Ant-icipating the fallout: a study on the radioresistance of the black garden ant Lasius niger

Martin Vastrade; Valérie Cornet; Anne-Catherine Heuskin; Boris Hespeels

doi:10.26496/bjz.2024.194

Authors

Martin Vastrade Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE); Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE); University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
Valérie Cornet Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE); Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE); University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
Anne-Catherine Heuskin Laboratory of Analysis by Nuclear Reaction (LARN); Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS); University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
Boris Hespeels Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE); Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE); University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2024.194

Keywords:

ants, radioresistance, Lasius niger, X-rays, sterilization

Abstract

The radioresistance of ants has been a subject of curiosity and fascination, with speculation that they could thrive in radiation-contaminated environments, such as those resulting from nuclear fallout. This study investigates the radioresistance of the black garden ant Lasius niger, a widespread species inhabiting many geolocations around the world. Newly mated queens were exposed to varying doses of X-ray radiation (0–250 Gy) prior to colony initiation, and survival, fertility, and offspring development were monitored over a 77-day period. Results showed high survival rates across a broad range of radiation doses, with no significant differences between control and irradiated queens up to 11 weeks post-exposure. However, sterilization of queens was observed from doses of 50 Gy onwards, with only a few workers being produced after exposure to this dose. The specific factors contributing to the observed radioresistance differences among Formicidae species are yet to be elucidated. Further research is therefore needed to better understand these factors and their interplay in determining radioresistance. This study contributes to the understanding of ant radioresistance and provides a more accurate representation of their capacity to withstand radiation exposure.

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