade e dinâmica populacional. As atividades de manutenção da colônia q...

Neonicotinoids are among the chemicals most widely used against insects considered agricultural pests, although they may also affect nontarget species, as has been reported for social bees. Social wasps are recognized as efficient predators of larvae of other insects, including pest species, so they may have contact with insecticides, at least indi...

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are present in several insects. One of the most important functions of these compounds in social insects is the exchange of signals during interactions between nestmates. Although we know about the functions performed by CHCs, we still have little information about how these compounds evolved within different groups of...

Corpses in Brazil are commonly hidden in sugarcane plantations in the attempt to delay their finding and hinder the solution of the crime. On the other hand, these plantations are regularly sprayed with insecticides for pest control. Until now no study has reported the effects of insecticides on ant fauna. This study aimed to test the hypothesis th...

As a result of environmental change by anthropic action, animal species that inhabit these areas may suffer the effects of it on their phenotypes as a consequence of adapting to these conditions. In the case of social wasps, cuticular chemical compounds may be influenced, since these vary depending on genetic and environmental factors. However, few...

In the Attina subtribe the division of labor among workers is based on different tasks performed by morphological subcastes. Considering that cuticular chemical compounds play important roles as protection against water loss and mediates interactions between nestmates, and that studies on the cuticular chemical profile of ants of the genus Atta are...

Intracolonial recognition among social insects is performed mainly by means of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) that provide chemical communication, although their primary function is the avoidance of desiccation. Therefore, the ability to adjust to climatic variation may be related to the composition of CHCs. The hypothesis adopted in this work was t...

Ants, an ecologically successful and numerically dominant group of animals, play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, nutrient recyclers, and regulators of plant growth and reproduction in most terrestrial ecosystems. Further, ants are widely used as bioindicators of the ecological impact of land use. We gathered information of ant sp...

Chemical communication is fundamental to maintain cohesion in social insect colonies, and in this communication process, cuticular hydrocarbons act as cues exchanged during interactions between nestmates. However, few studies have investigated intraspecific variation of these compounds in Neotropical swarm-founding wasps. We undertook the present i...

Muitos fatores podem interferir na estimativa do Intervalo Pós-Morte (IPM) que é o tempo entre a morte e o achado de corpo, dentre eles substâncias que alteram os padrões de desenvolvimento dos insetos colonizadores de carcaças. Neste estudo testamos a hipótese de que, se um recurso simulando um cadáver estiver contaminado pelo inseticida tiametoxa...

For eusocial insects, the nest is a place where the main social interactions occur. The nest architecture ensures protection from predators and the environment, as well as suitable conditions for brood rearing, food storage, and in some cases the cultivation of fungus farms. Variations in nest architecture can occur, according to the environmental...

Social wasps build their nests using plant material and can thereby occupy different types of habitats. The organization of their colonies is generally based on complex communication systems that include chemical compounds of the cuticle that are shared with the material of their nests thus contributing to the specific chemical signature of their c...

In social insects, situations can arise that threaten an individual or an entire colony. When the call for help goes out, different behavioral responses are elicited by signals emitted from nestmates. In ants, the response can be one of redemptive behavior by the worker receiving it. However, little is known about the evolution of this behavior and...

Potential mates often exhibit strong variation in reproductive quality, so the choice for the best sexual partner is generally adaptive. However, its adaptive value diminishes in cases where potential mates are similarly fit or when mate choice is too costly, leading mate choice to be unusual or absent. “Primitively eusocial” insects have flexible...

The aim of the present paper is to study magnetosensibility and to seek for magnetic nanoparticles in ants. The social insects, by living in colonies, developed very efficient methods of nestmate recognition, being less tolerant towards individuals from other colonies. Therefore, any kind of strange behavior between nestmates and/or conspecifics, b...

Cuticular hydrocarbons perform multiple functions in insects such as protecting against desiccation and pathogenic infection, and signaling interactions. Evaluation of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of insects is commonly performed by extraction using a nonpolar solvent such as hexane. Specimens intended for CHC analysis are ideally handled b...

