Wcislo, William
Senior Scientist
Evolutionary biology; ethology; behavior and behavioral evolution of bees, ants and wasps; perception and learning; social evolution; brain evolution.
Background And Education
Education And Training
- B.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Ph.D., University of Kansas
Awards And Honors
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2020
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2017
Research And Grants
Investigator On
- Neuroanatomical comparison and evolution of brain regions in fungus-growing ants (Attini) with different agricultural systems awarded by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards
- Divergence of marine symbiosis after the rise of the Isthmus of Panama awarded by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation 2016 -
- Evolution of Microbiomes in Shallow-water Marine Organisms Split by the Isthmus of Panama in the Western Atlantic vs Eastern Pacific Oceans awarded by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation 2016 -
- 2008-09 Behavior and Evolutionary Neurobiology Program awarded by F.H. Levinson Fund
- Development of a behavioral bioassay for genomic studies of caste determination in a nocturnal sweat bee
- Disease Management and Communication of the Ants Fungi Cultivated awarded by Senacyt
- MSB: Conflict Among Members of Interacting Symbioses: How Do Symbiotic Fungi Influence Plant D awarded by Tulane University
- Metabolic efficiency and the evolution of social complexity in fungus-growing ants awarded by Competitive Grants Program for Science
- Metabolic efficiency and the evolution of social complexity in fungus-growing ants awarded by Competitive Grants Program for Science
- The role of microbiomes is shaping the ecology and evolution of tropical forest ecosystems awarded by Simons Foundation
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Pierotti, Michele E. R., Wandycz, Anna, Wandycz, Pawel, Rebelein, Anja, Corredor, Vitor H., Tashiro, Juliana H., Castillo, Armando, Wcislo, William T., McMillan, W. O., and Loew, Ellis R. 2020. "The visual ecology of a color polymorphic reef fish: the role of aggressive mimicry." bioRxiv, 1–48. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.03.970988. 2024
- Rivera-Mondragón, Andrés, Marrone, Maravi, Bruner-Montero, Gaspar, Gaitán, Katerin, De Núñez, Leticia, Otero-Palacio, Rolando, Añino, Yostin, Wcislo, William T., Martínez-Luis, Sergio, and Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes. 2023. "Assessment of the Quality, Chemometric and Pollen Diversity of Apis mellifera Honey from Different Seasonal Harvests." Foods, 12, (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193656. 2023
- Rivera-Mondragon, Andres, Marrone, Maravi, Bruner-Montero, Gaspar, Gaitan, Katerin, de Nunez, Leticia, Otero-Palacio, Rolando, Anino, Yostin, Wcislo, William T., Martinez-Luis, Sergio, and Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes. 2023. "Assessment of the Quality, Chemometric and Pollen Diversity of Apis mellifera Honey from Different Seasonal Harvests." Foods, 12, (19) 3656. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193656. 2023
- Hammer, Tobin J., Kueneman, Jordan, Argueta-Guzmán, Magda, McFrederick, Quinn S., Grant, Lady, Wcislo, William, Buchmann, Stephen, and Danforth, Bryan N. 2023. "Bee breweries: The unusually fermentative, lactobacilli-dominated brood cell microbiomes of cellophane bees." Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1114849. 2023
- Jones, Beryl M., Rubin, Benjamin E. R., Dudchenko, Olga, Kingwell, Callum J., Traniello, Ian M., Wang, Z. Y., Kapheim, Karen M., Wyman, Eli S., Adastra, Per A., Liu, Weijie, Parsons, Lance R., Jackson, S. R., Goodwin, Katharine, Davidson, Shawn M., McBride, Matthew J., Webb, Andrew E., Omufwoko, Kennedy S., Van Dorp, Nikki, Otárola, Mauricio Fernández, Pham, Melanie, Omer, Arina D., Weisz, David, Schraiber, Joshua, Villanea, Fernando, Wcislo, William T. et al. 2023. "Convergent and complementary selection shaped gains and losses of eusociality in sweat bees." Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7, (4) 557–569. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02001-3. 2023
- Gonzalez, Victor H., Manweiler, Rachel, Smith, Adam R., Oyen, Kennan, Cardona, David, and Wcislo, William T. 2023. "Low heat tolerance and high desiccation resistance in nocturnal bees and the implications for nocturnal pollination under climate change." Scientific Reports, 13, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49815-6. 2023
