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Kirschman LJ, Eastman HM, Irovic FJ, Nix NA, Bui LTK, Blackmon SL, Greenlee JS, Lamichhane R, Mabuce JD, McAllister HK, Nevill LF, Redinger P, Rivers NI, Sprague JL. An improved method to assess the encapsulation response in arthropods. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 156:104670. [PMID: 38945435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Ecoimmunology explores how ecological factors and evolutionary processes influence immune responses across various taxa and how immune responses trade-off with other traits. Studying immune responses requires biologically meaningful immunoassays applicable to a broad range of taxa and are sensitive enough to detect changes in the immune response. Useful immunoassays should also correlate with immunocompetence and fitness. The encapsulation response, a complex immune mechanism in arthropods, serves as a robust method for ecoimmunological investigations. However, traditional methods to test the encapsulation response can require long training. This study introduces an innovative, cost-effective method for assessing the encapsulation immune response in arthropods, which simplifies the procedure by reducing the training time and skill required. Our modified device utilizes a pen and syringe assembly for inserting monofilaments into arthropod larvae. We compared our device against traditional methods. Despite the new method being 22% faster, it did not compromise the accuracy or effectiveness of the encapsulation response when compared with traditional techniques, demonstrating similar degrees of melanization and encapsulation. Our method allowed for more accessible participation by less experienced researchers, such as undergraduates, facilitating their involvement in ecoimmunological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Kirschman
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA.
| | - Hannah M Eastman
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Frank J Irovic
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Nathaniel A Nix
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Ly Tuan Kiet Bui
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Sydney L Blackmon
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Jaylen S Greenlee
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Rubina Lamichhane
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Jack D Mabuce
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Hannah K McAllister
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Lilly F Nevill
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Peyton Redinger
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Nia I Rivers
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
| | - Jackson L Sprague
- Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
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2
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Ratz T, Chechi TS, Dimopoulou AI, Sedlmair SD, Tuni C. Heatwaves inflict reproductive but not survival costs to male insects. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246698. [PMID: 38436413 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is having a dramatic effect on the environment, with rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme climatic events, such as heatwaves, that can hamper organisms' biological functions. Although it is clear that sudden and extreme temperatures can damage reproductive processes, there is limited understanding of the effects of heatwaves on male mating behaviour and reproductive success. We tested for the effects of heat stress induced by ecologically relevant heatwaves (33°C and 39°C for five consecutive days) on the mating behaviour, reproductive success, body mass and survival of male field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus, paired with untreated females. We predicted life-history and reproductive costs would increase with increasing heatwave intensity. Consistent with our expectations, males exposed to the highest heatwave temperature produced the fewest offspring, while having to increase courtship effort to successfully mate. Males also gained relatively more weight following heatwave exposure. Given that we found no difference in lifetime survival, our results suggest a potential trade-off in resource allocation between somatic maintenance and reproductive investment. Taken together, our findings indicate that sublethal effects of heatwaves could reduce the growth and persistence of animal populations by negatively impacting reproductive rates. These findings highlight the need for considering thermal ecologies, life history and behaviour to better understand the consequences of extreme climatic events on individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Ratz
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstraße 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tejinder Singh Chechi
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Aliki-Ioanna Dimopoulou
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stephanie Daniela Sedlmair
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
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3
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Pal A, Joshi M, Thaker M. Too much information? Males convey parasite levels using more signal modalities than females utilise. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246217. [PMID: 38054353 PMCID: PMC10906484 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Elaborate sexual signals are thought to have evolved and be maintained to serve as honest indicators of signaller quality. One measure of quality is health, which can be affected by parasite infection. Cnemaspis mysoriensis is a diurnal gecko that is often infested with ectoparasites in the wild, and males of this species express visual (coloured gular patches) and chemical (femoral gland secretions) traits that receivers could assess during social interactions. In this paper, we tested whether ectoparasites affect individual health, and whether signal quality is an indicator of ectoparasite levels. In wild lizards, we found that ectoparasite level was negatively correlated with body condition in both sexes. Moreover, some characteristics of both visual and chemical traits in males were strongly associated with ectoparasite levels. Specifically, males with higher ectoparasite levels had yellow gular patches with lower brightness and chroma, and chemical secretions with a lower proportion of aromatic compounds. We then determined whether ectoparasite levels in males influence female behaviour. Using sequential choice trials, wherein females were provided with either the visual or the chemical signals of wild-caught males that varied in ectoparasite level, we found that only chemical secretions evoked an elevated female response towards less parasitised males. Simultaneous choice trials in which females were exposed to the chemical secretions from males that varied in parasite level further confirmed a preference for males with lower parasites loads. Overall, we find that although health (body condition) or ectoparasite load can be honestly advertised through multiple modalities, the parasite-mediated female response is exclusively driven by chemical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arka Pal
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Mihir Joshi
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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4
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Han CS, Lee B, Moon J. Activity-aggression behavioural syndromes exist in males but not in females of the field cricket Teleogryllus emma. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10642. [PMID: 37859828 PMCID: PMC10582681 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on sex differences in behaviour have largely focused on differences in average behaviours between sexes. However, males and females can diverge not only in average behaviours but also in the direction of behavioural correlations at the individual level (i.e. behavioural syndromes). Behavioural syndromes, with their potential to constrain the independent evolution of behaviours, may play a role in shaping sex-specific responses to selection and contributing to the development of sex differences in behaviour. Despite the pivotal role of behavioural syndromes in the evolution of sexual dimorphism in behaviour, robust empirical evidence of sex differences in behavioural syndromes based on repeated measurements of behaviours is scarce. In this study, we conducted repeated measurements of activity and aggression in male and female field crickets Teleogryllus emma, providing evidence of sex differences in the existence of behavioural syndromes. Males exhibited a significantly positive behavioural syndrome between activity and aggression, whereas females, in contrast, did not show any aggressive behaviour, resulting in the absence of such a syndrome. The sex differences in the existence of the activity-aggression behavioural syndromes in this species could be attributed to differences in selection. Selection favouring more active and aggressive males may have shaped a positive activity-aggression behavioural syndrome in males, whereas the absence of selection favouring female aggression may have resulted in the absence of aggression and the related behavioural syndrome in females. However, given the plasticity of behaviour with changes in age or the environment, further research is needed to explore how sex differences in the existence of activity-aggression behavioural syndromes change across contexts. Furthermore, understanding the genetic underpinning of sex differences in a behavioural syndrome would be pivotal to assess the role of behavioural syndromes in the evolution of sexual dimorphism in behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang S. Han
- Department of BiologyKyung Hee UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Byeongho Lee
- Department of BiologyKyung Hee UniversitySeoulKorea
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5
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Limberger GM, Esteves KP, Halal LM, Nery LEM, da Fonseca DB. Chronic immune challenge is detrimental to female survival, feeding behavior, and reproduction in the field cricket Gryllus assimilis (Fabricius, 1775). J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:423-434. [PMID: 35195757 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01431-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Physiological trade-offs among expensive fitness-related traits, such as reproduction and immunity, are common in life histories of animals. An immune challenge can have different effects on female reproduction mediated by resource allocation and acquisition. In this study, employing a widely used method to challenge the insect immune system (nylon implant), we assessed the effects of mounting a chronic immune response simulating three successive immune assaults on survival and reproduction of mated females of Gryllus assimilis. We also verified feeding behavior following an implantation, which can be important in explaining trade-off dynamics in terms of energy acquisition. For this, three experimental groups were designed (Control, Sham, and Implant) with oviposition rates, egg morphometry, and nymph vigour observed over 3 weeks, at which ovarian mass and unlaid eggs were quantified from remaining individuals. The results showed that chronic implants were detrimental to female survival and reproduction throughout the experiments; Surgical Sham had no effect on survival compared to the control, but did on reproductive aspects such as oviposition rates and hatchling vigour. These negative effects on reproduction in Sham disappeared in the last experimental week, but still strong in the implanted females. Such immune challenge affected the feeding behavior of implanted females by reducing food consumption compared to control after infection, which is probably explained by illness-induced anorexia that takes place to maximize the immune system performance as a part of sickness behavior, exacerbating the adverse effects observed on reproduction (i.e., fewer and smaller eggs, and low vigour of nymphs) and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Martins Limberger
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-001, Brazil.