As moscas constituem uma classe importante de insetos para a entomologia forense. Eles são os primeiros a colonizar o corpo e são os mais representativos durante a decomposição. Esses insetos são usados principalmente para a estimativa do intervalo post-mortem (PMI), bem como um indicador de morte violenta ou natural. Assim, este estudo relata, pel...

Cuticular hydrocarbons are chemical compounds present in all insects and primarily involved in preventing water loss and protecting against pathogenic microorganisms. In social insects, cuticular hydrocarbons evolved in cues that provide multilevel information. In this chapter, we review the studies on cuticular hydrocarbons in Neotropical social w...

Juvenile Hormone (JH) is considered the main determinant of caste in social insects, though little is known about how this hormone acts in social wasps, especially the independent-founding species. The known relationship between JH titer and caste in the colony and we suggest a relationship among the effects of JH and the cuticular chemical profile...

By understanding the intraspecific differences of traits presented by a species, we can gain greater insight into their variable functionality in microevolutionary processes relative to genetic and environmental factors leading to ecological adaptation and speciation. However, few studies have evaluated how intraspecific variation of cuticle hydroc...

Nests of independent-founding primitively eusocial paper wasps are founded by one or a few females. Before worker emergence, foundresses must forage, sometimes leaving the nest unattended. Chemical defence - the application of ant repellent secretions of the Van der Vecht organ (VdVO) on the nest surface - allows brood protection when active defenc...

Nests of independent-founding primitively eusocial paper wasps are founded by one or a few females. Before worker emergence, foundresses must forage, sometimes leaving the nest unattended. Chemical defence - the application of ant repellent secretions of the Van der Vecht organ (VdVO) on the nest surface - allows brood protection when active defenc...

Insects can provide clues in a variety of ways to assist in criminal investigations. The FTIR-PAS technique has been successfully used to assess the cuticular chemical profiles of insect samples from different groups and for several goals. However, until now, it has never been used to evaluate samples of forensic interest, despite providing faster...

Social insects such as ants can use geomagnetic field information in orientation and navigation tasks. However, few studies have assessed the effect of magnetic fields on aspects such as orientation and decision making during foraging of ants. Therefore, the present study aims to test the hypothesis that foragers of different species of ants with d...

Wasps can synthesize chemical compounds called venom whose function is to overcome prey and assist in defense of the colonies. Geographic Parameters such as sex, age, the season of the year, and diet determined the composition of the venom location, genetics, environment. However, studies on the compositional variability of venom are still limited...

Wasps are a diverse group of insects that possess a sting apparatus associated with a venom gland, which is used for predation and colony defense. The biochemistry of Hymenoptera venom has been evaluated in relation to allergy and immunology, and proteomics has been shown to be a powerful tool for the identification of compounds with pharmacologica...

Chemical compounds present on the cuticle of social insects are important in communication, as they are used in recognition of nestmates and sexual partners as well as in caste distinction, varying according to several factors, such as genetic and environmental. In this context, some studies have explored the cuticular chemical profile as a tool fo...

The integrity of ant colonies depends exclusively on social relatonships between their individuals, especially the ability of communicaton between group members, which is mainly mediated through chemical signals. Another important feature of ant behavior is territory defense, since they need to gather large amounts of food to feed their larvae, mal...

Although cuticular hydrocarbons and venom are important to the evolutionary success of social behavior, studies that investigated these compounds in tropical social wasps are rare. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the cuticular chemical composition and the nonpolar portion of venom of Apoica pallens, a swarm-founding wasp and Polistes ver...

One of the most important contributions of forensic entomology is to assist criminal expertise to determine the postmortem interval, which depends on the duration of the immature stages of insects of forensic interest. On the other hand, the time of development of the different stages varies according to the species; therefore, its identification i...

Social insects depend on their nests for protection against predation and abiotic threats. Accordingly, the chemical compounds present in the material wasps use to build their nests can both facilitate communication and repel predators. It is herein hypothesized that different wasp species build their nests with different structure and substrate ma...