- Kueneman, Jordan G., Bonadies, Ernesto, Thomas, Devin, Roubik, David W., and Wcislo, William T. 2023. "Neotropical bee microbiomes point to a fragmented social core and strong species-level effects." Microbiome, 11, (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01593-z. 2023
- Honkanen, Anna, Hensgen, Ronja, Kannan, Kavitha, Adden, Andrea, Warrant, Eric, Wcislo, William, and Heinze, Stanley. 2023. "Parallel motion vision pathways in the brain of a tropical bee." Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 209, (4) 563–591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-023-01625-x. 2023
- Wcislo, William T. 2021. "A Dual Role for Behavior in Evolution and Shaping Organismal Selective Environments." Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 52 343–362. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012921-052523. 2021
- Hagadorn, Mallory A., Eck, Karlee, Del Grosso, Matthew, Haemmerle, Xavier, Wcislo, William T., and Kapheim, Karen M. 2021. "Age-related mushroom body expansion in male sweat bees and bumble bees." Scientific Reports, 11, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96268-w. 2021
- Wcislo, Alex, Graham, Xavier, Stevens, Stan, Toppe, Johannes Ehoule, Wcislo, Lucas, and Wcislo, William T. 2021. "Azteca ants repair damage to their Cecropia host plants." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 88 61–70. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.88.75855. 2021
- Kingwell, Callum, Boroczky, Katalin, Steitz, Iris, Ayasse, Manfred, and Wcislo, William. 2021. "Cuticular and Dufour's Gland Chemistry Reflect Reproductive and Social State in the Facultatively Eusocial Sweat Bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)." Journal of chemical ecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-021-01262-1. 2021
- Christopher, Yuliana, Wcislo, William T., Martinez-Luis, Sergio, Hughes, William O. H., Gerardo, Nicole M., and Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes. 2021. "Disease management in two sympatric Apterostigma fungus-growing ants for controlling the parasitic fungus Escovopsis." Ecology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7379. 2021
- Chaib, Sandra, Dacke, Marie, Wcislo, William, and Warrant, Eric. 2021. "Dorsal landmark navigation in a Neotropical nocturnal bee." Current Biology, 31, (16) 3601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.029. 2021
- Christopher, Yuliana, Aguilar, Celestino, Galvez, Dumas, Wcislo, William T., Gerardo, Nicole M., and Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes. 2021. "Interactions among Escovopsis, Antagonistic Microfungi Associated with the Fungus-Growing Ant Symbiosis." Journal of Fungi, 7, (12). https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7121007. 2021
- Leray, Matthieu, Wilkins, Laetitia G. E., Apprill, Amy, Bik, Holly M., Clever, Friederike, Connolly, Sean R., De Leon, Marina E., Duffy, J. Emmett, Ezzat, Leila, Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah, Herre, Edward Allen, Kaye, Jonathan Z., Kline, David I., Kueneman, Jordan G., McCormick, Melissa K., McMillan, W. Owen, O'Dea, Aaron, Pereira, Tiago J., Petersen, Jillian M., Petticord, Daniel F., Torchin, Mark E., Vega Thurber, Rebecca, Videvall, Elin, Wcislo, William T., Yuen, Benedict et al. 2021. "Natural experiments and long-term monitoring are critical to understand and predict marine host-microbe ecology and evolution." Plos Biology, 19, (8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001322. 2021
- Amador-Vargas, S. and Wcislo, W. T. 2021. "Nestmate interference in acacia ants varies with colony size and task specialization." Animal Behaviour, 181 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.026. 2021
- Pierotti, Michele E. R., Wandycz, Anna, Wandycz, Pawel, Rebelein, Anja, Corredor, Vitor H., Tashiro, Juliana H., Castillo, Armando, Wcislo, William T., McMillan, W. Owen, and Loew, Ellis R. 2020. "Aggressive mimicry in a coral reef fish: The prey's view." Ecology and Evolution, 10, (23) 12990–13010. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6883. 2020
- Kapheim, Karen M., Jones, Beryl M., Pan, Hailin, Li, Cai, Harpur, Brock A., Kent, Clement F., Zayed, Amro, Ioannidis, Panagiotis, Waterhouse, Robert M., Kingwell, Callum, Stolle, Eckart, Avalos, Arián, Zhang, Guojie, McMillan, W. O., and Wcislo, William T. 2020. "Developmental plasticity shapes social traits and selection in a facultatively eusocial bee." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117, (24) 13615–13625. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2000344117. 2020
- Wcislo, William T. 2020. "Fijian farming ants resolve the guns-or-butter dilemma for their crop plants." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 17, (7) 3357–3359. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922921117. 2020
