1
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Barbero F, Mannino G, Casacci LP. The Role of Biogenic Amines in Social Insects: With a Special Focus on Ants. INSECTS 2023; 14:386. [PMID: 37103201 PMCID: PMC10142254 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality represents the higher degree of interaction in insects. This complex social structure is maintained through a multimodal communication system that allows colony members to be flexible in their responses, fulfilling the overall society's needs. The colony plasticity is supposedly achieved by combining multiple biochemical pathways through the neuromodulation of molecules such as biogenic amines, but the mechanisms through which these regulatory compounds act are far from being fully disentangled. Here, we review the potential function of major bioamines (dopamine, tyramine, serotine, and octopamine) on the behavioral modulation of principal groups of eusocial Hymenoptera, with a special focus on ants. Because functional roles are species- and context-dependent, identifying a direct causal relationship between a biogenic amine variation and behavioral changes is extremely challenging. We also used a quantitative and qualitative synthesis approach to summarize research trends and interests in the literature related to biogenic amines of social insects. Shedding light on the aminergic regulation of behavioral responses will pave the way for an entirely new approach to understanding the evolution of sociality in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Mannino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Gioacchino Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy;
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2
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Csata E, Casacci LP, Ruther J, Bernadou A, Heinze J, Markó B. Non-lethal fungal infection could reduce aggression towards strangers in ants. Commun Biol 2023; 6:183. [PMID: 36797462 PMCID: PMC9935638 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04541-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Many parasites interfere with the behaviour of their hosts. In social animals, such as ants, parasitic interference can cause changes on the level of the individual and also on the level of the society. The ant-parasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii influences the behaviour of Myrmica ants by expanding the host's nestmate recognition template, thereby increasing the chance of the colony accepting infected non-nestmates. Infected ants consistently show an increase of the alkane tricosane (n-C23) in their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Although experimental application of single compounds often elicits aggression towards manipulated ants, we hypothesized that the increase of n-C23 might underlie the facilitated acceptance of infected non-nestmates. To test this, we mimicked fungal infection in M. scabrinodis by applying synthetic n-C23 to fresh ant corpses and observed the reaction of infected and uninfected workers to control and manipulated corpses. Infected ants appeared to be more peaceful towards infected but not uninfected non-nestmates. Adding n-C23 to uninfected corpses resulted in reduced aggression in uninfected ants. This supports the hypothesis that n-C23 acts as a 'pacifying' signal. Our study indicates that parasitic interference with the nestmate discrimination of host ants might eventually change colony structure by increasing genetic heterogeneity in infected colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Csata
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93040, Regensburg, Germany. .,Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy.
| | - Joachim Ruther
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D‐93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Abel Bernadou
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D‐93040 Regensburg, Germany ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XCentre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Jürgen Heinze
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D‐93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bálint Markó
- grid.7399.40000 0004 1937 1397Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania ,grid.7399.40000 0004 1937 13973B Centre for Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Clinicilor 5-7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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3
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Jud SL, Knebel D, Ulrich Y. Intergenerational genotypic interactions drive collective behavioural cycles in a social insect. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221273. [PMID: 36321497 PMCID: PMC9627708 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many social animals display collective activity cycles based on synchronous behavioural oscillations across group members. A classic example is the colony cycle of army ants, where thousands of individuals undergo stereotypical biphasic behavioural cycles of about one month. Cycle phases coincide with brood developmental stages, but the regulation of this cycle is otherwise poorly understood. Here, we probe the regulation of cycle duration through interactions between brood and workers in an experimentally amenable army ant relative, the clonal raider ant. We first establish that cycle length varies across clonal lineages using long-term monitoring data. We then investigate the putative sources and impacts of this variation in a cross-fostering experiment with four lineages combining developmental, morphological and automated behavioural tracking analyses. We show that cycle length variation stems from variation in the duration of the larval developmental stage, and that this stage can be prolonged not only by the clonal lineage of brood (direct genetic effects), but also of the workers (indirect genetic effects). We find similar indirect effects of worker line on brood adult size and, conversely (but more surprisingly), indirect genetic effects of the brood on worker behaviour (walking speed and time spent in the nest).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L. Jud
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETHZ Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Knebel
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Yuko Ulrich
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETHZ Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, Jena 07745, Germany
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4
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Lorenzi MC. Chemically Insignificant Social Parasites Exhibit More Anti-Dehydration Behaviors than Their Hosts. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111006. [PMID: 34821806 PMCID: PMC8624806 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Social parasites use a variety of deceptive mechanisms to avoid detection by their social-insect hosts and get tolerance in their colonies. One of these mechanisms is chemical insignificance, where social parasites have reduced amounts of recognition cues—hydrocarbons—on their cuticle, thus evading host chemical detection. This exposes social parasites to dehydration stress, as cuticular hydrocarbons also limit body water loss. By analyzing behavioral data from field observations, here we show that a Polistes wasp social parasite exhibits water-saving behaviors; parasites were less active than their cohabiting host foundresses, spent more time at the nest, and rested in the shadow, contradicting the rule that dominant individuals occupy prominent positions at the nest. Abstract Social parasites have evolved adaptations to overcome host resistance as they infiltrate host colonies and establish there. Among the chemical adaptations, a few species are chemically “insignificant”; they are poor in recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) and evade host detection. As cuticular hydrocarbons also serve a waterproofing function, chemical insignificance is beneficial as it protects parasites from being detected but is potentially harmful because it exposes parasites to desiccation stress. Here I tested whether the social parasites Polistes atrimandibularis employ behavioral water-saving strategies when they live at Polistes biglumis colonies. Observations in the field showed that parasites were less active than their cohabiting host foundresses, spent more time at the nest, and rested in the shadowy, back face of the nest, rather than at the front face, which contradicted expectations for the use of space for dominant females—typically, dominants rest at the nest front-face. These data suggest that behavioral adaptations might promote resistance to desiccation stress in chemical insignificant social parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Lorenzi
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, UR 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
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5
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The Inquiline Ant Myrmica karavajevi Uses Both Chemical and Vibroacoustic Deception Mechanisms to Integrate into Its Host Colonies. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070654. [PMID: 34356510 PMCID: PMC8301377 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Social parasitism represents a particular type of agonistic interaction in which a parasite exploits an entire society instead of a single organism. One fascinating form of social parasitism in ants is the "inquilinism", in which a typically worker-less parasitic queen coexists with the resident queen in the host colony and produces sexual offspring. To bypass the recognition system of host colonies, inquilines have evolved a repertoire of deceiving strategies. We tested the level of integration of the inquiline Myrmica karavajevi within the host colonies of M. scabrinodis and we investigated the mechanisms of chemical and vibroacoustic deception used by the parasite. M. karavajevi is integrated into the ant colony to such an extent that, in rescue experiments, the parasite pupae were saved prior to the host's brood. M. karavajevi gynes perfectly imitated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of M. scabrinodis queens and the parasite vibroacoustic signals resembled those emitted by the host queens eliciting the same levels of attention in the host workers during playback experiments. Our results suggest that M. karavajevi has evolved ultimate deception strategies to reach the highest social status in the colony hierarchy, encouraging the use of a combined molecular and behavioural approach when studying host-parasite interactions.
