Bruner-Montero Lab

Research

Our lab studies insect–microbe symbioses as living windows into fundamental questions in ecology and evolution. Much of our work focuses on fungus-growing ants, especially the attine ant system, where the ant host, its cultivated fungal crop, antibiotic-producing bacterial symbionts, the broader colony microbiome, and specialized fungal pathogens interact within a complex and dynamic symbiotic network.

By studying this system across environmental and evolutionary gradients, we ask how symbioses are assembled, maintained, and disrupted, and how hosts navigate the constant challenge of protecting mutualists while suppressing parasites. While attine ants are a central model in our research, our broader goal is to use diverse insect–microbe associations to understand the ecological and evolutionary forces that shape symbiotic life.

Microbial Symbiosis & Insect Ecology

Exploring the diversity and function of microbial symbionts associated with insects. This work examines how microbial partners shape host ecology, behavior, and evolutionary trajectories — and how mutualistic associations are established, maintained, and lost across environmental gradients. A central focus is the effect of geographic isolation on the microbiomes of attine (fungus-growing) ants across Panamá, where insular and continental populations offer a natural experiment in symbiont biogeography.

Behavioral Ecology of Host–Microbe Interactions

Examining how insect behavior mediates interactions with symbionts and pathogens. The laboratory studies behavioral responses such as grooming, allogrooming, aggression, and avoidance — and how these strategies shape infection dynamics, transmission within social groups, and the long-term stability of beneficial symbioses. Social insects, with their dense colonies and elaborate hygienic behaviors, offer a particularly rich system for these questions.

Evolutionary Adaptation in Fungus-Farming Ants

We investigate how the transition to fungal agriculture has shaped worker morphology and biomechanical performance across attine ants. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we ask whether the repeated evolution of agricultural complexity has driven convergent shifts in the allometric relationship between worker body size and load-carrying capacity. By mapping performance traits onto the attine phylogeny, we aim to pinpoint when and how many times enhanced biomechanical capacity evolved in concert with fungal cultivation — revealing whether agriculture acts as a consistent selective pressure reshaping ant morphology across independent lineages.

Thermal Ecology of Symbiosis

Symbioses are shaped not only by who interacts with whom, but also by the temperatures under which those interactions occur. Our lab investigates how rising temperatures affect the stability of insect–microbe associations, with a focus on the attine ant system. We examine how thermal stress influences ant behaviour, fungal garden performance, the colony microbiome, antibiotic-producing bacterial symbionts, and specialized fungal pathogens such as Escovopsis. Through this work, we ask whether colonies can maintain symbiotic balance under warming conditions, or whether thermal stress drives microbial dysbiosis, pathogen emergence, and the breakdown of mutualistic networks.

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