- Shik, Jonathan Z., Kooij, Pepijn W., Donoso, David A., Santos, Juan C., Gomez, Ernesto B., Franco, Mariana, Crumiere, Antonin J. J., Arnan, Xavier, Howe, Jack, Wcislo, William T., and Boomsma, Jacobus J. 2020. "Nutritional niches reveal fundamental domestication trade-offs in fungus-farming ants." Nature Ecology & Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01314-x. 2020
- Krichilsky, Erin, Vega-Hidalgo, Álvaro, Hunter, Kate, Kingwell, Callum, Ritner, Chelsey, Wcislo, William, and Smith, Adam. 2020. "The first gynandromorph of the Neotropical bee Megalopta amoena (Spinola, 1853) (Halictidae) with notes on its circadian rhythm." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 75 97–108. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.75.47828. 2020
- Smith, Adam R., Kapheim, Karen M., Kingwell, Callum J., and Wcislo, William T. 2019. "A split sex ratio in solitary and social nests of a facultatively social bee." Biology Letters, 15, (4) 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0740. 2019
- Kapheim, Karen M., Pan, Hailin, Li, Cai, Blatti, Charles, Harpur, Brock A., Ioannidis, Panagiotis, Jones, Beryl M., Kent, Clement F., Ruzzante, Livio, Sloofman, Laura, Stolle, Eckart, Waterhouse, Robert M., Zayed, Amro, Zhang, Guojie, and Wcislo, William T. 2019. "Draft genome assembly and population genetics of an agricultural pollinator, the solitary alkali bee (Halictidae: Nomia melanderi)." G3: Genes, Genomes; Genetics, 9, (3) 625–634. https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.118.200865. 2019
- Galgani-Barraza, Paola, Moreno, Jorge Enrique, Lobo, Sofia, Tribaldos, Wendy, Roubik, David W., and Wcislo, William T. 2019. "Flower use by late nineteenth-century orchid bees (Eufriesea surinamensis, Hymenoptera, Apidae) nesting in the Catedral Basílica Santa María la Antigua de Panamá." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 74 65–81. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.74.39191. 2019
- Wilkins, Laetitia G. E., Leray, Matthieu, Yuen, Benedict, Peixoto, Raquel, Pereira, Tiago J., Bik, Holly M., Coil, David A., Duffy, J. Emmett, Herre, Edward Allen, Lessios, Harilaos, Lucey, Noelle, Mejia, Luis C., O'Dea, Aaron, Rasher, Douglas B., Sharp, Koty, Sogin, Emilia M., Thacker, Robert W., Thurber, Rebecca Vega, Wcislo, William T., Wilbanks, Elizabeth G., and Eisen, Jonathan A. 2019. "Host-associated microbiomes and their roles in marine ecosystem functions." PeerJ, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.27930v1. 2019
- Wilkins, Laetitia G. E., Leray, Matthieu, O'Dea, Aaron, Yuen, Benedict, Peixoto, Raquel S., Pereira, Tiago J., Bik, Holly M., Coil, David A., Duffy, J. Emmett, Herre, Edward Allen, Lessios, Harilaos A., Lucey, Noelle M., Mejia, Luis C., Rasher, Douglas B., Sharp, Koty H., Sogin, Emilia M., Thacker, Robert W., Thurber, Rebecca Vega, Wcislo, William T., Wilbanks, Elizabeth G., and Eisen, Jonathan A. 2019. "Host-associated microbiomes drive structure and function of marine ecosystems." PLoS biology, 17, (11) 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000533. 2019
- Bonadies, Ernesto, Wcislo, William T., Gálvez, Dumas, Hughes, William O. H., and Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes. 2019. "Hygiene Defense Behaviors Used by a Fungus-Growing Ant Depend on the Fungal Pathogen Stages." Insects, 10, (5) 1–6. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10050130. 2019
- Smith, A. R., Kapheim, K. M., and Wcislo, William T. 2019. "Survival and productivity benefits of sociality vary seasonally in the tropical, facultatively eusocial bee Megalopta genalis." Insectes Sociaux, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-019-00713-z. 2019
- Marting, Peter R., Wcislo, William T., and Pratt, Stephen C. 2018. "Colony personality and plant health in the Azteca-Cecropia mutualism." Behavioral Ecology, 29, (1) 264–271. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arx165. 2018
- Jernigan, Christopher M., Birgiolas, Justas, McHugh, Cora, Roubik, David Ward, Wcislo, William T., and Smith, Brian H. 2018. "Colony-level non-associative plasticity of alarm responses in the stingless honey bee, Tetragonisca angustula." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 72, (3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2471-0. 2018
- Smith, Adam, Harper, Christine, Kapheim, Karen M., Simons, Meagan, Kingwell, Callum J., and Wcislo, William T. 2018. "Effects of social organization and resource availability on brood parasitism in the facultatively social nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis." Insectes Sociaux, 65, (1) 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-017-0590-7. 2018
