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Gooding CE, Pinard C, Gries R, Devireddy A, Gries G. Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, reduce predation risk by eavesdropping on communication signals of Formica oreas thatching ants. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231355. [PMID: 38179077 PMCID: PMC10762436 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Ticks spend most of their life inhabiting leaf litter and detritus where they are protected from sun but preyed upon by ants. Ants secrete chemical communication signals to coordinate group tasks such as nest defence. Ticks that avoid ant semiochemicals-as indicators of ant presence-would reduce predation risk by ants. We tested the hypotheses that: (i) chemical deposits from the thatching ant Formica oreas deter blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, (ii) deterrent semiochemicals originate from the ants' poison and/or Dufour's gland(s), and (iii) tick-deterrent semiochemicals serve as alarm-recruitment pheromone components in F. oreas. In two-choice olfactometer bioassays, filter paper soiled with ant chemical deposits significantly deterred female and male ticks. Poison and Dufour's gland extracts deterred ticks in combination but not alone. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses of gland extracts revealed formic acid as the major constituent in the poison gland and eight hydrocarbons as constituents in the Dufour's gland. Synthetic formic acid and hydrocarbons deterred ticks only when combined. F. oreas workers sprayed both formic acid and hydrocarbons when distressed. A synthetic blend of these compounds elicited alarm-recruitment responses by F. oreas in behavioural bioassays. All results combined indicate that ticks eavesdrop on the ants' communication system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Gooding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Charlotte Pinard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Regine Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Anand Devireddy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
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Lin X, Cui X, Tang J, Zhu J, Li J. Predation Risk Effects of Lady Beetle Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) on the Melon Aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. INSECTS 2023; 15:13. [PMID: 38249019 PMCID: PMC10816753 DOI: 10.3390/insects15010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Predation risk posed by natural enemies can alter pest performance. In our previous study, we found Menochilus sexmaculatus provides risk cues to melon aphids, resulting in increased numbers of winged aphids. However, the effects of predation risk on multiple traits including behavior, physiology, growth rate, and reproductive capacity of pests are not clear. This study examined the effects of predation risk on host preference, the activities of two important defense enzymes (CAT and SOD), longevity, and offspring production. The Y-tube trial results showed that the risk of M. sexmaculatus significantly altered the host preference of the aphids, leading to avoidance behavior. When exposed to M. sexmaculatus for a long period (24 h), the reproductive period and offspring production were significantly decreased, and adult longevity was significantly shortened. The defense enzyme activities of SOD and CAT, as well as the MDA content (which is considered a marker of oxidative stress and cellular damage) in the aphids, significantly increased under M. sexmaculatus risk. The compounds of M. sexmaculatus extracted with n-hexane and volatile compounds collected with HS-SPME were analyzed by GC-MS, and when combined with the behavior response experiment, the results showed that the alkane compounds n-henicosane, n-docosane, n-tricosane, n-pentacosane, and n-hentriacontane may contribute to the impact of predation risk. The results will be helpful in the comprehensive evaluation of the ability of lady beetles to affect the aphid population, and provide new ideas for using these compounds in aphid control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingming Lin
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (J.Z.)
| | - Xiangxin Cui
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jihong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China;
| | - Jiawei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jinhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Tropical Plant Diseases and Pests, Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (J.Z.)
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Manuel R, Johannes T, Sathyan R, Couldridge VCK. Temporal partitioning of Bullacris unicolor (Orthoptera: Pneumoridae) calling activity to avoid predation. BIOACOUSTICS 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2023.2170469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Manuel
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Tarné Johannes
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Rekha Sathyan
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
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Evans LJ, Smith KE, Raine NE. Odour Learning Bees Have Longer Foraging Careers Than Non-learners in a Natural Environment. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual animals allowed the opportunity to learn generally outperform those prevented from learning, yet, within a species the capacity for learning varies markedly. The evolutionary processes that maintain this variation in learning ability are not yet well understood. Several studies demonstrate links between fitness traits and visual learning, but the selection pressures operating on cognitive traits are likely influenced by multiple sensory modalities. In addition to vision, most animals will use a combination of hearing, olfaction (smell), gustation (taste), and touch to gain information about their environment. Some animals demonstrate individual preference for, or enhanced learning performance using certain senses in relation to particular aspects of their behaviour (e.g., foraging), whereas conspecific individuals may show different preferences. By assessing fitness traits in relation to different sensory modalities we will strengthen our understanding of factors driving observed variation in learning ability. We assessed the relationship between the olfactory learning ability of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) and their foraging performance in their natural environment. We found that bees which failed to learn this odour-reward association had shorter foraging careers; foraging for fewer days and thus provisioning their colonies with fewer resources. This was not due to a reduced propensity to forage, but may have been due to a reduced ability to return to their colony. When comparing among only individuals that did learn, we found that the rate at which floral resources were collected was similar, regardless of how they performed in the olfactory learning task. Our results demonstrate that an ability to learn olfactory cues can have a positive impact of the foraging performance of B. terrestris in a natural environment, but echo findings of earlier studies on visual learning, which suggest that enhanced learning is not necessarily beneficial for bee foragers provisioning their colony.