| | | | - Lamia Marques Halal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-001, Brazil
| | - Luiz Eduardo Maia Nery
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Av. Itália, km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-001, Brazil
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Lin CC, Hedwig B. Wing movements underlying sound production in calling, rivalry, and courtship songs of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus (DeGeer). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 134:104299. [PMID: 34418404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We recorded the wing movements and sound signals during the production of calling, rivalry, and courtship song in the bispotted field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Recordings confirm that salient sound pulses during calling and rivalry song are generated during the closing movements of the wings. Wing movements for calling and rivalry song start from an elevated wing position and are performed with a very similar opening-closing movement, indicating that both types of songs may be generated by the same neuronal network. Wing movements for courtship song start from a low wing position; rapid closing movements generate high-frequency ticks and low-amplitude wing oscillations lead to low-amplitude pulses, generated during the opening and closing movements with a carrier frequency corresponding to the calling song. The two types of wing movements underlying courtship song indicate a different motor control as compared to calling song and may represent an early evolutionary phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Cheng Lin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Berthold Hedwig
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
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7
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Vibrational signalling, an underappreciated mode in cricket communication. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:41. [PMID: 34480654 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01749-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Signalling via substrate vibration represents one of the most ubiquitous and ancient modes of insect communication. In crickets (Grylloidea) and other taxa of tympanate Ensifera, production and detection of acoustic and vibrational signals are closely linked functionally and evolutionarily. Male stridulation produces both acoustic and vibrational signal components, the joint perception of which improves song recognition and female orientation towards the signaller. In addition to stridulation, vibrational signalling mainly through body tremulation and/or drumming with body parts on the substrate has long been known to be part of crickets' close-range communication, including courtship, mate guarding and aggression. Such signalling is typically exhibited by males, independently or in conjunction with stridulation, and occurs literally in all cricket lineages and species studied. It is further also part of the aggressive behaviour of females, and in a few cricket groups, females respond vibrationally to acoustic and/or vibrational signals from males. The characteristics and function of these signals have remained largely unexplored despite their prevalence. Moreover, the communication potential and also ubiquity of cricket vibrational signals are underappreciated, limiting our understanding of the function and evolution of the cricket signalling systems. By providing a concise review of the existing knowledge of cricket perception of vibrations and vibrational signalling behaviour, we critically comment on these views, discuss the communication value of the emitted signals and give some methodological advice respecting their registration and control. The review aims to increase awareness, understanding and research interest in this ancient and widespread signalling mode in cricket communication.
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8
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Gandra LC, Amaral KD, Couceiro JC, Dângelo RAC, De Souza DJ, Della Lucia TMC. Immune Defense Strategies of Queens of the Social Parasite Ant Acromyrmex ameliae and Queens of Its Natural Hosts. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:229-236. [PMID: 33555562 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-020-00838-y] [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: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Social parasitism is well known in ants, but many aspects of this social phenomenon remain mysterious and unexplored. In some cases, parasite queens, who are able to mate very rarely end up producing brood and, thus, depend virtually on the labor of host ants. In this work, we sought to test the occurrence of grooming by host workers of Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus Forel, to their own queens and queens of the parasite Acromyrmex ameliae De Souza, Soares and Della Lucia and to compare the immune defense responses of parasite queens and queens of A. subterraneus subterraneus and Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus Forel, the natural hosts. Duration and frequency of behavioral acts were recorded. The relative size of the bulla and the encapsulation response to a standardized antigen were analyzed. Regarding behavioral acts, self-grooming (duration and frequency) and allogrooming (duration) were statistically different between the species; the first is more frequent and lasted longer in parasite queens, while the second act lasted longer in host ants than in parasite ants. The bulla of A. ameliae was approximately 50% wider than those of its hosts. Parasite queens exhibited a stronger immune response than host queens. The results of this work contribute to elucidate potential mechanisms involved in the parasitism capacity of A. ameliae queens such as their strategies of immune defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lailla C Gandra
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Univ Federal de Viçosa, Florestal, MG, Brazil.