- Stone, Thomas, Webb, Barbara, Adden, Andrea, Weddig, Nicolai Ben, Honkanen, Anna, Templin, Rachel, Wcislo, William T., Scimeca, Luca, Warrant, Eric, and Heinze, Stanley. 2017. "An Anatomically Constrained Model for Path Integration in the Bee Brain." Current Biology, 27 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.052. 2017
- Jones, Beryl M., Kingwell, Callum J., Wcislo, William T., and Robinson, Gene E. 2017. "Caste-biased gene expression in a facultatively eusocial bee suggests a role for genetic accommodation in the evolution of eusociality." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284, (1846). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2228. 2017
- Tierney, Simon M., Friedrich, Markus, Humphreys, William F., Jones, Therésa M., Warrant, Eric J., and Wcislo, William T. 2017. "Consequences of evolutionary transitions in changing photic environments: Transitions in photic environments." Austral Entomology, 56, (1) 23–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12264. 2017
- Boomsma, Jacobus J., Brady, Seán Gary, Dunn, Robert R., Gadau, Juergen, Heinze, Juergen, Keller, Laurent, Moreau, Corrie S., Sanders, Nathan J., Schrader, Lukas, Schultz, Ted R., Sundstrom, Lotta, Ward, Philip S., Wcislo, William T., Zhang, Guojie, and GAGA Consortium. 2017. "The Global Ant Genomics Alliance (GAGA)." Myrmecological News, 25 61–66. 2017
- González, Cely T., Wcislo, William T., Cambra, T. R., Wheeler, Terry A., and Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes. 2016. "A New Ectoparasitoid Species of Pseudogaurax Malloch, 1915 (Diptera: Chloropidae), Attacking the Fungus-Growing Ant, Apterostigma dentigerum Wheeler, 1925 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 109, (4) 639–645. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saw023. 2016
- Shik, Jonathan Z., Gomez, Ernesto B., Kooij, Pepijn W., Santos, Juan C., Wcislo, William T., and Boomsma, Jacobus J. 2016. "Nutrition mediates the expression of cultivar–farmer conflict in a fungus-growing ant." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (36) 10121–10126. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1606128113. 2016
- Mitko, Lukasz, Weber, Marjorie G., Ramirez, Santiago R., Hedenström, Erik, Wcislo, William T., and Eltz, Thomas. 2016. "Olfactory specialization for perfume collection in male orchid bees." Journal of Experimental Biology, 219, (10) 1467–1475. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.136754. 2016
- Kapheim, Karen M., Chan, T. Y., Smith, A. R., Wcislo, William T., and Nonacs, P. 2016. "Ontogeny of division of labor in a facultatively eusocial sweat bee Megalopta genalis." Insectes Sociaux, 63, (1) 185–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-015-0454-y. 2016
- Nygaard, Sanne, Hu, Haofu, Li, Cai, Schiott, Morten, Chen, Zhensheng, Yang, Zhikai, Xie, Qiaolin, Ma, Chunyu, Deng, Yuan, Dikow, Rebecca B., Rabeling, Christian, Nash, David R., Wcislo, William T., Brady, Seán Gary, Schultz, Ted R., Zhang, Guojie, and Boomsma, Jacobus J. 2016. "Reciprocal genomic evolution in the ant-fungus agricultural symbiosis." Nature Communications, 7 e12233. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12233. 2016
- Armitage, Sophie A. O., Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Boomsma, Jacobus J., and Wcislo, William T. 2016. "Slowing them down will make them lose: A role for attine ant crop fungus in defending pupae against infections?" Journal of Animal Ecology, 85, (5) 1210–1221. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12543. 2016
- Wcislo, William T. 2016. "Trophallaxis in weakly social bees (Apoidea)." Ecological Entomology, 41, (1) 37–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12289. 2016
- Quiñones, A. E. and Wcislo, William T. 2015. "Cryptic extended brood care in the facultatively eusocial sweat bee Megalopta genalis." Insectes Sociaux, 62, (3) 307–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-015-0409-3. 2015
- Jones, Beryl M., Wcislo, William T., and Robinson, Gene E. 2015. "Developmental Transcriptome for a Facultatively Eusocial Bee, Megalopta genalis." G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 5, (10) 2127–2135. https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.115.021261. 2015
- Rehan, S. M., Tierney, Simon M., and Wcislo, William T. 2015. "Evidence for social nesting in Neotropical ceratinine bees." Insectes Sociaux, 62, (4) 465–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-015-0425-3. 2015
- Baird, Emily, Fernandez, Diana C., Wcislo, William T., and Warrant, Eric J. 2015. "Flight control and landing precision in the nocturnal bee Megalopta is robust to large changes in light intensity." Frontiers in Physiology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00305. 2015
- Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Nash, David R., Higginbotham, Sarah, Estrada, Catalina, van Zweden, Jelle S., d'Ettorre, Patrizia, Wcislo, William T., and Boomsma, Jacobus J. 2015. "Functional role of phenylacetic acid from metapleural gland secretions in controlling fungal pathogens in evolutionarily derived leaf-cutting ants." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282, (1807). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0212. 2015
- Kapheim, Karen M., Nonacs, Peter, Smith, Adam R., Wayne, Robert K., and Wcislo, William T. 2015. "Kinship, parental manipulation and evolutionary origins of eusociality." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282, (1803). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2886. 2015
- Amador-Vargas, Sabrina, Gronenberg, Wulfila, Wcislo, William T., and Mueller, Ulrich G. 2015. "Specialization and group size: brain and behavioural correlates of colony size in ants lacking morphological castes." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282, (1801). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2502. 2015
- Estrada, Catalina, Degner, Ethan C., Rojas, Enith I., Wcislo, William T., and Van Bael, Sunshine A. 2015. "The role of endophyte diversity in protecting plants from defoliation by leaf-cutting ants." Current science, 109, (1) 55–61. 2015
- Jernigan, Chris M., Roubik, David Ward, Wcislo, William T., and Riveros, Andre. 2014. "Color-dependent learning in restrained Africanized honey bees." Journal of Experimental Biology, 217 337–343. https://doi.org/10.1242/?jeb.091355. 2014
- Estrada, Catalina, Rojas, Enith I., Wcislo, William T., and Van Bael, Sunshine A. 2014. "Fungal endophyte effects on leaf chemistry alter the in vitro growth rates of leaf-cutting ants' fungal mutualist, Leucocoprinus gongylophorus." Fungal Ecology, 8 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2013.12.009. 2014
- McFrederick, Quinn S., Wcislo, William T., Hout, Michael C., and Mueller, Ulrich G. 2014. "Host species and developmental stage, but not host sociality, affects bacterial community structure in socially polymorphic bees." FEMS microbiology ecology, 88, (2) 398–406. https://doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12302. 2014
- Bruner, Gaspar, Wcislo, William T., and Fernandez, Hermogenes. 2014. "Prudent inquilines and proactive hosts: behavioral dynamics between an ant social parasite, Megalomyrmex symmetochus and its fungus-growing ant host, Sericomyrmex amabilis." Insectes Sociaux, 61, (1) 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-013-0331-5. 2014
- Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Bruner, Gaspar, Gomez, Ernesto B., Nash, David R., Boomsma, Jacobus J. Koos, and Wcislo, William T. 2013. "Dynamic Disease Management in Trachymyrmex Fungus-Growing Ants (Attini: Formicidae)." American Naturalist, 181, (4) 571–582. https://doi.org/10.1086/669664. 2013
- Kapheim, Karen M., Smith, Adam R., Nonacs, Peter, Wcislo, William T., and Wayne, Robert K. 2013. "Foundress polyphenism and the origins of eusociality in a facultatively eusocial sweat bee, Megalopta genalis (Halictidae)." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 67, (2) 331–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-012-1453-x. 2013
- Tierney, Simon M., Fischer, C. N., Rehan, S. M., Kapheim, Karen M., and Wcislo, William T. 2013. "Frequency of social nesting in the sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Halictidae) does not vary across a rainfall gradient, despite disparity in brood production and body size." Insectes Sociaux, 60, (2) 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-012-0280-4. 2013
- Smith, Adam R., Kapheim, Karen M., Perez-Ortega, Betzi, Brent, Colin S., and Wcislo, William T. 2013. "Juvenile hormone levels reflect social opportunities in the facultatively eusocial sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)." Hormones and Behavior, 61, (1) 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.08.012. 2013
- Estrada, Catalina, Wcislo, William T., and Van Bael, Sunshine A. 2013. "Symbiotic fungi alter plant chemistry that discourages leaf-cutting ants." New Phytologist, 198 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12140. 2013
- Eberhard, William G., Wcislo, William T., and Stahnke, Adelheid. 2013. "Wege zum Minigehirn." Spektrum der Wissenschaft, 24–30. 2013