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Goldberg JK, Pintel G, Pruett JA, Weiss SL. Whiptail lizards (
Aspidoscelis exsanguis
) recognize invertebrate prey via cuticular hydrocarbons. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jay K. Goldberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington IN USA
| | | | - Jake A. Pruett
- Department of Biology Indiana State University Terre Haute IN USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant OK USA
| | - Stacey L. Weiss
- Department of Biology University of Puget Sound Tacoma WA USA
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Wang Z, Tan K. Honey Bee Alarm Pheromone Mediates Communication in Plant-Pollinator-Predator Interactions. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100366. [PMID: 31640201 PMCID: PMC6835895 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Honey bees play a crucial role in pollination, and in performing this critical function, face numerous threats from predators and parasites during foraging and homing trips. Back in the nest, their defensive behavior drives some individuals to sacrifice themselves while fighting intruders with their stingers or mandibles. During these intense conflicts, bees release alarm pheromone to rapidly communicate with other nest mates about the present danger. However, we still know little about why and how alarm pheromone is used in plant–pollinator–predator interactions. Here, we review the history of previously detected bee alarm pheromones and the current state of the chemical analyses. More new components and functions have been confirmed in honey bee alarm pheromone. Then, we ask how important the alarm pheromones are in intra- and/or inter-species communication. Some plants even adopt mimicry systems to attract either the pollinators themselves or their predators for pollination via alarm pheromone. Pheromones are honest signals that evolved in one species and can be one of the main driving factors affecting co-evolution in plant–pollinator–predator interactions. Our review intends to stimulate new studies on the neuronal, molecular, behavioral, and evolutionary levels in order to understand how alarm pheromone mediates communication in plant–pollinator–predator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650000, China.
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China.
| | - Ken Tan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650000, China.
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China.
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Del-Claro K, Rodriguez-Morales D, Calixto ES, Martins AS, Torezan-Silingardi HM. Ant pollination of Paepalanthus lundii (Eriocaulaceae) in Brazilian savanna. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:1159-1165. [PMID: 30852596 PMCID: PMC6612938 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ant-plant associations are widely diverse and distributed throughout the world, leading to complex ecological networks. Regarding ant-plant mutualism, ant pollination is a very rare interaction and few studies have shown the role of ants as pollinators. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the role of ants as effective pollinators of Paepalanthus lundii (Eriocaulaceae) in a Brazilian savanna. METHODS Fieldwork with experimental manipulation was conducted to evaluate the fitness of P. lundii, considering potential pollinators. For this, we mainly observed the number of seeds produced in different conditions: control, ant exclusion, exclusion of flying insects, and exclusion (entomophily test) of both ants and flying insects. Furthermore, we evaluated all floral visitors throughout the day, stigma receptivity, the numbers of male and female flowers, and patterns of species co-occurrence, which can indicate the presence of different pollinators in the plants at the same time. KEY RESULTS We observed a relation between seed production and ant visits; Camponotus crassus was the most frequent floral visitor and the most effective pollinator. Also, we observed a statistical difference between the numbers of male and female flowers produced, with a greater number of male flowers. Furthermore, P. lundii presented flowering asynchrony, with 12 different types of maturation sequence, which indicates a cross-pollination system. Lastly, we observed an overlap of the greatest abundance of C. crassus and the time of plant stigmatic receptivity, and a pattern of non co-occurrence of ants, which shows the pollinator role of this ant. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that previous generalizations neglecting the importance of ants as pollinators are wrong. Brazilian savanna can reveal a lot about the ant-pollination syndrome, since this environment presents peculiar characteristics related to this association. Thus, this study has great significance for the understanding of the ant-pollination syndrome, and for the understanding of the complex ecological networks present in these dry arid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Del-Claro
