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Ants, arachnids, web decorations, webs, other insects and more!

hormigas, arañas, redes, decoraciones, otros insectos y más!

My name is Dumas Gálvez, researcher based in Panama at the Coiba Scientific Stations and the Central American Program in Entomology (PCMENT) of the University of Panama, fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigación. We work on Ecology and Evolution of arachnids and ants, covering aspects of foraging strategies, defense against predators and pathogens, competition, among others. Moreover, we often work with diverse arthropods groups, mostly aimed at experimental biology and hypothesis testing. I am also interested in the coloration of invertebrates in general, functionality and mechanism of color production. Currently, we also work on the concept of ecology of fear, using agoutis and ocelots as a system. Finally, part of our work also deals with conservation issues as population trends of pollinators, cascading effects in ecosystems and roadkills.

About me

I graduated from a Master in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) in 2009 and then later I obtained in 2014 my PhD focused in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Do no hesitate to contact me (en Français, Italiano) or any lab member if you are interested in gaining research experience in a neotropical environment 

No dudes en contactarme  o algún miembro si tienes interés de ganar experiencia en investigación en el neotrópico

I am currently working on a project aimed at discovering the effects of forest perturbation on the immune competence of the neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum

Our lab works in multiple lines, mainly focused on experimental biology. Do not hesitate to contact us to find out about more project possibilities.

Current projects/proyectos actuales

[English below]

Especificidad del huésped, mimetismo químico y comportamiento de dispersión en arañas tejedoras de acacias (Eustala)

Las interacciones mutualistas han fascinado por décadas a científicos, y el mutualismo hormigas–planta, en el cual la planta ofrece alimento / refugio a cambio de protección por las hormigas es un ejemplo excepcional. En dicho mutualismo, otras especies animales pueden sacar provecho y cohabitar con ambas especies, sin ser detectados, el cual es el caso de las arañas Eustala que se encuentran en acacias (Vachellia), las cuales son habitadas por hormigas Pseudormyrmex. Empero, se desconoce los mecanismos por los cuales las arañas identifican y ubican las plantas hospederas, y cómo logran evitar ser atacadas por las hormigas. Nuestra hipótesis principal apunta hacia el uso de mimetismo químico por las arañas para no ser detectadas por las hormigas. Pensamos que las arañas utilizan pistas químicas producidas por las plantas para encontrarlas.

Este proyecto ya generó una publicación de revisión, cubriendo el tema de la interacción arañas tejedoras - plantas.

 

Host specificity, chemical mimicry and dispersal behavior in acacia orb weaver spiders (Eustala).

Mutualistic interactions have fascinated scientists for decades, and the ant-plant mutualism, in which the plant offers food/shelter in exchange for protection by the ants, is an exceptional example. In such mutualism, other animal species can take advantage and cohabit with both species, undetected, which is the case of Eustala spiders found in acacias (Vachellia), which are inhabited by Pseudormyrmex ants. However, the mechanisms by which spiders identify and locate host plants, and how they avoid being attacked by ants, are unknown. Our main hypothesis points to the use of chemical mimicry by spiders to avoid detection by ants. We think that spiders use chemical cues produced by plants to find them.

 

This project has already generated a review publication, covering the topic of weaver spider-plant interaction.

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[English below]
¿Todavía tienen miedo? Fisiología y comportamiento de presas que han perdido a sus depredadores: El caso del agutí de Coiba)

La "ecología del miedo" se refiere a los costos asociados con la evasión de depredación que pueden afectar a poblaciones y ecosistemas. La eliminación de depredadores para investigar la ecología del miedo no es práctica y lugares sin depredadores son escasos. Coiba ofrece una excelente oportunidad para probar hipótesis ecológicas y evolutivas sobre el miedo, dado que varios depredadores clave están ausentes. La relación depredador-presa entre ocelotes y agutíes (Dasyprocta spp.) es un excelente ejemplo.

Are they still afraid? Physiology and behavior of prey that have lost their predators: The case of the Coiba agouti.

The "ecology of fear" refers to the costs associated with predation avoidance that can affect populations and ecosystems. Predator removal to investigate the ecology of fear is impractical and predator-free sites are rare. Coiba offers an excellent opportunity to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about fear, given that several key predators are absent. The predator-prey relationship between ocelots and agoutis (Dasyprocta spp.) is an excellent example.

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Example of past projects
Alpaida, ontogenetic variation in coloration

En este proyecto investigamos como la variación ontogénica en  la coloración puede inducir el uso de diferentes estrategias de forrajeo en arañas Alpaida.

In this project, we investigate how ontogenetic variation in coloration may trigger the use of different foraging strategies in each ontogenetic stage of the Alpaida spiders.

