1
|
Palaoro AV, Peixoto PEC. The hidden links between animal weapons, fighting style, and their effect on contest success: a meta‐analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1948-1966. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre V. Palaoro
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Paulo Rua Prof. Artur Riedel 66 Diadema São Paulo State 99722‐270 Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade de São Paulo Rua do Matão Trav. 14 São Paulo São Paulo State 05508‐090 Brazil
- Department of Material Sciences and Engineering Clemson University 490 Sirrine Hall, 515 Calhoun Dr Clemson SC 29634 USA
| | - Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- LASEXIA, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Av. Antônio Carlos 6627 Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais State 31270‐901 Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mardiné E, Peretti A, Albín A, Oviedo-Diego M, Aisenberg A. Size matters: Antagonistic effects of body size on courtship and digging in a wolf spider with non-traditional sex roles. Behav Processes 2021; 194:104547. [PMID: 34822941 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Body size, nuptial gift characteristics and courtship behaviour, among other traits, can reflect the quality of a potential mate and, thus, might be under sexual selection. To maximize their mating success, individuals can show behavioural plasticity in sexual context. Allocosa senex is a burrow-digging wolf spider that exhibits reversal in courtship roles and in sexual size-dimorphism expected for spiders. Males construct the mating refuge and females prefer males that build longer burrows, which are considered as nuptial gifts because they are delivered to them after mating. This study aims to determine whether male body size and female reproductive status influence burrow dimensions, courtship displays, female preferences and cannibalism rate in A. senex. For that purpose, we allowed males to construct burrows and performed sexual trials under laboratory conditions. Larger males were more courted by females, and in turn, they expressed more vibratory behaviours during courtship. However, and contrary to our expectations, smaller males constructed longer burrows. We suggest that males of A. senex exhibit size-dependent behavioural plasticity, and when they are smaller, they invest more in burrow construction to compensate their lower opportunities of courting intensively as larger males. In addition, females courted differentially according to their reproductive status, overriding male preferences for virgin females. This study opens several doors to future research regarding mutual choice in A. senex and the traits assessed by males and females during courtship, as well as about the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors shaping reproductive decision-making in this and other wandering spider species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Mardiné
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Alfredo Peretti
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - CONICET, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 (C.P. 5000), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea Albín
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Mariela Oviedo-Diego
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - CONICET, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 (C.P. 5000), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Anita Aisenberg
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Allen ER, Weir LK. Does recent experience affect large male advantage in a sequentially-mating fish? BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In many mating systems, large male body size is associated with dominance in direct contests with rivals and females may exhibit preference for larger males. As such, body size is often positively associated with mating success. However, mating experience can influence the potential advantage of large body size through alterations in behaviour and depletion of sperm reserves. In Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), males mate with many females each day, and larger males mate more frequently than smaller males. In an observational experiment, we tested the following alternate predictions: (1) recent mating experience may enhance mating success through a carry-over effect of prior mating, whereby small experienced males gain an advantage over large inexperienced rivals in mating contests; or (2) recent mating experience decreases mating success through a reduction in fertilization due to sperm limitation, effectively dampening the large-male advantage against a small inexperienced rival. We examined the interactive effect of size and recent experience on mating behaviour and success. While mating contests were monopolized by large males, recent experience enhanced mating success, especially in small male winners. Experienced males courted more readily than those without recent experience, suggesting that recent prior mating enhances this behaviour. Furthermore, males who had copulated recently did not exhibit sperm depletion when in the presence of a competitor, nor did female behaviour indicate a preference for inexperienced males. This suggests that males can use sexual experience to increase their reproductive success in future mating situations, which may influence the action of sexual selection and alternative tactics in shaping mating systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily R. Allen
- Biology Department, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Laura K. Weir
- Biology Department, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mair MM, Ruther J. Chemical Ecology of the Parasitoid Wasp Genus Nasonia (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
|
5
|
Mair MM, Ruther J. Territoriality and behavioural strategies at the natal host patch differ in two microsympatric Nasonia species. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
6
|
