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Juvenile hormone regulates reproductive physiology and the production of fertility cues in the swarm-founding wasp Polybia occidentalis. CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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da Silva Cunha DA, Telles Menezes RS, Lima Cardoso CA, Antonialli Junior WF. Is It Possible to Obtain the Chemical Profile From Ethanol-Preserved Specimens? The Hydrocarbon and Fatty Acid Composition of the Social Wasp Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Epiponini). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:580-588. [PMID: 33675643 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons perform multiple functions in insects such as protecting against desiccation and pathogenic infection, and signaling interactions. Evaluation of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of insects is commonly performed by extraction using a nonpolar solvent such as hexane. Specimens intended for CHC analysis are ideally handled by avoiding contact with solvents such as ethanol. However, insects are frequently stored in ethanol after collection, especially if intended for molecular analysis. To determine if it is possible that chemical compounds in the cuticles of specimens can withstand previous exposure to ethanol, we evaluated the efficiency of CHC extraction from specimens preserved in 95% ethanol. We extracted cuticular compounds from specimens of the social wasp Polybia paulista (Ihering) with no contact with ethanol solvents and compared them with those from specimens stored in 95% ethanol. We analyzed chemical composition from wasps and the 95% ethanol in which they had been stored by a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. In total, 56 compounds were detected: 50 that were classified as hydrocarbons which were mostly branched alkanes, followed by linear alkanes and alkenes. Three compounds were identified as fatty acids, and three compounds were unidentifiable. The ethanol-preserved specimens showed similar chemical profiles to those of specimens that had no contact with ethanol. Thus, we suggest that it is possible to study the chemical profiles of ethanol-preserved specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayana Alves da Silva Cunha
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rodolpho Santos Telles Menezes
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Comparada e Abelhas, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - William Fernando Antonialli Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Centro de Estudos em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
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Evolution of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Hymenoptera: a Meta-Analysis. J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:871-83. [PMID: 26410609 PMCID: PMC4619461 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0631-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is the oldest form of communication, spreading across all forms of life. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates, species, and nest-mates in social insects. Although much is known about the function of individual hydrocarbons and their biosynthesis, a phylogenetic overview is lacking. Here, we review the CHC profiles of 241 species of Hymenoptera, one of the largest and most important insect orders, which includes the Symphyta (sawflies), the polyphyletic Parasitica (parasitoid wasps), and the Aculeata (wasps, bees, and ants). We investigated whether these taxonomic groups differed in the presence and absence of CHC classes and whether the sociality of a species (solitarily vs. social) had an effect on CHC profile complexity. We found that the main CHC classes (i.e., n-alkanes, alkenes, and methylalkanes) were all present early in the evolutionary history of the Hymenoptera, as evidenced by their presence in ancient Symphyta and primitive Parasitica wasps. Throughout all groups within the Hymenoptera, the more complex a CHC the fewer species that produce it, which may reflect the Occam’s razor principle that insects’ only biosynthesize the most simple compound that fulfil its needs. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the complexity of CHC profiles between social and solitary species, with some of the most complex CHC profiles belonging to the Parasitica. This profile complexity has been maintained in the ants, but some specialization in biosynthetic pathways has led to a simplification of profiles in the aculeate wasps and bees. The absence of CHC classes in some taxa or species may be due to gene silencing or down-regulation rather than gene loss, as demonstrated by sister species having highly divergent CHC profiles, and cannot be predicted by their phylogenetic history. The presence of highly complex CHC profiles prior to the vast radiation of the social Hymenoptera indicates a ‘spring-loaded’ system where the diversity of CHC needed for the complex communication systems of social insects were already present for natural selection to act upon, rather than having evolved independently. This diversity may have aided the multiple independent evolution of sociality within the Aculeata.
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Brooks L, Brunelli M, Pattison P, Jones GR, Fitch A. Crystal structures of eight mono-methyl alkanes (C26-C32) via single-crystal and powder diffraction and DFT-D optimization. IUCRJ 2015; 2:490-7. [PMID: 26306191 PMCID: PMC4547817 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252515010271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The crystal structures of eight mono-methyl alkanes have been determined from single-crystal or high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Mono-methyl alkanes can be found on the cuticles of insects and are believed to act as recognition pheromones in some social species, e.g. ants, wasps etc. The molecules were synthesized as pure S enantiomers and are (S)-9-methylpentacosane, C26H54; (S)-9-methylheptacosane and (S)-11-methylheptacosane, C28H58; (S)-7-methylnonacosane, (S)-9-methylnonacosane, (S)-11-methylnonacosane and (S)-13-methylnonacosane, C30H62; and (S)-9-methylhentriacontane, C32H66. All crystallize in space group P21. Depending on the position of the methyl group on the carbon chain, two packing schemes are observed, in which the molecules pack together hexagonally as linear rods with terminal and side methyl groups clustering to form distinct motifs. Carbon-chain torsion angles deviate by less than 10° from the fully extended conformation, but with one packing form showing greater curvature than the other near the position of the methyl side group. The crystal structures are optimized by dispersion-corrected DFT calculations, because of the difficulties in refining accurate structural parameters from powder diffraction data from relatively poorly crystalline materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Brooks
- ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard–Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Michela Brunelli
- ILL, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- SNBL/ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
| | - Philip Pattison
- SNBL/ESRF, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Crystallography Competence Centre, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Graeme R. Jones
- School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard–Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