Climatic factors, such as temperature variation, interfere with the survival of insects. To respond to these variations, insects have some specific characteristics. These include water content of the body, thickness of the lipid layer, as well as the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of cuticular chemical components. This study hypothesi...

Most flies of forensic importance are in two superfamilies, the Muscoidea and the Oestroidea, with similar life stages including the puparium. Upon completion of metamorphosis the adult fly emerges from the puparium, leaving behind an exuvia that is of potential significance in forensic investigation. The empty puparium is a durable piece of entomo...

Cuticular hydrocarbons are found in the epicuticle of insects and act during interactions between nestmates in social insects. Among the classes of these compounds, branched alkanes stand out acting as flags during intracolonial interactions, therefore, varying significantly intraspecificaly. However, there is evidence that linear alkanes can also...

The elimination of toxins via a venom gland by some ant species is a component of a larger mechanism for capturing prey and defense. The present study describes the morphology and histochemistry of the venom apparatus of different castes of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi Almeida, 1987. Morphologically, the venom apparatus of queens, gynes and workers o...

Communication in spiders can occur by several mechanisms, such as chemical cues and the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play an important role in intraspecific recognition. Several techniques have been used to evaluate CHCs in spiders, such as Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection, Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometric detec...

Venoms of social wasps have in their composition proteins, peptides, among others and several of these compounds were evaluated for their function in the venom, however, there is still no study of the quantification of free amino acids of venom of social wasps. The peptides and proteins of the venom can originate in the medium amino acids or other...

In social insects, nests are very important structures built to provide a protected microhabitat for immature development and food storage and are the places where most interactions between all members of a colony occur. Considering that nest architecture is an important behavioural trait that can clarify essential points of the social level of the...

An important attribute of the evolution and maintenance of sociality in insects is their ability to distinguish members of their own colonies by means of chemical signals during their interactions. From this type of signals, the cuticular hydrocarbons, is responsible for intraspecific recognition stand out, among other functions. Linear alkanes are...

Female wasps such as Polistes versicolor can form aggregates to face weather conditions that are not suitable to sustain their colonies. The interactions between individuals in these aggregates, just as in other associations, are probably facilitated by chemical signals. Of these compounds some of the most efficient during social interactions of in...

The aim of this study was to explore whether the nest chemical profile (NCP) can be used to determine intra- and interspecific differences in social wasps of the subfamily Polistinae. For this purpose, Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) was used to directly analyze small pieces of nest as well as the gasters of females...

O Brasil possui a maior diversidade de formigas das Américas e sua Região Centro-Oeste enfrenta grande expansão agrícola e urbanização que afetam a comunidade destes insetos. A Região Centro-Oeste é uma ampla região e as formigas que ali ocorrem são pouco estudadas, ainda que possa ser encontrado na literatura alguns estudos sobre aspectos da biolo...

Studies of venomous animals have shown that environmental and genetic factors contribute to determining the chemical composition of venom. It is well known that external effects cause differences in the toxicity, concentration, and prey specificity of venom. However, the influence of different factors on the chemical profile of Hymenoptera venom re...

The foraging activity in social wasps is complex behavior that involves the ability to locate and transport the resources necessary for the colony. The activity is opportunistic and generalist, sometimes adapting to the availability of the resources when the colonies are exposed to critical environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to eva...

The social wasps have a remarkable system of organization in which chemical communication mediate different behavioral interactions. Among the compounds involved in this process, cuticular hydrocarbons are considered the main signals for nestmate recognition, caste differentiation, and fertility communication. The aims of this study were to describ...

In the present work, we explored multiple data from different biological levels such as cuticular hydrocarbons, chromosomal features, and mtDNA sequences in the Neotropical social wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (J.F. Zikán). Particularly, we explored the genetic and chemical differentiation level within and between populations of this insect. Our d...

Both the hydrocarbons present in the cuticle of social wasps, as the material of the nest have compounds that are responsible for mediating the interactions between individuals within their colonies. It is known that each developmental stage from egg to adult has its own cuticular chemical composition. However, no studies regarding this subject was...