King BH, Burgess ER, Colyott KL. Sexual Size and Shape Dimorphism in Three Species of Parasitoid Wasps with Burrowing Females: Spalangia endius, Spalangia nigroaenea, and Spalangia nigra (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2018; 18:5139635. [PMID: 30346619 PMCID: PMC6195415 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The parasitoid wasps Spalangia endius Walker, Spalangia nigroaenea Curtis, and Spalangia nigra Latrielle (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) develop on filth fly pupae. Females burrow through decaying organic matter and parasitize hosts; whereas, at least in S. endius, males tend to stay above ground searching for mates. Both sexes lack obvious digging morphology such as enlarged forelegs and are not known to exhibit physical aggression. Size data were obtained from specimens from Illinois field-collected hosts for all three species and from a Florida laboratory colony for S. endius. The degree of sexual size dimorphism varied with body part and species, but the direction of bias was consistent between the field and laboratory specimens of S. endius. Females had wider abdomens in S. nigroaenea and S. nigra (not measured in S. endius). In all three species, females had longer heads than males, both in absolute size and relative to width. The latter is referred to as narrowness. Forewings were significantly narrower in females compared with in males for both S. endius and S. nigroaenea. Thorax narrowness was either greater in males (S. endius) or was not significantly different between the sexes (S. nigroaenea and S. nigra). Patterns of sexual size dimorphism seem consistent with females' need to store eggs and burrow. For all three species, there was overlap between males and females in all body parts measured. Thus, these size measurements will be unreliable to differentiate the sexes. Size ratios also overlapped.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B H King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
| | - Edwin R Burgess
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
| | - Kaila L Colyott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Increased pheromone signaling by small male sea lamprey has distinct effects on female mate search and courtship. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
8
|
Olivero PA, Mattoni CI, Peretti AV. Differences in mating behavior between two allopatric populations of a Neotropical scorpion. ZOOLOGY 2017; 123:71-78. [PMID: 28811167 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Courtship and mating behavior generally evolve rapidly in diverging populations and species. The adaptation to different environments may cause behavioral divergence in characteristics involved in mate choice. Our objective in this study was to compare the sexual behavior of two distant populations of the scorpion Bothriurus bonariensis. This species has a broad distribution in South America, inhabiting Central Argentina, Uruguay and south-eastern Brazil. It is known that in this species there is a divergence in morphological patterns (body size, coloration, allometry and fluctuating asymmetry indexes) among distant populations. Considering the differences in environmental conditions between localities, we compare the sexual behavior in intra-population and inter-population matings from Central Argentina and southern Uruguay populations. We found significant differences in mating patterns, including differences in the frequency and duration of important stimulatory courtship behaviors. In addition, most inter-population matings were unsuccessful. In this framework, the differences in reproductive behavior could indicate reproductive isolation between these populations, which coincides with their already known morphological differences. This is the first study comparing the sexual behavior of allopatric populations of scorpions; it provides new data about the degree of intraspecific geographical divergence in the sexual behavior of B. bonariensis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola A Olivero
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET-UNC and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Camilo I Mattoni
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET-UNC and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alfredo V Peretti
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET-UNC and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, CP X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Avila GA, Withers TM, Holwell GI. Courtship and mating behaviour in the parasitoid wasp Cotesia urabae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): mate location and the influence of competition and body size on male mating success. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2017; 107:439-447. [PMID: 27974053 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485316001127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cotesia urabae is a solitary larval endoparasitoid that was introduced into New Zealand in 2011 as a classical biological control agent against Uraba lugens. A detailed knowledge of its reproductive biology is required to optimize mass rearing efficiency. In this study, the courtship and mating behaviour of C. urabae is described and investigated from a series of experiments, conducted to understand the factors that influence male mating success. Cotesia urabae males exhibited a high attraction to virgin females but not mated females, whereas females showed no attraction to either virgin or mated males. Male mating success was highest in the presence of a male competitor. Also, the time to mate was shorter and copulation duration was longer when a male competitor was present. Larger male C. urabae had greater mating success than smaller males when paired together with a single female. This knowledge can now be utilized to improve mass rearing methods of C. urabae for the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G A Avila
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited,Mt Albert,Private Bag 92169,Auckland 1142,New Zealand
| | | | - G I Holwell