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Scorpion fluorescence

Using an experimental approach, we investigate whether the fluorescence of scorpions may play a role in foraging. For this purpose, we used the endemic scorpion from Panama Centruroides granosus and the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) as the predator-prey model.

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Home: Project

Sit-and-wait predators dealing with dangerous prey

In this project we investigate how sit-and-wait predators deal with potentially dangerous prey, rooted on principles of optimal foraging theory 

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Publications

Home: CV

Sanguinetti-Scheck, JI & Gálvez, D. 2024. The Agoutis: a future model for ecologically relevant 

neuroscience and physiology in natura Ethology, in press.

 

Lanz-Mendoza, H., Gálvez D. & Contreras-Garduño, J. 2024. The plasticity of immune memory in invertebrates. Journal of Experimental Biology 227: jeb246158.

Bennet-Vaz, R., Arauz, G., Vega-Rovira, Y.A. & Gálvez, D. 2024. Ants vs crabs: competition over seeds on a tropical island ecosystem. Athropod – Plant Interactions, doi.org/10.1007/s11829-024-10055-

8.

Rincón D, Monge-Nájera J, Gálvez D, Roubik DW, Barranco W, Chancay J. & Añino Y. 2024

 Euglossini orchid bees in Panama: a state of the art review. Entomotropica, in press

 

Murcia-Moreno, D & Gálvez D. 2024.Preliminary checklist of spiders (Araneae) from Coiba National Park

Panama. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e117642.

Fuentes R, Castillo M, Moreno R, Quintero-Arrieta H, Pérez E, Aráuz J, Añino Y, Murcia-Moreno D, 

Valdés R, Bonilla B, Gálvez D. 2024.  Report of coloration anomalies in mammals from Panama

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 19: 333-345.

Añino, Y., Trujillo, J., De Sedas, A., Santos, A., Garrido, A. & Gálvez, D. 2024. Estimating the body size of orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) using the distance between their tegulae

European Journal of Entomology 121 : 37 – 39.

Gálvez, D., Molinar, M., Ramos, C. & Espino, C.I. 2024. A Test of Immune Priming in the Kissing Bug Rhodnius pallescens (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Against the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) in Panama. Journal of Entomological Science

doi.org/10.18474/JES23-43

Gálvez D. 2023. Ecology of fear: predator avoidance reduces seed dispersal in an ant. Royal Society Open Science 10: 230530.

Gálvez D., Bonilla, E & Vega, C. 2023. Scorpion venom and its adaptive role against pathogens: a case study in Centruroides granosus Thorell, 1876 and Escherichia coli. Frontiers in Arachnid Science 2: 1166039

Hesselberg, T., Boyd, K.M., Styrsky, J.D. &. Gálvez, D. 2023. Host Plant Specificity in Web-Building Spiders.Insects 13(3): 229.

Virola-V, B.S., Abrego, J., Castillo, D., Bonilla, E. & Gálvez, D.  2022. Who is working on ant physiology? There is room to improve international collaborations. Myrmecologial News 32: 115-125

Añino-Ramos, Y.J., Romero, E., Gálvez, D. 2022. Vertical stratification in orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini)?: A meta-analysis. Apidologie 53:26.

Gálvez D., Hernández, M. 2022. Ecology of fear and its effect on seed dispersal by a neotropical rodent. Behavioral Ecology. doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arac008

Gálvez D., Murcia-Moreno D., Añino Y., Ramos C. 2022. The Asian hemipteran Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood, 1837) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in a protected area in Panama. BioInvasions Records 11: 95 -100

Christopher, Y.Y., Aguilar, C., Gálvez, D., Wcislo, W.T., Gerardo, N., Fernández-Marín, H. 2021. Interactions among Escovopsis, antagonistic microfungi associated with the fungus-growing ant symbiosis. Journal of Fungi 7(12), 1007

 

Gálvez,D. 2021. Three-year monitoring of roadkill trend in a road adjacent to a national park in Panama Biotropica 53: 1270-1275 

Gálvez D, Nieto C & Samaniego, P. 2020. Test of the prey-attraction hypothesis for the scorpion fluorescence. Neotropical Biodiversity 6:1, 172-177.

Gálvez D, Añino Y, Vega C, Bonilla E. 2020.Immune priming against bacteria in spiders and scorpions? PeerJ 8:e9285

Vega-Hildago, A, Añino, Y., Krichilsky, E., Smith, A.R., Santos-Murgas, A & D. Gálvez. 2020 Decline of native bees (Apidae: Euglossa) in a tropical forest of Panama. Apidologie 51: 1038–1050

Gálvez, D., Garrido, M., Gil, F. & Fernández-Marín, H. 2020. Benefits of living underground: the case of parasite release in the antlion (Myrmeleon timidus). Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 168: 280-285.