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Kather R, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. Evidence for colony-specific differences in chemical mimicry in the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. CHEMOECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-015-0191-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Kelstrup HC, Hartfelder K, Nascimento FS, Riddiford LM. Reproductive status, endocrine physiology and chemical signaling in the Neotropical, swarm-founding eusocial wasp Polybia micans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:2399-410. [PMID: 24744417 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.096750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the evolution of caste-based societies in Hymenoptera, the classical insect hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids were co-opted into new functions. Social wasps, which show all levels of sociality and lifestyles, are an ideal group in which to study such functional changes. Virtually all studies on the physiological mechanisms underlying reproductive division of labor and caste functions in wasps have been done on independent-founding paper wasps, and the majority of these studies have focused on species specially adapted for overwintering. The relatively little-studied tropical swarm-founding wasps of the Epiponini (Vespidae) are a diverse group of permanently social wasps, with some species maintaining caste flexibility well into the adult phase. We investigated the behavior, reproductive status, JH and ecdysteroid titers in hemolymph, ecdysteroid content of the ovary and cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in the caste-monomorphic, epiponine wasp Polybia micans Ducke. We found that the JH titer was not elevated in competing queens from established multiple-queen nests, but increased in lone queens that lack direct competition. In queenless colonies, JH titer rose transiently in young potential reproductives upon challenge by nestmates, suggesting that JH may prime the ovaries for further development. Ovarian ecdysteroids were very low in workers but higher and correlated with the number of vitellogenic oocytes in the queens. Hemolymph ecdysteroid levels were low and variable in both workers and queens. Profiles of P. micans CHCs reflected caste, age and reproductive status, but were not tightly linked to either hormone. These findings show a significant divergence in hormone function in swarm-founding wasps compared with independently founding ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C Kelstrup
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14049-900 SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900 SP, Brazil
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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Nestmate discrimination in the social wasp Ropalidia marginata: chemical cues and chemosensory mechanism. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Mitra A, Gadagkar R. Road to Royalty - Transition of Potential Queen to Queen in the Primitively Eusocial Wasp Ropalidia marginata. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02059.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Mitra
- Centre for Ecological Sciences; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore; India
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Krasnec MO, Breed MD. Eusocial evolution and the recognition systems in social insects. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 739:78-92. [PMID: 22399396 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-1704-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial species, animals which live in colonies with a reproductive division of labor, typically have closed societies, in which colony members are allowed entry and nonmembers, including animals of the same species, are excluded. This implies an ability to discriminate colony members ("self") from nonmembers ("nonself"). We draw analogies between this type of discrimination and MHC-mediated cellular recognition in vertebrates. Recognition of membership in eusocial colonies is typically mediated by differences in the surface chemistry between members and nonmembers and we review studies which support this hypothesis. In rare instances, visual signals mediate recognition. We highlight the need for better understanding of which surface compounds actually mediate recognition and for further work on how differences between colony members and nonmembers are perceived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle O Krasnec
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
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Ferreira A, Cardoso C, Neves E, Súarez Y, Antonialli-Junior W. Distinct linear hydrocarbon profiles and chemical strategy of facultative parasitism among Mischocyttarus wasps. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR RESEARCH 2012; 11:4351-9. [DOI: 10.4238/2012.september.25.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Mitra A, Saha P, Chaoulideer ME, Bhadra A, Gadagkar R. Chemical communication in Ropalidia marginata: Dufour's gland contains queen signal that is perceived across colonies and does not contain colony signal. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:280-284. [PMID: 21112330 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2010] [Revised: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 11/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Queens of the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata appear to maintain reproductive monopoly through pheromone rather than through physical aggression. Upon queen removal, one of the workers (potential queen, PQ) becomes extremely aggressive but drops her aggression immediately upon returning the queen. If the queen is not returned, the PQ gradually drops her aggression and becomes the next queen of the colony. In a previous study, the Dufour's gland was found to be at least one source of the queen pheromone. Queen-worker classification could be done with 100% accuracy in a discriminant analysis, using the compositions of their respective Dufour's glands. In a bioassay, the PQ dropped her aggression in response to the queen's Dufour's gland macerate, suggesting that the queen's Dufour's gland contents mimicked the queen herself. In the present study, we found that the PQ also dropped her aggression in response to the macerate of a foreign queen's Dufour's gland. This suggests that the queen signal is perceived across colonies. This also suggests that the Dufour's gland in R. marginata does not contain information about nestmateship, because queens are attacked when introduced into foreign colonies, and hence PQ is not expected to reduce her aggression in response to a foreign queen's signal. The latter conclusion is especially significant because the Dufour's gland chemicals are adequate to classify individuals correctly not only on the basis of fertility status (queen versus worker) but also according to their colony membership, using discriminant analysis. This leads to the additional conclusion (and precaution) that the ability to statistically discriminate organisms using their chemical profiles does not necessarily imply that the organisms themselves can make such discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Mitra
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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Zhang L, Liang Y. Dissimilarity analysis and automatic identification of monomethylalkanes from gas chromatography mass spectrometry data 1. Principle and protocols. J Chromatogr A 2009; 1216:5272-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2009.04.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2009] [Revised: 04/01/2009] [Accepted: 04/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Jameson JW, Hare JF. Group-Specific Signatures in the Echolocation Calls of Female Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) are Not an Artefact of Clutter at the Roost Entrance. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2009. [DOI: 10.3161/150811009x465785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Kroiss J, Bordon S, Strohm E. Hydrocarbons in the nest material of a solitary digger wasp represent a kairomone for a specialized cuckoo wasp. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Workers of the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata do not perceive their queen across a wire mesh partition. J ETHOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-007-0049-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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