- School of Biological Sciences,The University of Auckland,Private Bag 92019,Auckland 1142,New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Campos SM, Strauss C, Martins EP. In Space and Time: Territorial Animals are Attracted to Conspecific Chemical Cues. Ethology 2017; 123:136-144. [PMID: 28413237 PMCID: PMC5390687 DOI: 10.1111/eth.12582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Territorial animals lay scent marks around their territories to broadcast their presence, but these olfactory signals can both attract and repel con-specifics. Attraction or aversion can have a profound impact in terms of space use and thereby influence an individual's access to resources and mates. Here, we test the impact of chemical signals on the long-term space use and activity of receivers, comparing the response of males and females, territory holders, and temporary visitors in Sceloporus undulatus lizards in the field. We placed either male femoral gland secretions (chemical) or blank (control) cues on resident male landmarks, repeatedly over 5 d, while monitoring the activity and location of all lizards in the vicinity. We found that resident males and females, but not non-resident males, were active on more days near landmarks treated with chemical cues than landmarks treated with control cues. Non-resident males remained closer to chemical than control cues. These results suggest that territorial scent marks are attractive to conspecifics and impact space use, but that the specific effects depend on receiver sex and residency status. Such subtle or gradual changes in behavior may frequently be overlooked by short-term choice experiments. Future studies investigating the behavioral significance of a communicative signal should consider these finer details of behavior for a more comprehensive assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Campos
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Chloe Strauss
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Emília P Martins
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Benelli G, Donati E, Romano D, Ragni G, Bonsignori G, Stefanini C, Canale A. Is bigger better? Male body size affects wing-borne courtship signals and mating success in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae). INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 23:869-880. [PMID: 26173571 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Variations in male body size are known to affect inter- and intrasexual selection outcomes in a wide range of animals. In mating systems involving sexual signaling before mating, body size often acts as a key factor affecting signal strength and mate choice. We evaluated the effect of male size on courtship displays and mating success of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae). Wing vibrations performed during successful and unsuccessful courtships by large and small males were recorded by high-speed videos and analyzed through frame-by-frame analysis. Mating success of large and small males was investigated. The effect of male-male competition on mating success was evaluated. Male body size affected both male courtship signals and mating outcomes. Successful males showed wing-borne signals with high frequencies and short interpulse intervals. Wing vibrations displayed by successful large males during copulation attempt had higher frequencies over smaller males and unsuccessful large males. In no-competition conditions, large males achieved higher mating success with respect to smaller ones. Allowing large and small males to compete for a female, large males achieve more mating success over smaller ones. Mate choice by females may be based on selection of the larger males, able to produce high-frequency wing vibrations. Such traits may be indicative of "good genes," which under sexual selection could means good social-interaction genes, or a good competitive manipulator of conspecifics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Benelli
- Insect Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Donati
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Donato Romano
- Insect Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giacomo Ragni
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Gabriella Bonsignori
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Insect Behaviour Group, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wittman TN, Miller KA, King BH. Finding Prospective Mates by the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:1489-1495. [PMID: 28028096 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cues from emergence sites may be predictive of mating opportunities if potential mates are slow to disperse after emergence, and particularly if emergence sites are clumped, as in the solitary parasitoid wasp Urolepis rufipes Ashmead. Males emerge before females, and the present study suggests that males may use emergence sites of conspecific males to locate mates. In choice experiments, virgin males spent more time on a male-emerged host (a host from which a male had recently emerged) than on a female-emerged host. Relative to when no host was present, virgin males also marked more in the presence of a male-emerged host, but did not mark more in the presence of a female-emerged host. Females, but not other males, are known to be attracted to male marks. Unlike for males, there was no evidence that females distinguished between male-emerged and female-emerged hosts. Virgin females preferred areas where multiple males had marked over areas where a single male had marked. Such areas had more total marks, yet marks per male did not differ between aggregated and solitary males. Thus, through his own attraction to male-emerged hosts and by marking near other males a male may find and attract females, and with no apparent increase in the cost of attraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T N Wittman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 (; ; )
- Current address: Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904
| | - K A Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 (; ; )
- Current address: Entomology Department, Monsanto, 8350 Minnegans Rd., Waterman, IL 60556
| | - B H King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 (; ; )
