Selected publications:

 

2025

SILVA, L. H. B.; GOES, A. C.; RODRIGUES, A.; FOURCASSIE, V.; MCMAHON, D.; HAIFIG, I. Social immune response reflects infection progression in a soldierless termite. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, v. 79, p. 11.

 

2024

SCHULTZ, T.; SOSA-CALVO, J.; KWESKIN, M. P.; LLOYD, M. W.; DENTINGER, B.; KOOIJ, P. W.; VELLINGA, E. C.; REHNER, S. A.; RODRIGUES, A. et al. The coevolution of fungus-ant agriculture. Science, v. 386, p. 105-110.

 

GOES, A. C.; KOOIJ, P. W. ; HAIFIG, I.; BUENO, O. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Exploring immune memory traits in the social immunity of a fungus-growing ant. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, v. 291, p. 20241097.

KOOIJ, P.; SULASTRI, M. P.; RODRIGUES, A.; GAYA, E. Disentangling the basidiomycete family Agaricaceae. Mycological Progress, v. 23, p. 75.

 

BARCOTO, M. O.; SILVA, R. A. P.; KITAJIMA, E. W.; RODRIGUES, A. Microbiota of attine ants' gardens: visualizing a microbial landscape by scanning electron microscopy. JoVE - Journal of Visualized Experiments, p. e67334.

 

BERASATEGUI, A.; SALEM, H.; MOLLER, A. G.; CHRISTOPHER, Y.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; CONN, C.; READ, T. D.; RODRIGUES, A.; ZIEMERT, N.; GERARDO, N. M. Genomic insights into the evolution of secondary metabolism of Escovopsis and its allies, specialized fungal symbionts of fungus-farming ants. mSystems, v. 9, p. 7.

 

OLIVEIRA, K. B.; GOES, A. C.; SILVA, A. D.; VIEIRA, P. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungal cultivars of higher attine antspromote Escovopsis chemotropism. Current Microbiology, v. 81, p. 37.

 

2023

MONTOYA, Q. V. ; MARTIARENA, M. J. S. ; RODRIGUES, A. . Taxonomy and systematics of the fungus-growing ant associate Escovopsis (Hypocreaceae). Studies in Mycology, v. 106, p. 349-397.

 

RODRIGUES, A.; JOHNSON, A. J.; JOSEPH, R. A.; LI, Y.; KEYHANI, N. O.; STANLEY, E. L.; WEISS, B.; KALTENPOTH, M.; SMITH, M. E.; HULCR, J. Fungal symbiont community and absence of detectable mycangia in invasive Euplatypus ambrosia beetles. Symbiosis, v. 90, p. 305-319.

 

URREA-VALENCIA, S.; BIZARRIA JR, R.; KOOIJ, P.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; RODRIGUES, A. Unraveling fungal species cultivated by lower attine ants. Mycological Progress, v. 22, p. 66.

 

BIZARRIA JR, R.; PIETROBON, T. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Uncovering the yeast communities in fungus-growing ant colonies. Microbial Ecology, v. 86, p. 624-635.

 

BIZARRIA JR, R.; PIETROBON, T. C.; FERREIRA, H.; RODRIGUES, A. Polymorphisms of rDNA genes in yeast suggest birth and death evolution events. FEMS Yeast Research, v. 23, p. foad032.

 

MARTIARENA, M. J. S.; DEVEAU, A.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; FLOREZ, L. V.; RODRIGUES, A. The hyphosphere of leaf-cutting ant cultivars Is enriched with helper bacteria. Microbial Ecology, accepted.

 

BAUTZ, K. R.; CAIXETA, M. C. S.; PUPPO, N. P. D.; RODRIGUES, A.; KLOSS, T. G.; ELLIOT, S. L. Limited impacts of the fungus Syncephalastrum on nests of leaf-cutting ants. Fungal Ecology, v. 62, p. 101198.

 

2022

BARCOTO, M. O.; RODRIGUES, A. Lessons from insect fungiculture: from microbial ecology to plastics degradation. Frontiers in Microbiology, v. 13, p. 812143.