| | | | - Joel C Couceiro
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Univ de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Bent AM, Ings TC, Mowles SL. Does anthropogenic noise affect the acoustic courtship interactions of Gryllus bimaculatus? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Fuciarelli TM, Rollo CD. Impacts of ionization radiation on the cuticular hydrocarbon profile and mating success of male house crickets ( Acheta domesticus). Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 97:564-570. [PMID: 33471571 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1876954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ionizing radiation is well known to have drastic impacts on major life history features including survivorship, growth, fertility, and longevity. What is much less appreciated is how radiation stress can cause changes to more subtle traits, such as those associated with sexual signaling, an underappreciated but vital aspect of insect reproduction. In the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) cuticular hydrocarbons are vital for sex and species recognition, as well as a possible indicator of stress, making them crucial for successful mating and reproduction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we analyze the impacts of ionizing radiation on the cuticular hydrocarbons of male crickets and its subsequent impacts on mating success. We exposed juvenile (14-day, 4th instar) male crickets to a broad range of radiation doses (2 Gy - 2 Gy). RESULTS We detected significant changes in individual cuticular hydrocarbons across a broad range of doses in mature male crickets using gas-liquid chromatography. Specifically, dose was identified as a significant contributing factor to hydrocarbon increases p < .0001. Mating success was significantly reduced in 12 Gy (p < .0001), 10 Gy (0.0001), and 7 Gy (0.0060) groups compared to non-irradiated controls. CONCLUSION Insect chemical communication can be species specific, and functionally specialized. Here, we show that radiation can alter the chemical signals used to attract mates in a large bodied insect and this may be a contributing factor to the described reduction in male mating success. Further research should be conducted to further analyze the various modes of communication employed by male crickets to attract mates i.e. acoustic signaling, and how this may also contribute to the reduction in mating success seen in irradiated males.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C David Rollo
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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11
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Bent AM, Ings TC, Mowles SL. Anthropogenic noise disrupts mate choice behaviors in female Gryllus bimaculatus. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
By assessing the sexual signals produced by conspecifics, individuals can make informed decisions on the best choice of mate, which can lead to reproductive fitness benefits. However, these communication systems are often vulnerable to disruption by conflicting with stimuli present in the environment. Anthropogenic noise may act as one such disruptive stimulus, leading to inefficient mate choice decisions and, thus, reductions to an animal’s fitness. In this study, the mate choice behaviors of female Gryllus bimaculatus were tested when presented with artificial male courtship songs of differing “quality” under different acoustic conditions. In ambient noise conditions, females significantly preferred mates paired with higher-quality songs, indicated by increased mating rates and reduced latency to mate. However, this mate selection pattern was disrupted in both traffic and white noise conditions. Additionally, “high-quality” courtship songs had an increased mounting latency in traffic and white noise conditions, when compared to ambient noise conditions. Making nonoptimal mating decisions, such as the ones seen here, can lead to deleterious fitness consequences, alter population dynamics, and weaken sexual selection, unless individuals adapt to cope with anthropogenic interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Bent
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas C Ings
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Sophie L Mowles
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
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12
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Magris M, Wignall AE, Herberstein ME. Courtship and copula duration influence paternity success in a spider. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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13
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DE LA PeÑa E, MartÍn J, Barja I, PÉrez-Caballero R, Acosta I, Carranza J. Immune challenge of mating effort: steroid hormone profile, dark ventral patch and parasite burden in relation to intrasexual competition in male Iberian red deer. Integr Zool 2020; 15:262-275. [PMID: 31912636 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone secretion may regulate the reproductive effort and the development of sexual traits, but it may also involve costs at the immunological and metabolic levels. However, the evidence for this trade-off in wild populations is scarce. Cortisol also plays an important role in mediating the reproductive and immune functions. In this study, we analyzed whether the endoparasite burden relates to hormonal levels (fecal testosterone and cortisol metabolites) and/or morphological sexual traits (size of the dark ventral patch, a trait that indicates reproductive effort in males) in male Iberian red deer. For this purpose, we sampled male red deer harvested during hunting actions in 2 types of populations in south western Spain that differed in structure, affecting the level of male-male competition for mates. We used coprological analyses to estimate the parasite burden mainly of gastrointestinal and bronchopulmonary nematodes and of protozoa, and assessed testosterone and cortisol metabolite levels from fecal pellets. We found a positive relationship of host parasitation with both testosterone levels and the size of the dark ventral patch, but these relationships depended on the intensity of male-male competition in the population, being only found under the high-competition scenario. These results are discussed under the hypothesis of the testosterone immunocompetence handicap, suggesting a cost at the immunological level, and, therefore, higher susceptibility to parasite infection in males that make a greater reproductive effort. However, this effect seems to be modulated by the social environment (male-male competition) that might lead to different optima in testosterone production and sexual trait development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva DE LA PeÑa