- Instituto de Biologia, LECI (Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações), Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - D Rodriguez-Morales
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Carretera antigua a Coatepec, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - E S Calixto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - A S Martins
- Instituto de Biologia, LECI (Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações), Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - H M Torezan-Silingardi
- Instituto de Biologia, LECI (Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações), Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
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Campollo-Ovalle A, Sánchez D. Temporal Response of Foragers and Guards of Two Stingless Bee Species to Cephalic Compounds of the Robber Bee Lestrimelitta niitkib (Ayala) (Hymenoptera, Apidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:791-797. [PMID: 29549546 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-018-0599-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Lestrimelitta spp. are stingless bees that steal food and nesting materials from other highly social bees to survive. Though most of their victim species respond, either aggressively or submissively, to cephalic components of Lestrimelitta, little is known about if such response changes at some point during extended periods of exposure. Moreover, potential synergistic effects due to a mixture of victim's alarm/defense pheromones and Lestrimelitta mandibular pheromones, like in an actual attack, have not been examined so far. In this paper, we investigated the response of two species of non-robber stingless bees, Scaptotrigona mexicana (Guérin) and Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille), to (a) cephalic compounds from crushed heads of nestmates, (b) cephalic compounds of Lestrimelitta niitkib (Ayala), and (c) a mixture of (a) and (b). We found that even though T. angustula did not react to nestmates' crushed head, its response towards L. niitkib cephalic compounds was stronger and lasted longer than that of S. mexicana. Interestingly, the addition of crushed heads of the non-robber species to L. niitkib crushed heads caused no significant increase in the alarm response of both species. It may be that the absence of an alarm pheromone in T. angustula made this species more receptive to extraneous odors, which is not the case for S. mexicana; however, more species must be studied to elucidate any pattern regarding the absence/presence of alarm pheromones and the corresponding response to intruders' pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Campollo-Ovalle
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - D Sánchez
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
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10
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Ibarra-Isassi J, Oliveira PS. Indirect effects of mutualism: ant–treehopper associations deter pollinators and reduce reproduction in a tropical shrub. Oecologia 2017; 186:691-701. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-4045-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Foragers of sympatric Asian honey bee species intercept competitor signals by avoiding benzyl acetate from Apis cerana alarm pheromone. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6721. [PMID: 28751766 PMCID: PMC5532208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03806-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
While foraging, animals can form inter- and intraspecific social signalling networks to avoid similar predators. We report here that foragers of different native Asian honey bee species can detect and use a specialized alarm pheromone component, benzyl acetate (BA), to avoid danger. We analysed the volatile alarm pheromone produced by attacked workers of the most abundant native Asian honey bee, Apis cerana and tested the responses of other bee species to these alarm signals. As compared to nest guards, A. cerana foragers produced 3.38 fold higher levels of BA. In foragers, BA and (E)-dec-2-en-1-yl acetate (DA) generated the strongest antennal electrophysiological responses. BA was also the only compound that alerted flying foragers and inhibited A. cerana foraging. BA thereby decreased A. cerana foraging for risky sites. Interestingly, although BA occurs only in trace amounts and is nearly absent in sympatric honeybee species (respectively only 0.07% and 0.44% as much in A. dorsata and A. florea), these floral generalists detected and avoided BA as strongly as they did to their own alarm pheromone on natural inflorescences. These results demonstrate that competing pollinators can take advantage of alarm signal information provided by other species.
