D3165: The effects of age on socially isolated Camponotus floridanus

Following the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, there has been a greater emphasis on how social isolation impacts one's health. For several animals, social isolation and age have been identified as key risk factors for disease and mortality. Since eusocial insects have been found to be an excellent model for examining the impact of stresses like social isolation, ants were used for this study. Invertebrates, such as ants, have been seen to alter their nestmates' behavior, trophallaxis, grooming, and allogrooming, while also affecting feeding behaviors and fluctuating bioamine levels in their brain in response to social isolation. Effects of social isolation on bioamine levels and digestion in Camponotus floridanus ants were the subjects of this investigation. The primary purpose of our research is to understand how social isolation and age impact serotonin and octopamine levels, as well as how the digestive tract and behavior are affected in ants. We experimentally isolated ants in a controlled setting for seven days to observe how their behavior, bioamine levels, and digestive system altered. It was discovered that social isolation impacts behavior as well as increases serotonin and decreases octopamine levels in the brain. No changes within the digestive tract based on the ratio of crop versus midgut and concentration of dye were observed. Results based on age have not yet been determined. This research helps to better understand the effects of social isolation on social insects' behavior and health, which can shed light on how it affects humans since humans are social creatures.