Wasps are able to synthesize toxic compounds known as venoms, which form a part of a mechanism to overcome prey and also to defend their colonies. Study of the compounds that constitute these substances is essential in order to understand how this defense mechanism evolved, since there is evidence that the venoms can vary both intra- and interspeci...

Necrophagous insects such as blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are considered crucial in forensic entomology. Identification at species level and determination of larval stage are the basis for estimation of postmortem interval (PMI). Insect evidence can also be used in the determination of crime scenes, since body displacement is common. The aim...

Social wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would unde...

Forensic entomology is a science that uses insect fauna as a tool to assist in criminal investigations and civil proceedings. Although the most researched insects are the Diptera and Coleoptera, ants may be present in all stages of decomposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ants and their action on blow flies during the decomp...

Phenotypic divergence plays an important role in establishment of the reproductive division of labor among castes in social insects; however, little is known about this subject in independent-founding polistine wasps. In this study, we investigated morphological differences among foundresses from associative and solitary foundations, as well as amo...

Magnetoreception is a mechanism of active orientation that occurs in animals with nervous systems. Social insects such as bees, ants, wasps and termites have been studied on the influence of the magnetic field exerts on its biology. The social wasps comprise species represented in Stenogastrinae, Vespinae and Polistinae, however studies on the infl...

The chemical signature of social insects is very important for communication, and specific signs of each colony and its individuals are acquired throughout their development. This chemical signature can also be related to the composition of the materials employed during nest construction. Furthermore, the venom also contains important chemicals req...

Apiculture in Brazil is quite profitable and has great potential for expansion because of the favorable climate and abundancy of plant diversity. However, the occurrence of pests, diseases, and parasites hinders the growth and profitability of beekeeping. In the interior of the state of São Paulo, apiaries are attacked by ants, especially the speci...

Wasps belong to societies that are highly complex and diverse, especially considering social organization and parental care. They use chemicals in their daily communication, and act incisively in recognition of mates and non-nest mates, and can even identify individuals of different castes. In this study, cuticle composition was examined during the...

The geomagnetic field can be used by insects for navigation and orientation, through different magnetoreception mechanisms. Magnetic sensitivity is very well documented in honeybees, ants and termites, but few studies have examined this capability in social wasps. The present study analyzed the magnetic sensitivity of the paper wasp Polybia paulist...

Eusocial wasps are excellent models for understanding polyethism and division of labor among castes in social insects. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling caste determination in eusocial wasps. Evidence suggests that the phenotype of queens in independent-founding (IF) eusocial wasps of the subfamily Polistinae can be partly f...

The cuticular chemical composition plays a significant role in the recognition of nest mates in social insects, thus functioning as a chemical signature of the colony. The structure of cuticular chemicals is subject to interference from genetic and exogenous factors, including diet. In this study, various colonies of the Ectatomma brunneum ant were...

In the subfamily Polistinae, caste dimorphism is not pronounced and differences among females are primarily physiological and behavioral. We investigated factors that indicate the reproductive status in females of Polistes ferreri Saussure. We analyzed females from nine colonies and evaluated morphometric parameters, ovarian development, occurrence...

Studies on the biology of Latrodectus geometricus are scarce, especially on the behavior and life expectancy of the species. In this study we investigated the importance of the aggregation behavior of juveniles on life expectancy and longevity of the species. Egg sacs were collected in the urban area of Dourados- MS and transferred to the laborator...

A fundamental feature in the evolution of social insects is the separation of castes, and the presence of wide differentiation between castes indicates a more advanced degree of sociability. In this study, we evaluated factors indicating the reproductive status of females in colonies of the social wasp Polistes versicolor. The reproductive status o...

Abstract The majority of the ants is opportunistic and generalist foragers, commonly feeding on vegetable secretions, seeds, and living or dead animal material. They may be present on any type of substrate even, occasionally on carcasses. This work, then, aimed to evaluate the action of insects, especially ants, in the exploitation of protein resou...

Currently, the main impacts on biodiversity are generated by human activities in natural environments. Monitoring the number of species of social wasps nesting attached to buildings is important to evaluate the effect of this activity on colony productivity. This study evaluated the effect of habitat alteration, particularly by human activity on t...