- Armitage, Sophie A. O., Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Wcislo, William T., and Boomsma, Jacobus J. Koos. 2012. "An evaluation of the possible adaptive function of fungal brood covering by Attine ants." Evolution, 66, (6) 1966–1975. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01568.x. 2012
- Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Big brains, little bodies." Science, 338, (6113) 1419. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.338.6113.1419-b. 2012
- Bruner, Gaspar, Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Touchon, Justin C., and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Eggs of the blind snake, Liotyphlops albirostris, are incubated in a nest of a lower fungus-growing ant, Apterostigma gonoides." Psyche, (532314) 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/532314. 2012
- Van Bael, Sunshine A., Seid, Marc A., and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Endophytic fungi increase the processing rate of leaves by leaf-cutting ants (Atta)." Ecological Entomology, 37, (4) 318–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01364.x. 2012
- McFrederick, Quinn S., Wcislo, William T., Taylor, Douglas R., Ishak, Heather D., Dowd, Scot E., and Mueller, Ulrich G. 2012. "Environment or kin: whence do bees obtain acidophilic bacteria?" Molecular Ecology, 21, (7) 1754–1768. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05496.x. 2012
- Riveros, Andre J., Seid, Marc A., and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Evolution of brain size in class-based societies of fungus-growing ants (Attini)." Animal Behaviour, 83, (4) 1043–1049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.01.032. 2012
- Van Bael, Sunshine A., Estrada, Catalina, Rehner, Stephen A., Santos, Janette F., and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Leaf endophyte load influences fungal garden development in leaf-cutting ants." BMC Ecology, 12 23. 2012
- Eberhard, William G. and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Límites de la miniaturización del cerebro." Investigación y Ciencia, 435 76–83. 2012
- Wcislo, Daniel O., Vargas, Gloria, Ihle, Kate E., and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Nest construction behavior by the orchid bee Euglossa hyacinthina." Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 29 15–20. https://doi.org/10.3897/JHR.29.4067. 2012
- Tierney, Simon M., Sanjur, Oris I., Grajales, Grethel G., Santos, Leandro M., Bermingham, Eldredge, and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Photic niche invasions: phylogenetic history of the dim-light foraging augochlorine bees (Halictidae)." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279, (1729) 794–803. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1355. 2012
- Kapheim, Karen M., Smith, Adam R., Ihle, Kate E., Amdam, Gro V., Nonacs, Peter, and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Physiological variation as a mechanism for developmental caste-biasing in a facultatively eusocial sweat bee." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279, (1732) 1437–1446. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1652. 2012
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Eberhard, William G. and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Plenty of room at the bottom? Tiny animals solve problems of housing and maintaining oversized brains, shedding new light on nervous-system evolution
." American Scientist, 100, (3) 226–233. https://doi.org/10.1511/2012.96.226. 2012 - Smith, Adam R., López Quintero, Isis J., Moreno Patiño, Jorge Enrique, Roubik, David Ward, and Wcislo, William T. 2012. "Pollen use by Megalopta sweat bees in relation to resource availability in a tropical forest." Ecological Entomology, 37, (4) 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01367.x. 2012
- Bittleston, L. S., Brockmann, F., Wcislo, William T., and Van Bael, Sunshine A. 2011. "Endophytic fungi reduce leaf-cutting ant damage to seedlings." Biology Letters, 7, (1) 30–32. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0456. 2011
- Van Bael, Sunshine A., Estrada, Catalina, and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "Fungal-fungal interactions in leaf-cutting ant agriculture." Psyche, 2011 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/617478. 2011
- Herre, Edward Allen and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "In defence of inclusive fitness theory." Nature, 471, (7339) E8–E9. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09835. 2011
- Baird, Emily, Kreiss, Eva, Wcislo, William T., Warrant, Eric, and Dacke, Marie. 2011. "Nocturnal insects use optic flow for flight control." Biology Letters, 7, (4) 499–501. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.1205. 2011