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - José MartÍn
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (Spanish Research Council, CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Department of Biology, Zoology Unit, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Biodiversity and Global Change Research Centre, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl PÉrez-Caballero
- Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Unit, Animal Health Department, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabel Acosta
- Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Unit, Animal Health Department, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan Carranza
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
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14
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Kirschman LJ, Morales D, Crawford E, Zera AJ, Warne RW. Sex and life history shape the strength of cellular and humoral immune responses in a wing dimorphic cricket. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 116:70-76. [PMID: 31029600 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Immune function is a complex collection of responses that often trade-off with one another and with other life history traits, because of the high costs of mounting and maintaining immune responses. Animals, even those from the same populations, may emphasize different aspects of immune function depending on their habitat and phenotype. For example, host population density mediates the threat from density-dependent parasites. Animals at high densities may emphasize fast-acting humoral responses, while those at low densities may favor slower, but more specific, cellular responses. However, these predictions may be dependent on other life history traits, like sex, which is associated with variation in many immune responses. We used wing dimorphic Gryllus firmus crickets to test humoral responses, measured by lysozyme and phenoloxidase activities, and cellular immune responses, measured by encapsulation, between morphs and sex. We found that both morphs and sexes differed in aspects of immune function. Long wing morphs had stronger encapsulation responses than short winged morphs. Additionally, females exhibited higher PO activity than males, and by contrast, males had higher lysozyme activity than females. Our study suggests that G. firmus morphs prioritize different immune responses that may reflect a balancing between the costs of immunity and differing pathogen threats. Male and female crickets exhibit differences in humoral immune responses that may reflect their different life history demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Kirschman
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA.
| | - Daniel Morales
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Emily Crawford
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Anthony J Zera
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Robin W Warne
- Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA
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15
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Buzatto BA, Kotiaho JS, Assis LAF, Simmons LW. A link between heritable parasite resistance and mate choice in dung beetles. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractParasites play a central role in the adaptiveness of sexual reproduction. Sexual selection theory suggests a role for parasite resistance in the context of mate choice, but the evidence is mixed. The parasite-mediated sexual selection (PMSS) hypothesis derives a number of predictions, among which that resistance to parasites is heritable, and that female choice favors parasite resistance genes in males. Here, we tested the PMSS hypothesis using the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus, a species that can be heavily parasitized by Macrocheles merdarius mites, which are known to affect adult survival. We investigated the heritability of resistance to M. merdarius, as well as whether female O. taurus impose a mating bias against males susceptible to mite infestation. Female choice for parasite resistance is difficult to disentangle from the possibility that females are simply choosing less parasitized males due to naturally selected benefits of avoiding contracting those parasites. This is especially likely for ectoparasites, such as mites. We tackled this problem by performing a mate choice trial first, and then measuring a male’s resistance to mite infestation. Resistance to mite infestation exhibited significant levels of additive genetic variance. Although we found no relationship between mating success and parasite resistance, males with greater resistance to infestation mated for longer. If females control copula duration, given that short copulations often result in mating failure, female choice could act on parasite resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno A Buzatto
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences (E8C 209), Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Janne S Kotiaho
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- School of Resource Wisdom, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Larissa A F Assis
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Rua do Matão, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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16
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Sex differences in immunity in a natural population of bush-cricket (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae). Biologia (Bratisl) 2019. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-019-00193-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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17