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12
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Hermann SL, Landis DA. Scaling up our understanding of non-consumptive effects in insect systems. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 20:54-60. [PMID: 28602236 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on prey is an important topic in insect ecology with potential applications for pest management. NCEs are changes in prey behavior and physiology that aid in predation avoidance. While NCEs can have positive outcomes for prey survival there may also be negative consequences including increased stress and reduced growth. These effects can cascade through trophic systems influencing ecosystem function. Most NCEs have been studied at small spatial and temporal scales. However, recent studies show promise for the potential to manipulate NCEs for pest management. We suggest the next frontier for NCE studies includes manipulating the landscape of fear to improve pest control, which requires scaling-up to field and landscape levels, over ecologically relevant time frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara L Hermann
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, United States; Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, United States.
| | - Douglas A Landis
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, United States; Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, United States
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13
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Forbes SJ, Northfield TD. Oecophylla smaragdinaants provide pest control in Australian cacao. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. Forbes
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies; College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Cairns Qld Australia
| | - Tobin D. Northfield
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies; College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; Cairns Qld Australia
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Dutton EM, Luo EY, Cembrowski AR, Shore JS, Frederickson ME. Three's a Crowd: Trade-Offs between Attracting Pollinators and Ant Bodyguards with Nectar Rewards in Turnera. Am Nat 2016; 188:38-51. [PMID: 27322120 DOI: 10.1086/686766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Many plants attract insect pollinators with floral nectar (FN) and ant "bodyguards" with extrafloral nectar (EFN). If nectar production is costly or physiologically linked across glands, investment in one mutualism may trade off with investment in the other. We confirmed that changes in FN and EFN availability alter pollination and ant defense mutualisms in a field population of Turnera ulmifolia. Plants with additional FN tended to produce more seeds, while plants with reduced EFN production experienced less florivory. We then mimicked the consumptive effects of mutualists by removing FN or EFN daily for 50 days in a full factorial design using three Turnera species (T. joelii, T. subulata, and T. ulmifolia) in a glasshouse experiment. For T. ulmifolia and T. subulata, but not T. joelii, removing either nectar reduced production of the other, showing for the first time that EFN and FN production can trade off. In T. subulata, increased investment in FN decreased seed set, suggesting that nectar production can have direct fitness costs. Through the linked expression of EFN and FN, floral visitors may negatively affect biotic defense, and extrafloral nectary visitors may negatively affect pollination.
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Wang Z, Wen P, Qu Y, Dong S, Li J, Tan K, Nieh JC. Bees eavesdrop upon informative and persistent signal compounds in alarm pheromones. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25693. [PMID: 27157595 PMCID: PMC4860575 DOI: 10.1038/srep25693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinators such as bees provide a critical ecosystem service that can be impaired by information about predation. We provide the first evidence for olfactory eavesdropping and avoidance of heterospecific alarm signals, alarm pheromones, at food sources in bees. We predicted that foragers could eavesdrop upon heterospecific alarm pheromones, and would detect and avoid conspicuous individual pheromone compounds, defined by abundance and their ability to persist. We show that Apis cerana foragers avoid the distinctive alarm pheromones of A. dorsata and A. mellifera, species that share the same floral resources and predators. We next examined responses to individual alarm pheromone compounds. Apis cerana foragers avoided isopentyl acetate (IPA), which is found in all three species and is the most abundant and volatile of the tested compounds. Interestingly, A. cerana also avoided an odor component, gamma-octanoic lactone (GOL), which is >150-fold less volatile than IPA. Chemical analyses confirmed that GOL is only present in A. dorsata, not in A. cerana. Electroantennogram (EAG) recordings revealed that A. cerana antennae are 10-fold more sensitive to GOL than to other tested compounds. Thus, the eavesdropping strategy is shaped by signal conspicuousness (abundance and commonality) and signal persistence (volatility).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223 China
| | - Ping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223 China
| | - Yufeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223 China
| | - Shihao Dong
- Eastern Bee Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201 Kunming, China
| | - Jianjun Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223 China
| | - Ken Tan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650223 China.,Eastern Bee Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201 Kunming, China
| | - James C Nieh
- Division of Biological Sciences Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California, USA