 

GOES, A. C.; KOOIJ, P. W.; CULOT, L.; BUENO, O. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Distinct and enhanced hygienic responses of a leaf-cutting ant toward repeated fungi exposures. Ecology and Evolution, v. 12, e9112.

 

JANKE, R.; KAFTAN, F.; NIEHS, S.; SCHERLACH, K.; RODRIGUES, A.; SVATOS, A.; HERTWECK, C.; KALTENPOTH, M.; FLOREZ, L. V. Bacterial ectosymbionts in cuticular organs chemically protect a beetle during molting stages. ISME Journal, v. 16, p. 2691-2701.

 

PIETROBON, T. C.; KOOIJ, P. ; MONTOYA, Q. V. ; RODRIGUES, A. Escovopsioides nivea is a non-specific antagonistic symbiont of ant-fungal crops. Fungal Ecology, v. 56, p. 101140.

 

BIZARRIA, R.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Yeasts in the attine ant-fungus mutualism: Diversity, functional roles, and putative biotechnological applications. Yeast, v. 39, p. 25-39.

 

GIRALDO, C.; CHAVES-LÓPEZ, C.; TOFALO, R.; ANGRISANI, R.; RODRIGUES, A.; MONTOYA-LERMA, J. Yeasts associated with the worker caste of the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes under experimental conditions in Colombia. Archives of Microbiology, v. 204, p. 284.

 

2021

MONTOYA, Q. V.; MARTIARENA, M. J. S.; BIZARRIA, R.; GERARDO, N. M.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungi inhabiting attine ant colonies: reassessment of the genus Escovopsis and description of Luteomyces and Sympodiorosea gens. nov. IMA Fungus, v. 12, 23.

 

JIMÉNEZ-GÓMEZ, I.; BARCOTO, M. O.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; GOES, A. C., MONTEIRO, L. S. V. E.; BUENO, O. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Host susceptibility modulates Escovopsis pathogenic potential in the fungiculture of higher attine ants. Frontiers in Microbiology, v. 12, 673444.

 

ARAB, A.; MOREIRA, E. A.; PERSINOTI, G.; MENEZES, L.; PAIXAO, D. A.; ALVAREZ, T.; CAIRO, J. P. L. F.; SQUINA, F. M.; COSTA-LEONARDO, A. M.; RODRIGUES, A.; SILLAM-DUSSES, D. Complementary contribution of fungi and bacteria to lignocellulose digestion in the food stored by a neotropical higher termite. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, v. 9, p. 632590.

 

2020

BARCOTO, M. O.; CARLOS-SHANLEY, C. ; FAN, H.; FERRO, M.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; BACCI, M.; CURRIE, C. R.; RODRIGUES A. Fungus-growing insects host a distinctive microbiota apparently adapted to the fungiculture environment. Scientific Reports, v. 10, p. 12384, 2020.

 

BIZARRIA, R. JR.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; RODRIGUES, A. Lack of fungal cultivar fidelity and low virulence of Escovopsis trichodermoides. Fungal Ecology, v. 45, 100944.

 

GOES, A. C.; BARCOTO, M. O.; KOOIJ, P.; BUENO, O. C.; RODRIGUES, A. How do leaf-cutting ants recognize antagonistic microbes in their fungal crops? Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, v. 8, p. 95.

 

2019

MONTOYA, Q. V.; SUTTA MARTIARENA, M. J.; POLEZEL, D. A.; KAKAZU, S.; RODRIGUES, A. More pieces to a huge puzzle: Two new Escovopsis species from fungus gardens of attine ants. MycoKeys, v. 46, p. 97-118.

 

CUSTODIO, B. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Escovopsis kreiselii specialization to its native hosts in the fungiculture of the lower attine ant Mycetophylax morschi. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 112, p. 305-317.

 

SOLOMON, S. E. ; SOSA-CALVO, J.; LOPES, C. T.; RODRIGUES, A.; VASCONCELOS, H. L.; BACCI JR, M.; RABELING, C. ; MUELLER, U. G.; SCHULTZ, T. R. The molecular phylogenetics of Trachymyrmex Forel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of `higher attine’ ant agriculture. Systematic Entomology, v. 44, p. 939-956.