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Shropshire JD, van Opstal EJ, Bordenstein SR. An optimized approach to germ-free rearing in the jewel wasp Nasonia. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2316. [PMID: 27602283 PMCID: PMC4991892 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of a Nasonia in vitrogerm-free rearing system in 2012 enabled investigation of Nasonia-microbiota interactions and real-time visualization of parasitoid metamorphosis. However, the use of antibiotics, bleach, and fetal bovine serum introduced artifacts relative to conventional rearing of Nasonia. Here, we optimize the germ-free rearing procedure by using filter sterilization in lieu of antibiotics and by removing residual bleach and fetal bovine serum. Comparison of these methods reveals no influence on larval survival or growth, and a 52% improvement in adult production. Additionally, adult males produced in the new germ-free system are similar in size to conventionally reared males. Experimental implications of these changes are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Dylan Shropshire
- Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | | - Seth R Bordenstein
- Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Dugas MB, McCormack L, Gadau A, Martin RA. Choosy Cannibals Preferentially Consume Siblings with Relatively Low Fitness Prospects. Am Nat 2016; 188:124-31. [PMID: 27322127 DOI: 10.1086/686729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
When an individual can selfishly cannibalize a relative or altruistically set it free, the benefits of altruism will be positively associated with the relative's fitness prospects (the benefits it receives from altruism). We tested the prediction that altruism should be preferentially directed toward high-quality relatives using larvae of the New Mexican spadefoot toad (Spea multiplicata), a species in which tadpoles plastically express omnivore and carnivore ecomorphs. In a no-choice design, we presented carnivores with sibling or nonsibling omnivores varying in developmental stage, which is positively associated with survival in this toad's ephemeral larval environment. There was a significant interaction between relatedness and developmental stage on the probability of cannibalism: carnivores were overall more likely to cannibalize less developed omnivores, but this effect was exaggerated when the potential victim was a sibling. This evidence that altruists favor relatives with high fitness prospects highlights the numerous factors shaping altruism's payoffs.
Collapse
|
15
|
Byers JA. Earwigs (Labidura riparia) mimic rotting-flesh odor to deceive vertebrate predators. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2015; 102:38. [PMID: 26071006 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-015-1288-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many insects repel predators with caustic chemicals, while insects mimicking odors of wastes/dead insects to fool predators have not been documented. We found that the shore earwig, Labidura riparia (Dermaptera: Labiduridae) when bitten by anole lizards, Anolis carolinenesus, spits a rotting-flesh odor that deceives these insectivores into rejecting prey. Once a lizard attacked and rejected an earwig, the lizard did not attack another earwig during several weeks despite consuming other prey, indicating associative learning after one trial. The fetid odor was found in the head-prothorax containing salivary glands of both male and female earwigs and was comprised of ∼ 100 ng dimethyl disulfide and ∼ 600 ng dimethyl trisulfide. Nymphs had <5 ng of either compound. Adults also spit odorous sulfides after prolonged attacks by harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, who were only deterred by the earwig's forceps. Sulfides released by the earwig are similar to odors of carrion/feces, which may be innately repulsive to some vertebrate predators. The mean initial discharge percentage (IDP) of sulfides from a cohort of earwigs was 62 %; however, IDPs of individuals were highly variable (3-99 %; mean 57 %). The discharge refill time (DRT) to refill 50 % of the earwig's allomone reservoir was estimated at 13 h. A positive relationship in sulfide amounts with body weight was found only in females in 2009, suggesting metabolic cost tradeoffs were revealed when sulfide content was half that in 2010. This is the first report of insects releasing sulfur-containing compounds that may mimic carrion-fecal odors as a deceptive defense against vertebrate predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Byers
- USDA-ARS, US Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 North Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Cooper JL, King BH. Substrate-Borne Marking in the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 44:680-688. [PMID: 26313974 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many animals use pheromone marking as a way to identify their territory or other resources. Among insects, substrate-borne marking is frequently reported for females, which in many species make marks containing oviposition-deterring pheromone, which other females avoid. However, there are fewer reports of substrate-borne marking for males. Here, marking in males of the parasitoid wasp Urolepis rufipes (Ashmead) is described. The conditions under which males mark and whether males and females respond to the males' marks were examined using behavioral observations. Males marked by dragging the tips of their abdomens across a substrate. They marked much more after mating and after consuming honey. They also marked more when with a female, irrespective of copulation, although not when with a male. Females spent more time on or near marked substrates, and males also responded to their own marks. Although males aggressively and successfully defended areas that they had marked against other males, males did not respond to another male's marks in the conspecific's absence. In contrast to males, females did not mark, either on the surface of hosts or on other surfaces, and males showed no detectable response to surfaces which females had recently occupied.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J L Cooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115-2861.