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6
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Fattorini S, Maurizi E, Di Giulio A. Interactional behaviors of the parasitic beetle Paussus favieri with its ant host Pheidole pallidula: the mimetic role of the acoustical signals. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:548-554. [PMID: 32167206 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The social parasitic beetle Paussus favieri (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini) performs different types of stridulations, which selectively mimic those emitted by different ant castes of its host Pheidole pallidula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). However, the significance of this acoustical mimicry for the success of the parasitic strategy and the behaviors elicited in the host ants by stridulations was unknown. We reared Paussus favieri in Pheidole pallidula colonies and filmed their interacting behaviors. We analyzed in slow motion the behavior of ants near a stridulating beetle. We analyzed separately trains of pulse (Pa + Pb, produced by repeated rubbings) and single pulse (Pc, produced by a single rubbing) of stridulations, clearly recognizable from the shaking up and down of the beetle hind legs, and associated them with different ant responses. The full repertoire of sounds produced by P. favieri elicited benevolent responses both in workers and soldiers. We found that different signals elicit different (sometimes multiple) behaviors in ants, with different frequency in the two ant castes. However, Pc (alone or in conjunction with other types of pulses) appears to be the type of acoustic signal mostly responsible for all recorded behaviors. These results indicate that the acoustic channel plays a pivotal role in the host-parasite interaction. Finding that a parasite uses the acoustical channel so intensively, and in such a complicated way to trigger ant behaviors, indicates that acoustic signals may be more important in ant societies than commonly recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fattorini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Emanuela Maurizi
- Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-DC), Florence, Italy
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7
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Masoni A, Frizzi F, Nieri R, Casacci LP, Mazzoni V, Turillazzi S, Santini G. Ants modulate stridulatory signals depending on the behavioural context. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5933. [PMID: 33723279 PMCID: PMC7970987 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84925-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect societies require an effective communication system to coordinate members' activities. Although eusocial species primarily use chemical communication to convey information to conspecifics, there is increasing evidence suggesting that vibroacoustic communication plays a significant role in the behavioural contexts of colony life. In this study, we sought to determine whether stridulation can convey information in ant societies. We tested three main hypotheses using the Mediterranean ant Crematogaster scutellaris: (i) stridulation informs about the emitter'caste; (ii) workers can modulate stridulation based on specific needs, such as communicating the profitability of a food resource, or (iii) behavioural contexts. We recorded the stridulations of individuals from the three castes, restrained on a substrate, and the signals emitted by foragers workers feeding on honey drops of various sizes. Signals emitted by workers and sexuates were quantitatively and qualitatively distinct as was stridulation emitted by workers on different honey drops. Comparing across the experimental setups, we demonstrated that signals emitted in different contexts (restraining vs feeding) differed in emission patterns as well as certain parameters (dominant frequency, amplitude, duration of chirp). Our findings suggest that vibrational signaling represents a flexible communication channel paralleling the well-known chemical communication system.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Masoni
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - F. Frizzi
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - R. Nieri
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy ,grid.424414.30000 0004 1755 6224Research and Innovation Center, Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All’Adige, Italy
| | - L. P. Casacci
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin University, Turin, Italy ,grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - V. Mazzoni
- grid.424414.30000 0004 1755 6224Research and Innovation Center, Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All’Adige, Italy
| | - S. Turillazzi
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - G. Santini
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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8
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Adams RMM, Wells RL, Yanoviak SP, Frost CJ, Fox EGP. Interspecific Eavesdropping on Ant Chemical Communication. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Casacci LP, Bonelli S, Balletto E, Barbero F. Multimodal Signaling in Myrmecophilous Butterflies. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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10
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Pepiciello I, Cini A, Nieri R, Mazzoni V, Cervo R. Adult-larval vibrational communication in paper wasps: the role of abdominal wagging in Polistes dominula. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.186247. [PMID: 30158130 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.186247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Communication through vibrational signals is widespread among social insects and regulates crucial social activities. Females of the social wasp Polistes dominula produce substrate-borne vibrations on the combs by performing a conspicuous abdominal oscillatory behavior, known as abdominal wagging. Several studies have reported correlative evidence in support of its signaling role, but direct evidence is still lacking. Because abdominal wagging is strictly associated with the presence of larvae in the nest and with cell inspection, it has been suggested that it could be involved in adult-larvae communication. According to this hypothesis, abdominal wagging vibrations would have short-term effects related to food and trophallactic exchanges between adults and larvae by modulating salivary secretion (decreasing its amount, to prepare larvae to receive food, or stimulating the release of larval saliva to adults). Here, by using an electro-magnetic shaker, we assessed, for the first time, the short-term effects of abdominal wagging on larval behavior by recording larval responses and by measuring the amount of saliva released immediately after abdominal wagging playback. Our results show that larvae are able to perceive the substrate-borne vibrations produced by abdominal wagging and react by increasing the movement of their body, possibly in order to attract the attention of adult females during feeding nest inspection. Yet, we found that vibrations neither increase nor decrease the release of larval saliva. Our results support the hypothesis of the alleged role of vibrations in adult-larvae communications; however, they do not support the long-lasting hypothesis of salivary release modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Pepiciello