 

LACERDA, L. T.; GUSMAO, L. F. P.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungal communities in different aged leaves of Eucalyptus microcorys F. Muell. Brazilian Journal of Botany, v. 42, p. 499-508.

 

2018

OSTI, J. F.; RODRIGUES, A. Escovopsioides as a fungal antagonist of the fungus cultivated by leafcutter ants. BMC Microbiology, v. 18, p. 130.

 

FLÓREZ, L. V.; SCHERLACH, K.; MILLER, I. J.; RODRIGUES, A.; KWAN, J. C.; HERTWECK, C.; KALTENPOTH, M. An antifungal polyketide associated with horizontally acquired genes supports symbiont-mediated defense in Lagria villosa beetles. Nature Communications, v. 9, p. 2478.

 

BIZARRIA, R.; MOIA, I. C.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; POLEZEL, D. A.; RODRIGUES, A. Soluble compounds of filamentous fungi harm the symbiotic fungus of leafcutter ants. Current Microbiology, v. 75, p. 1602-1608.

 

LACERDA, L. T.; GUSMAO, L. F. P.; RODRIGUES, A. Diversity of endophytic fungi in Eucalyptus microcorys assessed by complementary isolation methods. Mycological Progress, v. 17, p. 719-727.

 

OLIVEIRA, T. B.; GOSTINCAR, C.; GUNDE-CIMERMAN, N.; RODRIGUES, A. Genome mining for peptidases in heat-tolerant and mesophilic fungi and putative adaptations for thermostability. BMC Genomics, v. 19, p. 152. 

 

CORREIA, A. M. L.; LIRA, S. P.; ASSIS, M. A.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungal endophyte communities in Begonia species from the Brazilian atlantic rainforest. Current Microbiology, v. 75, p. 441-449.

 

DUARTE, A. W. F. et al. Cold-adapted enzymes produced by fungi from terrestrial and marine Antarctic environments. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, v. 38, p. 600-619.

 

2017

FLÓREZ, L. V.; SCHERLACH, K.; GAUBE, P.; ROSS, C.; SITTE, E.; HERMES, C.; RODRIGUES, A.; HERTWECK, C.; KALTENPOTH, M. Antibiotic-producing symbionts dynamically transition between plant pathogenicity and insect-defensive mutualism. Nature Communications, v. 8, p. 15172.

 

BARCOTO, M. O.; PEDROSA, F.; BUENO, O. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Pathogenic nature of Syncephalastrum in Atta sexdens rubropilosa colonies. Pest Management Science, v. 73, p. 999-1009.

 

VARANDA-HAIFIG, S. S.; ALBARICI, T. R.; NUNES, P. H.; HAIFIG, I.; VIEIRA, P. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Nature of the interactions between hypocrealean fungi and the mutualistic fungus of leaf-cutter ants. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, v. 110, p. 593-605.

 

MUELLER, U. G. et al. Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants. Molecular Ecology, v. 26, p. 6921-6937.

 

2016

MONTOYA, Q. V.; MEIRELLES, L. A.; CHAVERRI, P. ; RODRIGUES, A. Unraveling Trichoderma species in the attine ant environment: description of three new taxa. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, v. 109, p. 633-651.

 

MEIRELLES, L. A.; MCFREDERICK, Q. S.; RODRIGUES, A.; MANTOVANI, J.; RODOVALHO, C. M.; FERREIRA, H.; BACCI JR., M.; MUELLER, U. G. Bacterial microbiomes from vertically-transmitted fungal inocula of the leaf-cutting ant Atta texana. Environmental Microbiology Reports, v. 8, p. 630-640.

 

PEREIRA, J. S.; COSTA, R. R.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; FORTI, L. C.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Comparative analysis of fungal communities in colonies of two leaf-cutting ant species with different substratum preferences. Fungal Ecology, v. 21, p. 68-75.