| | - B H King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115-2861.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Boulton RA, Collins LA, Shuker DM. Beyond sex allocation: the role of mating systems in sexual selection in parasitoid wasps. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 90:599-627. [PMID: 24981603 PMCID: PMC4409842 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the diverse array of mating systems and life histories which characterise the parasitic Hymenoptera, sexual selection and sexual conflict in this taxon have been somewhat overlooked. For instance, parasitoid mating systems have typically been studied in terms of how mating structure affects sex allocation. In the past decade, however, some studies have sought to address sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps more explicitly and found that, despite the lack of obvious secondary sexual traits, sexual selection has the potential to shape a range of aspects of parasitoid reproductive behaviour and ecology. Moreover, various characteristics fundamental to the parasitoid way of life may provide innovative new ways to investigate different processes of sexual selection. The overall aim of this review therefore is to re-examine parasitoid biology with sexual selection in mind, for both parasitoid biologists and also researchers interested in sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems more generally. We will consider aspects of particular relevance that have already been well studied including local mating structure, sex allocation and sperm depletion. We go on to review what we already know about sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps and highlight areas which may prove fruitful for further investigation. In particular, sperm depletion and the costs of inbreeding under chromosomal sex determination provide novel opportunities for testing the role of direct and indirect benefits for the evolution of mate choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Boulton
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
| | - Laura A Collins
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
| | - David M Shuker
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Olivero PA, González A, Mattoni CI, Peretti A. Chemical caressess: geographical variation of male sexual signals in a Neotropical scorpion. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Differences in sexual signals among species are common, and may influence mate recognition and reproductive isolation. In scorpions, behavioural mechanisms and other sexual signals involved in mate selection and reproductive isolation have been scarcely studied. In this paper, we compare different male sexual signals between two distant populations of the scorpion Bothriurus bonariensis, one located in Uruguay and the other in Central Argentina. We compare sexual behaviours from intra-populations and inter-populations matings. In addition, we extent this comparison to the secreted compounds and morphology of the exocrine glands located on the dorsal side of the telson in this species. Males of B. bonariensis performed stimulatory behaviours to the female with different frequency of occurrence and duration in the two populations. Chemical analyses of the glandular extracts showed that Uruguayan males present compounds which are absent in males of Argentinian population. In addition, we observed that in inter-population matings, stimulatory behaviours had intermediate patterns to intra-population matings. However, males failed to achieve a successful sperm transfer with females of different population. Mechanisms of sexual isolation between these two distant populations of B. bonariensis apparently seem to have evolved due to divergence in allopatry. The differences in stimulatory levels during courtship between the two populations studied here give evidence for an early behavioural divergence promoted by sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola A. Olivero
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
- bMuséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, CP 50 (Entomologie), 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Andrés González
- cDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Avenida Gral. Flores 2124, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Camilo I. Mattoni
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alfredo V. Peretti
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Steiger S, Stökl J. The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects. INSECTS 2014; 5:423-38. [PMID: 26462692 PMCID: PMC4592599 DOI: 10.3390/insects5020423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. Yet we are only beginning to grasp the complexity of chemical signals and the role they play in sexual selection. Focusing on insects, we review here the recent progress in the field of olfactory-based sexual selection. We will show that there is mounting empirical evidence that sexual selection affects the evolution of chemical traits, but form and strength of selection differ between species. Studies indicate that some chemical signals are expressed in relation to an individual's condition and depend, for example, on age, immunocompetence, fertility, body size or degree of inbreeding. Males or females might benefit by choosing based on those traits, gaining resources or "good genes". Other chemical traits appear to reliably reflect an individual's underlying genotype and are suitable to choose a mating partner that matches best the own genotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Tsai YJJ, Barrows EM, Weiss MR. Pure Self-Assessment of Size During Male-Male Contests in the Parasitoid WaspNasonia vitripennis. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jiun J. Tsai
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
| | - Edward M. Barrows
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
- Center for the Environment; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
| | - Martha R. Weiss
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
|