Bonadies, E., Wcislo, W.T., Gálvez, D., Hughes, W.H.O., Fernández-Marín, H. 2019. Hygiene Defense Behaviors Used by a Fungus-Growing Ant Depend on the Fungal Pathogen Stages. Insects 2019, 10(5), 130

Añino, Y., Parra-H, A and Gálvez, D. Sociobiology. 2019. Are Orchid Bees (Apidae: Euglossini) Good Indicators of the State of Conservation of Neotropical Forests? Sociobiology 66(1): 194-197  

 Gálvez, D. 2019. Predation of a Rock pigeon by a Yellow-headed caracara in a suburban area in Panama. Journal of Raptor Research. 1: 109-110

Gálvez, D., Añino, Y. & De la O, JM. 2018. Age variation in the body coloration of the orb-weaver spider Alpaida tuonabo and its implications on foraging. Scientific Reports 8:3599

Gálvez, D. 2017. Luring prey to the web: The case of Argiope and Nephila . Animal Biology 67: 149–156

Gálvez, D. 2017. Argiope submaronica (Araneidae) Silk Decoration Does Not Reduce Web Damage by Birds. Journal of Entomological Science 52: 301- 303

Gálvez, D. & Chapuisat, M. 2014. Immune priming and pathogen resistance in ant queensEcology and Evolution 4: 1761-1767t queens

Gálvez, D. 2011. Web decoration of Micrathena sexspinosa (Araneae: Araneidae): a frame-web-choice experiment with stingless bees. Journal of Arachnology 39: 128-132.

Gálvez, D. 2011. Digestibility of palm seeds and bruchids larvae by Neotropical rodentsAnimal Biology 61: 21-27.

Gálvez, D., Kranstauber, B.; Kays, R. W. & P. A. Jansen. 2009. Scatter hoarding by the Central American agouti: a test of optimal cache spacing theoryAnimal Behaviour 78: 1327-1333.

Gálvez, D. 2009. Frame-web-choice experiments with stingless bees support the prey-attraction hypothesis for silkdecorations in Argiope savignyi. Journal of Arachnology 37:249–253

Gálvez, D. & Jansen, P. A. 2007. Bruchid beetle infestation and the value of Attalea butyracea endocarps for neotropical rodentsJournal of tropical Ecology 23: 381-384.

Science Outreach

New Scientist: How a rodent’s fear of cats shapes rainforests in Panama

Smithsonian Magazine: Digging Up Knowledge from Tropical Forest Floors

National Geographic:  Ant Queens Boost Their Immune System With Sex

Mundo Artrópodo: Argiopes y el arte de sus decoraciones

In the media

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24heures.ch: Un chercheur panaméen confiné avec ses fourmis

 

swissinfo.ch

 

Ñeques, ants and arachnids

Scientists get creative to carry on research during pandemic: Phys.orgABCnews, Yahoo 

Roadkill: Understanding wildlife vulnerability to road networks

EcoAmericas: In this case, ants in the bathroom not a bad thing

Home: Portfolio

Photos & Videos

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Current Lab Members

PhD 
Yostin Añino  studies the effects of landscape structure and fragmentation on euglossini bees as part of his doctorate studies at DOCINADE

Masters

Darwin Díaz is interested on understanding the defensive benefits that ants might provide to acacia spiders against predators

 

Undergraduate

Roderick Valdés works on the ecology of acacia spiders (Eustala) and how they find their 'host' plant

Reynaldo Carrera works on phylogenetics of Eustala spiders

Denise Mendoza is interested on the phylogenetics of agoutis in Panama.

Arturo López works on the genetic structure of orchid bees in Panama

 

Sayith Padilla works on arboreality in scorpions

Braulio Bonilla investigates how isolation from predators influences the foraging behavior of neotropical rodents

 

Eleodoro Bonilla and Carlos Vega work on immunity of arachnids, particularly defense against fungi and bacteria, as part of volunteer work at the University of Panama. Eleodoro is looking at ecological and evolutionary aspects of scorpion venoms.

Past Lab Members

Adolfo Alba performed a meta-analysis on immune defenses in insects as part of his undergraduate research work 

Marisol  Hernández worked on her thesis on the effects of ocelots' density on the seed dispersal behavior of agouties.

Brenda Virola studied the effects on environmental perturbation on the morphology of sexual individuals of the ant Ectatomma         ruidum              

Milexi Molinar worked on the effect of endosymbionts in the immune response of the kissing bug Rhodnius pallescens                     (Chagas disease vector) agains pathogenic fungi.

Paola Samaniego & Carolina Nieto focused their thesis work on scorpions strategies to increase foraging 

         success, as part of their graduation work for the undergraduate in Biology.

Milagros Garrido & Fermín Gil worked their thesis on foraging strategies by sit-and-wait predators against 'dangerous' prey, 

          as part of their graduation work for the undergraduate in Biology.

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