- Berry, Richard P., Wcislo, William T., and Warrant, Eric J. 2011. "Ocellar adaptations for dim light vision in a nocturnal bee." Journal of Experimental Biology, 214, (8) 1283–1293. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.050427. 2011
- Kapheim, Karen M., Bernal, Sandra P., Smith, Adam R., Nonacs, Peter, and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "Support for maternal manipulation of developmental nutrition in a facultatively eusocial bee, Megalopta genalis (Halictidae)." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 65, (6) 1179–1190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-010-1131-9. 2011
- Seid, Marc A., Castillo, Armando, and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "The Allometry of Brain Miniaturization in Ants." Brain Behavior and Evolution, 77, (1) 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1159/000322530. 2011
- Quesada, Rosannette, Triana, Emilia, Vargas, Gloria, Douglass, John K., Seid, Marc A., Niven, Jeremy E., Eberhard, William G., and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "The allometry of CNS size and consequences of miniaturization in orb-weaving and cleptoparasitic spiders." Arthropod Structure & Development, 40, (6) 521–529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2011.07.002. 2011
- Kanzaki, Natsumi, Giblin-Davis, Robin M., Wcislo, William T., Zeng, Yongsan, Ye, Weimin, Center, Barbara J., Esquivel, Alejandro, and Thomas, W. Kelley. 2010. "Acrostichus megaloptae n. sp (Nematoda: Diplogastridae), a phoretic associate of Megalopta spp. (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Central America." Nematology, 12 453–468. https://doi.org/10.1163/138855409X12559479585089. 2010
- Douglass, John and Wcislo, William T. 2010. "An inexpensive and portable microvolumeter for rapid evaluation of biological samples." BioTechniques, 49, (2) 566–572. https://doi.org/10.2144/000113464. 2010
- Perez-Ortega, B., Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes, Loiacono, M., Galgani, Paola, and Wcislo, William T. 2010. "Biological notes on a fungus-growing ant, Trachymyrmex cf. zeteki (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Attini) attacked by a diverse community of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Diapriidae)." Insectes Sociaux, 57, (3) 317–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-010-0086-1. 2010
- Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes and Wcislo, William T. 2010. "Hormigas cultivadoras de hongos." Investigacion y Ciencia, 12–13. 2010
- Santos, Leandro M., Tierney, Simon M., and Wcislo, William T. 2010. "Nest descriptions of Megalopta aegis (Vachal) and M. guimaraesi Santos & Silveira (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado." Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 54, (2) 332–334. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0085-56262010000200018. 2010
- Smith, Adam R., Seid, Marc A., Jiménez, Lissette C., and Wcislo, William T. 2010. "Socially induced brain development in a facultatively eusocial sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Halictidae)." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277, (1691) 2157–2163. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0269. 2010
- Douglas, J. K., Tobin, W. F., and Wcislo, William T. 2009. "Abstract: A portable microvolumeter for studies of invertebrate brain-body scaling." Integrative and Comparative Biology, 49, (1) E–223. 2009
- Wcislo, William T. and Tierney, Simon M. 2009. "Behavioural environments and niche construction: the evolution of dim-light foraging in bees." Biological Reviews, 84, (1) 19–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2008.00059.x. 2009
- Kapheim, Karen M., Pollinger, John P., Wcislo, William T., and Wayne, Robert K. 2009. "Characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers for a facultatively eusocial sweat bee (Megalopta genalis)." Molecular Ecology Resources, 9, (6) 1527–1529. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02693.x. 2009
- Biani, Natalia B., Mueller, Ulrich G., and Wcislo, William T. 2009. "Cleaner mites: Sanitary mutualism in the miniature ecosystem of Neotropical bee nests." American Naturalist, 173, (6) 841–847. https://doi.org/10.1086/598497. 2009
- Riveros, Andre J., Hernández, Edgar J., and Wcislo, William T. 2009. "Nesting Biology of Euglossa dodsoni Moure (Hymenoptera: Euglossinae) in Panama." Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 82, (2) 210–214. https://doi.org/10.2317/JkES808.15.1. 2009
- Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes, Zimmerman, Jess K., Nash, David R., Boomsma, Jacobus J. Koos, and Wcislo, William T. 2009. "Reduced biological control and enhanced chemical pest management in the evolution of fungus farming in ants." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276, (1665) 2263–2269. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0184. 2009
- Smith, Adam R., Kapheim, Karen M., O'Donnell, Sean, and Wcislo, William T. 2009. "Social competition but not subfertility leads to a division of labour in the facultatively social sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)." Animal Behaviour, 78, (5) 1043–1050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.06.032. 2009
- Van Bael, Sunshine A., Fernández-Marín, Hermógenes, Valencia, Mariana C., Rojas, Enith I., Wcislo, William T., and Herre, Edward Allen. 2009. "Two fungal symbioses collide: endophytic fungi are not welcome in leaf-cutting ant gardens." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276, (1666) 2419–2426. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0196. 2009
- Tierney, Simon M., Gonzalez-Ojeda, Therany, and Wcislo, William T. 2008. "Biology of a nocturnal bee, Megalopta atra (Hymenoptera: Halictidae; Augochlorini), from the Panamanian highlands." Journal of Natural History, 42, (27-28) 1841–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930802109124. 2008
- Smith, Adam R., Wcislo, William T., and O'Donnell, S. 2008. "Body size shapes caste expression, and cleptoparasitism reduces body size in the facultatively eusocial bees Megalopta (Hymenoptera : Halictidae)." Journal of Insect Behavior, 21, (5) 394–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-008-9136-1. 2008
- Tierney, Simon M., Gonzalez-Ojeda, Therany, and Wcislo, William T. 2008. "Nesting biology and social behavior of Xenochlora bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) from Peru." Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 81, (1) 61–72. https://doi.org/10.2317/JKES-704.24.1. 2008
- Frederiksen, Rikard, Wcislo, William T., and Warrant, Eric J. 2008. "Visual reliability and information rate in the retina of a nocturnal bee." Current Biology, 18, (5) 349–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.01.057. 2008
- Greiner, Birgit, Cronin, Thomas M., Ribi, Willi A., Wcislo, William T., and Warrant, Eric J. 2007. "Anatomical and physiological evidence for polarisation vision in the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis." Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, 193, (6) 591–600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0214-1. 2007
- Fernandez-Marin, Hermogenes, Zimmerman, Jess K., and Wcislo, William T. 2007. "Fungus garden platforms improve hygiene during nest establishment in Acromyrmex ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Attini)." Insectes Sociaux, 54, (1) 64–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-007-0907-z. 2007
- Biani, Natalia B. and Wcislo, William T. 2007. "Notes on the reproductive morphology of the parasitic bee Megalopta byroni (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), and a tentative new host record." Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 80, (4) 392–394. 2007
- Capaldi, Elizabeth A., Flynn, Corey J., and Wcislo, William T. 2007. "Sex ratio and nest observations of Euglossa hyacinthina (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini)." Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 80, (4) 395–399. https://doi.org/10.2317/0022-8567(2007)80[395:SRANOO]2.0.CO;2. 2007
- Smith, Adam R., Wcislo, William T., and O'Donnell, Sean. 2007. "Survival and productivity benefits to social nesting in the sweat bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 61 1111–1120. 2007
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Chapter
- Eberhard, William G. and Wcislo, William T. 2011. "Grade Changes in Brain-Body Allometry: Morphological and Behavioural Correlates of Brain Size in Miniature Spiders, Insects and Other Invertebrates." In Spider Physiology and Behaviour. Casas, Jérome, editor. 155–214. Academic Press. 40 2011
- Wcislo, William T. and Tierney, Simon M. 2009. "The evolution of communal behavior in bees and wasps: an alternative to eusociality." In Organization of insect societies from genome to sociocomplexity. Gadau, J. and Fewell, J., editors. 148–169. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 2009
- Wcislo, William T. and Danforth, Bryan N. 2007. "Solitarios en segunda instancia: pérdida evolutiva del comportamiento social." In Ecología y evolución en los trópicos. Leigh, Egbert Giles, Jr., Herre, Edward Allen, Jackson, Jeremy B. C., and Santos-Granero, Fernando, editors. 259–268. Panama: Editora Nova Art. 2007
Contact
Location
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Department