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Oviedo-Diego MA, Mattoni CI, Peretti AV. Specificity of the female's local cellular immune response in genital plug producing scorpion species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0208682. [PMID: 30742645 PMCID: PMC6370188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune defense is a key feature in the life history of organisms, expensive to maintain, highly regulated by individuals and exposed to physiological and evolutionary trade-offs. In chelicerates, relatively scarce are the studies that relate postcopulatory mechanisms and immune response parameters. This work makes an approximation to the female’s immunological consequences produced after the placement of a foreign body in the genitalia of three scorpions species, two species that normally receive genital plugs during mating (Urophonius brachycentrus and U. achalensis) and one that does not (Zabius fuscus). Here we performed the first morphological description of the natural plugs of the two Urophonius species. We described complex three zoned structure anchored to the female genital atrium and based on this information we placed implants in the genitalia (for eliciting the local immune response) of virgin females of the three species and measured the immune encapsulation response to this foreign body. We found a greater and heterogeneous response in different zones of the implants in the plug producing species. To corroborate the specificity of this immune response, we compared the local genital reaction with the triggered response at a systemic level by inserting implants into the female body cavity of U. brachycentrus and Zabius fuscus. We found that the systemic response did not differ between species and that only in the plug producing species the local response in the genitalia was higher than the systemic one. We also compared the total hemocyte load before and after the genital implantation to see if this parameter was compromised by the immunological challenge. We confirmed that in Urophonius species the presence of a strange body in the genitalia caused a decrease in the hemocyte load. Besides, we find correlations between the body weight and the immunological parameters, as well as between different immunological parameters with each other. Complementarily, we characterized the hemocytes of the three scorpion species for the first time. This comparative study can help to provide a wider framework of the immunological characteristics of the species, their differences and their relationship with the particular postcopulatory mechanism such as the genital plugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariela A. Oviedo-Diego
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Córdoba Capital, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Córdoba Capital, Cordoba, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Camilo I. Mattoni
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Córdoba Capital, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Córdoba Capital, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Alfredo V. Peretti
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Córdoba Capital, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Córdoba Capital, Cordoba, Argentina
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18
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Vedenina VY, Shestakov LS. Loser in Fight but Winner in Love: How Does Inter-Male Competition Determine the Pattern and Outcome of Courtship in Cricket Gryllus bimaculatus? Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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19
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Schneider ES, Kleineidam CJ, Leitinger G, Römer H. Ultrastructure and electrophysiology of thermosensitive sensilla coeloconica in a tropical katydid of the genus Mecopoda (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2018; 47:482-497. [PMID: 30120986 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In many acoustic insects, mate finding and mate choice are primarily based on acoustic signals. In several species with high-intensity calling songs, such as the studied katydid Mecopoda sp., males exhibit an increase in their thoracic temperature during singing, which is linearly correlated with the amount of energy invested in song production. If this increased body temperature is used by females as an additional cue to assess the male's quality during mate choice, as has been recently hypothesized ("hot-male" hypothesis), thermosensory structures would be required to evaluate this cue. In the present study, therefore, we investigated the ultrastructure and physiology of thermosensitive sensilla coeloconica on the antennal flagella of Mecopoda sp. using a combination of electron microscopy and electrophysiological recording techniques. We could identify three distinct types of sensilla coeloconica based on differences in the number and branching pattern of their dendrites. Physiological recordings revealed the innervation by antagonistically responding thermoreceptors (cold and warm) and bimodal hygro-/thermoreceptors (moist or dry) in various combinations. Our findings indicate that Mecopoda sp. females are capable of detecting a singing male from distances of at least several centimetres solely by assessing thermal cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik S Schneider
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2/1, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Christoph J Kleineidam
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Gerd Leitinger
- Research Unit Electron Microscopic Techniques, Department of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Heinrich Römer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
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20