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Sidhu SC, Wilson Rankin EE. Honey Bees Avoiding Ant Harassment at Flowers Using Scent Cues. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:420-426. [PMID: 26834187 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators require resources throughout the year to maintain healthy populations. Along the urban-natural interface, floral resource availability may be limited especially when the system experiences extreme drought and fire threats. In such areas, succulents, such as Aloe spp., are commonly planted to serve as functional drought-tolerant, fire-protective landscaping, which can also support pollinator populations. However, access to this resource may be restricted by competition from other floral foragers, including invasive pests. We measured free-foraging honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) visitation rate and visitation duration to aloe flowers with and without Argentine ants (Linepithema humile (Mayr)) in a drought-stressed environment and found that bees actively avoided foraging on the ant-occupied flowers. To determine the mechanisms of avoidance, our subsequent experiments assessed visitation in the absence of ants and compared aloe flowers treated with ant pheromone to unmanipulated flowers lacking ant pheromone. Bees approached all flowers equally, but accepted flowers without ants at a higher rate than flowers with ants. Visitation duration also increased twofold on ant-excluded flowers, which suggests that Argentine ants may limit resource acquisition by bees. Honey bees similarly avoided flowers with Argentine ant pheromone and preferentially visited unmanipulated flowers at threefold higher rate. This study demonstrates that honey bees avoid foraging on floral resources with invasive Argentine ants and that bees use ant odors to avoid ant-occupied flowers. Resource limitation by this invasive pest ant may have serious implication for sustaining healthy pollinator populations at the urban-natural interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena C Sidhu
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521 (; ), and
| | - Erin E Wilson Rankin
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521 (; ), and
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Wang Z, Qu Y, Dong S, Wen P, Li J, Tan K, Menzel R. Honey Bees Modulate Their Olfactory Learning in the Presence of Hornet Predators and Alarm Component. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150399. [PMID: 26919132 PMCID: PMC4769250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Southeast Asia the native honey bee species Apis cerana is often attacked by hornets (Vespa velutina), mainly in the period from April to November. During the co-evolution of these two species honey bees have developed several strategies to defend themselves such as learning the odors of hornets and releasing alarm components to inform other mates. However, so far little is known about whether and how honey bees modulate their olfactory learning in the presence of the hornet predator and alarm components of honey bee itself. In the present study, we test for associative olfactory learning of A. cerana in the presence of predator odors, the alarm pheromone component isopentyl acetate (IPA), or a floral odor (hexanal) as a control. The results show that bees can detect live hornet odors, that there is almost no association between the innately aversive hornet odor and the appetitive stimulus sucrose, and that IPA is less well associated with an appetitive stimulus when compared with a floral odor. In order to imitate natural conditions, e.g. when bees are foraging on flowers and a predator shows up, or alarm pheromone is released by a captured mate, we tested combinations of the hornet odor and floral odor, or IPA and floral odor. Both of these combinations led to reduced learning scores. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the prey-predator system between A. cerana and V. velutina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yufeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shihao Dong
- Eastern Bee Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Ping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Jianjun Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ken Tan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Eastern Bee Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Randolf Menzel
- Institute of Biology and Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Murray TG, Magrath RD. Does signal deterioration compromise eavesdropping on other species' alarm calls? Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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Li J, Wang Z, Tan K, Qu Y, Nieh J. Effects of natural and synthetic alarm pheromone and individual pheromone components on foraging behavior of the giant Asian honey bee, Apis dorsata. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:3512-8. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.110171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Social pollinators such as honey bees face attacks from predators not only at the nest, but also during foraging. Pollinating honey bees can therefore release alarm pheromones that deter conspecifics from visiting dangerous inflorescences. However, the effect of alarm pheromone and its chemical components upon bee avoidance of dangerous food sources remains unclear. We tested the responses of giant honey bee foragers, A. dorsata, presented with alarm pheromone at a floral array. Foragers investigated the inflorescence with natural alarm pheromone, but 3.3 fold more foragers preferred to land on the "safe" inflorescence without alarm pheromone. Using GC-MS analysis, we identified eight chemical components in the alarm pheromone, of which three components (1-octanol, decanal, and gamma-octanoic lactone) have not previously been reported in this species. We bioassayed six major compounds and found that a synthetic mixture of these compounds elicited behaviors statistically indistinguishable from responses to natural alarm pheromone. By testing each compound separately, we show that gamma-octanoic lactone, isopentyl acetate, and (E)-2-decen-1-yl acetate are active compounds that elicit significant alarm responses. Gamma-octanoic lactone elicited the strongest response to a single compound and has not been previously reported in honey bee alarm pheromone. Isopentyl acetate is widely found in the alarm pheromones of sympatric Asian honey bee species, and thus alarmed A. dorsata foragers may produce information useful for conspecifics and heterospecifics, thereby broadening the effects of alarm information on plant pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ken Tan
- Chinese Academy of Science; Yunnan Agricultural University, China
| | | | - James Nieh
- University of California, San Diego, USA
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