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Alessandro Cini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy .,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rachele Nieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.,Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via Mach 1, I-38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Valerio Mazzoni
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via Mach 1, I-38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Rita Cervo
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
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11
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Schultner E, Oettler J, Helanterä H. The Role of Brood in Eusocial Hymenoptera. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2018; 92:39-78. [PMID: 29558609 DOI: 10.1086/690840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Study of social traits in offspring traditionally reflects on interactions in simple family groups, with famous examples including parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry in birds and mammals. In contrast, studies of complex social groups such as the societies of ants, bees, and wasps focus mainly on adults and, in particular, on traits and interests of queens and workers. The social role of developing individuals in complex societies remains poorly understood. We attempt to fill this gap by illustrating that development in social Hymenoptera constitutes a crucial life stage with important consequences for the individual as well as the colony. We begin by describing the complex social regulatory network that modulates development in Hymenoptera societies. By highlighting the inclusive fitness interests of developing individuals, we show that they may differ from those of other colony members. We then demonstrate that offspring have evolved specialized traits that allow them to play a functional, cooperative role within colonies and give them the potential power to act toward increasing their inclusive fitness. We conclude by providing testable predictions for investigating the role of brood in colony interactions and giving a general outlook on what can be learned from studying offspring traits in hymenopteran societies.
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12
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Schönrogge K, Barbero F, Casacci L, Settele J, Thomas J. Acoustic communication within ant societies and its mimicry by mutualistic and socially parasitic myrmecophiles. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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13
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Jandt JM, Suryanarayanan S, Hermanson JC, Jeanne RL, Toth AL. Maternal and nourishment factors interact to influence offspring developmental trajectories in social wasps. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170651. [PMID: 28637858 PMCID: PMC5489728 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The social and nutritional environments during early development have the potential to affect offspring traits, but the mechanisms and molecular underpinnings of these effects remain elusive. We used Polistes fuscatus paper wasps to dissect how maternally controlled factors (vibrational signals and nourishment) interact to induce different caste developmental trajectories in female offspring, leading to worker or reproductive (gyne) traits. We established a set of caste phenotype biomarkers in P. fuscatus females, finding that gyne-destined individuals had high expression of three caste-related genes hypothesized to have roles in diapause and mitochondrial metabolism. We then experimentally manipulated maternal vibrational signals (via artificial 'antennal drumming') and nourishment levels (via restricted foraging). We found that these caste-related biomarker genes were responsive to drumming, nourishment level or their interaction. Our results provide a striking example of the potent influence of maternal and nutritional effects in influencing transcriptional activity and developmental outcomes in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Jandt
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - John C Hermanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Robert L Jeanne
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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14
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Riva F, Barbero F, Bonelli S, Balletto E, Casacci LP. The acoustic repertoire of lycaenid butterfly larvae. BIOACOUSTICS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2016.1197151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emilio Balletto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca P. Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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15
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The Pied Piper: A Parasitic Beetle's Melodies Modulate Ant Behaviours. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130541. [PMID: 26154266 PMCID: PMC4496082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants use various communication channels to regulate their social organisation. The main channel that drives almost all the ants’ activities and behaviours is the chemical one, but it is long acknowledged that the acoustic channel also plays an important role. However, very little is known regarding exploitation of the acoustical channel by myrmecophile parasites to infiltrate the ant society. Among social parasites, the ant nest beetles (Paussus) are obligate myrmecophiles able to move throughout the colony at will and prey on the ants, surprisingly never eliciting aggression from the colonies. It has been recently postulated that stridulatory organs in Paussus might be evolved as an acoustic mechanism to interact with ants. Here, we survey the role of acoustic signals employed in the Paussus beetle-Pheidole ant system. Ants parasitised by Paussus beetles produce caste-specific stridulations. We found that Paussus can “speak” three different “languages”, each similar to sounds produced by different ant castes (workers, soldiers, queen). Playback experiments were used to test how host ants respond to the sounds emitted by Paussus. Our data suggest that, by mimicking the stridulations of the queen, Paussus is able to dupe the workers of its host and to be treated as royalty. This is the first report of acoustic mimicry in a beetle parasite of ants.