 

DUARTE, A. P. M.; FERRO, M.; RODRIGUES, A.; BACCI, M. JR.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; FORTI, L. C.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Prevalence of the genus Cladosporium on the integument of leaf-cutting ants characterized by 454 pyrosequencing. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 109, p. 1235-1243.

 

DE BEER, Z. W.; MARINCOWITZ, S.; DUONG, T. A.; KIM, J. J.; RODRIGUES, A.; WINGFIELD, M. J. Hawksworthiomyces gen. nov. (Ophiostomatales), illustrates the urgency for a decision on how to name novel taxa known only from environmental nucleic acid sequences (ENAS). Fungal Biology, v. 120, p. 1323-1340. 

 

OLIVEIRA, T. B.; LOPES, V. C. P.; BARBOSA, F. N. ; FERRO, M.; MEIRELLES, L. A.; SETTE, L. D.; GOMES, E.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungal communities in pressmud composting harbour beneficial and detrimental fungi for human welfare. Microbiology, v. 162, p. 1142-1156.

​

2015

MEIRELLES, L. A.; MONTOYA, Q. V.; SOLOMON, S. E.; RODRIGUES, A. New light on the systematics of fungi associated with attine ant gardens and the description of Escovopsis kreiselii sp. nov. Plos One, v. 10, p. e0112067.

 

MEIRELLES, L. A.; SOLOMON, S. E.; BACCI, M.; WRIGHT, A. M.; MUELLER, U. G.; RODRIGUES, A. Shared Escovopsis parasites between leaf-cutting and non-leaf-cutting ants in the higher attine fungus-growing ant symbiosis. Royal Society Open Science, v. 2, p. 150257.

 

OLIVEIRA, T. B.; GOMES, E.; RODRIGUES, A. Thermophilic fungi in the new age of fungal taxonomy. Extremophiles, v. 19, p. 31-37.

 

EVANGELISTA, D. E.; PAULA, F. F. P.; RODRIGUES, A.; SILVA, F. H. Pectinases From Sphenophorus levis Vaurie, 1978 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Putative Accessory Digestive Enzymes. Journal of Insect Science, v. 15, p. 5-5. 

 

MASIULIONIS, V. E.; CABELLO, MARTA N.; SEIFERT, K. A.; RODRIGUES, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Escovopsis trichodermoides sp. nov., isolated from a nest of the lower attine ant Mycocepurus goeldii. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 107, p. 731-740. 

 

MOREIRA, S. M.; RODRIGUES, A.; FORTI, L. C.; NAGAMOTO, N. S. Absence of the parasite Escovopsis in fungus garden pellets carried by gynes of Atta sexdens. Sociobiology, v. 62, p. 34-38.

 

REIS, B. M. S.; SILVA, A.; ALVAREZ, M. R. V.; OLIVEIRA, T. B.; RODRIGUES, A. Fungal communities in gardens of the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes in forest and cabruca agrosystems of southern Bahia State (Brazil). Fungal Biology, p. 1170-1178. 

 

2014

ARCURI, S. L.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; MELO, W. G. P.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; KOMURA, D. L.; RODRIGUES, A. Yeasts found on an ephemeral reproductive caste of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 106, p. 475-487. 

 

RODRIGUES, A; PASSARINI, M. R. Z. ; FERRO, M.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; FORTI, L. C. ; BACCI, M.; SETTE, L. D.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Fungal communities in the garden chamber soils of leaf-cutting ants. Journal of Basic Microbiology, v. 54, p. 1186-1196. 

 

MEIRELLES, L. A.; MENDES, T. D.; SOLOMON, S. E.; BUENO, O. C.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; RODRIGUES, A. Broad Escovopsis -inhibition activity of Pseudonocardia associated witH Trachymyrmex ants. Environmental Microbiology Reports, v. 6, p. 339-345. ​

 

MELO, W. G. P.; ARCURI, S. L.; RODRIGUES, A.; MORAIS, P. B.; MEIRELLES, L. A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Starmerella aceti f.a., sp. nov., an ascomycetous yeast species isolated from fungus garden of the leafcutter ant Acromyrmex balzani. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, v. 64, p. 1428-1433. 