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16
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Farine JP, Cortot J, Ferveur JF. Drosophila adult and larval pheromones modulate larval food choice. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140043. [PMID: 24741012 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects use chemosensory cues to feed and mate. In Drosophila, the effect of pheromones has been extensively investigated in adults, but rarely in larvae. The colonization of natural food sources by Drosophila buzzatii and Drosophila simulans species may depend on species-specific chemical cues left in the food by larvae and adults. We identified such chemicals in both species and measured their influence on larval food preference and puparation behaviour. We also tested compounds that varied between these species: (i) two larval volatile compounds: hydroxy-3-butanone-2 and phenol (predominant in D. simulans and D. buzzatii, respectively), and (ii) adult cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs). Drosophila buzzatii larvae were rapidly attracted to non-CH adult conspecific cues, whereas D. simulans larvae were strongly repulsed by CHs of the two species and also by phenol. Larval cues from both species generally reduced larval attraction and pupariation on food, which was generally--but not always--low, and rarely reflected larval response. As these larval and adult pheromones specifically influence larval food search and the choice of a pupariation site, they may greatly affect the dispersion and survival of Drosophila species in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, , 6 Boulevard Gabriel, Dijon 21000, France
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17
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Variation in butterfly larval acoustics as a strategy to infiltrate and exploit host ant colony resources. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94341. [PMID: 24718496 PMCID: PMC3981827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
About 10,000 arthropods live as ants' social parasites and have evolved a number of mechanisms allowing them to penetrate and survive inside the ant nests. Many of them can intercept and manipulate their host communication systems. This is particularly important for butterflies of the genus Maculinea, which spend the majority of their lifecycle inside Myrmica ant nests. Once in the colony, caterpillars of Maculinea “predatory species” directly feed on the ant larvae, while those of “cuckoo species” are fed primarily by attendance workers, by trophallaxis. It has been shown that Maculinea cuckoo larvae are able to reach a higher social status within the colony's hierarchy by mimicking the acoustic signals of their host queen ants. In this research we tested if, when and how myrmecophilous butterflies may change sound emissions depending on their integration level and on stages of their life cycle. We studied how a Maculinea predatory species (M. teleius) can acoustically interact with their host ants and highlighted differences with respect to a cuckoo species (M. alcon). We recorded sounds emitted by Maculinea larvae as well as by their Myrmica hosts, and performed playback experiments to assess the parasites' capacity to interfere with the host acoustic communication system. We found that, although varying between and within butterfly species, the larval acoustic emissions are more similar to queens' than to workers' stridulations. Nevertheless playback experiments showed that ant workers responded most strongly to the sounds emitted by the integrated (i.e. post-adoption) larvae of the cuckoo species, as well as by those of predatory species recorded before any contact with the host ants (i.e. in pre-adoption), thereby revealing the role of acoustic signals both in parasite integration and in adoption rituals. We discuss our findings in the broader context of parasite adaptations, comparing effects of acoustical and chemical mimicry.
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Cammaerts MC. Performance of the species-typical alarm response in young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is induced by interactions with mature workers. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:234. [PMID: 25525102 PMCID: PMC4684679 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieu096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Young workers of the ant Myrmica sabuleti (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Meinert 1861 perceived nestmate alarm pheromone but did not display normal alarm behavior (orientation toward the source of emission, increased running speed). They changed their initial behavior when in the presence of older nestmates exhibiting normal alarm behavior. Four days later, the young ants exhibited an imperfect version of normal alarm behavior. This change of behavior did not occur in young ants, which were not exposed to older ants reacting to alarm pheromone. Queen ants perceived the alarm pheromone and, after a few seconds, moved toward its source. Thus, the ants' ability to sense the alarm pheromone and to identify it as an alarm signal is native, while the adult alarm reaction is acquired over time (= age based polyethism) by young ants. It is possible that the change in behavior observed in young ants could be initiated and/or enhanced (via experience-induced developmental plasticity, learning, and/or other mechanisms) by older ants exhibiting alarm behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claire Cammaerts
- Faculté des Sciences, DBO, CP 160/12, Université libre de Bruxelles, 50, A. F. Roosevelt, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique
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