 

2013

MENDES, T. D. ; BORGES, W. S.; RODRIGUES, A.; SOLOMON, S. E.; VIEIRA, P. C. ; DUARTE, M. C. T. ; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Anti-Candida properties of Urauchimycins from Actinobacteria associated with Trachymyrmex ants. BIOMED Research International, v. 2013, p. 1-8.

 

BACCI, M.; BUENO, O, C.; RODRIGUES, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; SOMERA, A. F.; SILVA, A. A metabolic pathway assembled by enzyme selection may support herbivory of leaf-cutter ants on plant starch. Journal of Insect Physiology, v. 59, p. 525-531. 

 

2012

PAGNOCCA, F. C.; MASIULIONIS, V. E.; RODRIGUES, A. Specialized fungal parasites and opportunistic fungi in gardens of attine ants. Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, v. 2012, p. 1-9.

 

2011

SOLOMON, S. E.; LOPES, C. T.; MUELLER, U. G.; RODRIGUES, A.; SOSA-CALVO, J.; SCHULTZ, T. R.  VASCONCELOS, H. Nesting biology and fungiculture of the fungus-growing ant Mycetagroicus cerradensis: new light on the origin of higher attine agriculture. Journal of Insect Science, v. 11, p. 1-14. 

 

RODRIGUES, A.; MUELLER, U. G.; ISHAK, H. D.; BACCI, M.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Ecology of microfungal communities in gardens of fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a year-long survey of three species of attine ants in Central Texas. FEMS Microbiology, Ecology, v. 78, p. 244-255. 

 

2010

PAGNOCCA, F. C.; LEGASPE, M. F. C.; RODRIGUES, A.; RUIVO, C. C. C.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; BACCI, M. ; FORTI, L. C. Yeasts isolated from a fungus-growing ant nest, including the description of Trichosporon chiarellii sp. nov., an anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, v. 60, p. 1454-1459. 

 

MUELLER, U. G.; SCOTT, J. J. ; ISHAK, H. D.; COOPER, M.; RODRIGUES, A. Monoculture of leafcutter ant gardens. Plos One, v. 5, p. e12668.

 

2009

RODRIGUES, A.; CABLE, R. N.; MUELLER, U. G.; BACCi, M.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Antagonistic interactions between garden yeasts and microfungal garden pathogens of leaf-cutting ants. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 96, p. 331-342. 

 

2008

RODRIGUES, A.; BACCI JR., M.; MUELLER, U. G.; ORTIZ, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. Microfungal weeds in the leafcutter ant symbiosis. Microbial Ecology, v. 56, p. 604-614. 

 

PAGNOCCA, F. C.; RODRIGUES, A.; NAGAMOTO, N. S.; BACCI JR., M. Yeasts and filamentous fungi carried by the gynes of leaf-cutting ants. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, v. 94, p. 517-526. 

 

MUELLER, U. G.; DASH, D.; RABELING, C.; RODRIGUES, A. COEVOLUTION BETWEEN ATTINE ANTS AND ACTINOMYCETE BACTERIA: A REEVALUATION. Evolution, p. 2894-2912. 

 

2006

SILVA, A.; RODRIGUES, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C.; BUENO, O. C.; BACCI, M. Susceptibility of the ant-cultivated fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus (Agaricales: Basidiomycota) towards microfungi. Mycopathologia, v. 162, p. 115-119.

 

2005

RODRIGUES, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. ; BUENO, O. C. ; PFENNING, L. H. ; BACCI JR., M. . Assessment of microfungi in fungus gardens free of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology, v. 46, n.2, p. 329-334. 

 

RODRIGUES, A.; PAGNOCCA, F. C. ; BACCI JR., M. ; HEBLING, M. J. A. ; BUENO, O. C. ; PFENNING, L. H. . Variability of non-mutualistic filamentous fungi associated with Atta sexdens rubropilosa nests. Folia Microbiologica, v. 50, p. 421-425.