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Kangassalo K, Valtonen TM, Sorvari J, Kecko S, Pölkki M, Krams I, Krama T, Rantala MJ. Independent and interactive effects of immune activation and larval diet on adult immune function, growth and development in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella). J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1485-1497. [PMID: 29957883 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Organisms in the wild are likely to face multiple immune challenges as well as additional ecological stressors, yet their interactive effects on immune function are poorly understood. Insects are found to respond to cues of increased infection risk by enhancing their immune capacity. However, such adaptive plasticity in immune function may be limited by physiological and environmental constraints. Here, we investigated the effects of two environmental stressors - poor larval diet and an artificial parasite-like immune challenge at the pupal stage - on adult immune function, growth and development in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella). Males whose immune system was activated with an artificial parasite-like immune challenge had weaker immune response - measured as strength of encapsulation response - as adults compared to the control groups, but only when reared on high-nutrition larval diet. Immune activation did not negatively affect adult immune response in males reared on low-nutrition larval diet, indicating that poor larval diet improved the capacity of the insects to respond to repeated immune challenges. Low-nutrition larval diet also had a positive independent effect on immune capacity in females, yet it negatively affected development time and adult body mass in both sexes. As in the nature immune challenges are rarely isolated, and adverse nutritional environment may indicate an elevated risk of infection, resilience to repeated immune challenges as a response to poor nutritional conditions could provide a significant fitness advantage. This study highlights the importance of considering environmental context when investigating the effects of immune activation in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Terhi M Valtonen
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jouni Sorvari
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sanita Kecko
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Daugavpils, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Mari Pölkki
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Daugavpils, Daugavpils, Latvia.,Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Daugavpils, Daugavpils, Latvia.,Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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21
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Ohkubo Y, Yoshimura J, Hasegawa E. Cricket mate selection as a spatial discounting phenomenon without learning. J ETHOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-018-0552-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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22
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Gray DA, Hormozi S, Libby FR, Cohen RW. Induced expression of a vestigial sexual signal. Biol Lett 2018; 14:20180095. [PMID: 29769298 PMCID: PMC6012708 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestigial morphological traits are common and well known in a variety of taxa. Identification of vestigial genes has illustrated the potential for evolutionary reversals and the re-expression of atavistic traits. Here we induce expression of a behavioural sexual signal, male calling song, in a cricket species, Gryllus ovisopis, which lacks a functional calling song. We successfully used acetylcholine injections in the frontal space of the head of male crickets to activate cerebral command neurons for cricket calling, and we recorded calling songs with a temporal chirp pattern similar to that of G. ovisopis' close evolutionary relatives, G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus, implying that the neural pattern generators that underlie cricket calling behaviour persist in a vestigial state in G. ovisopis To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the induced expression of a vestigial behaviour in any organism. The retention of latent neural capacity to express sexual behaviours could have important implications for rapid evolution, trait re-emergence and reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Gray
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Scherezade Hormozi
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Fritz R Libby
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Randy W Cohen
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
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23
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Woestmann L, Gibbs M, Hesketh H, Saastamoinen M. Viral exposure effects on life-history, flight-related traits, and wing melanisation in the Glanville fritillary butterfly. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 107:136-143. [PMID: 29627352 PMCID: PMC5971209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Infections represent a constant threat for organisms and can lead to substantial fitness losses. Understanding how individuals, especially from natural populations, respond towards infections is thus of great importance. Little is known about immunity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). As the larvae live gregariously in family groups, vertical and horizontal transmission of infections could have tremendous effects on individuals and consequently impact population dynamics in nature. We used the Alphabaculovirus type strain Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and demonstrated that positive concentration-dependent baculovirus exposure leads to prolonged developmental time and decreased survival during larval and pupal development, with no sex specific differences. Viral exposure did not influence relative thorax mass or wing morphometric traits often related to flight ability, yet melanisation of the wings increased with viral exposure, potentially influencing disease resistance or flight capacity via thermal regulation. Further research is needed to explore effects under sub-optimal conditions, determine effects on fitness-related traits, and investigate a potential adaptive response of increased melanisation in the wings due to baculovirus exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Woestmann
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Melanie Gibbs
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom.
| | - Helen Hesketh
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom.
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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24
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The ‘hot male’ hypothesis: do female crickets prefer males with increased body temperature in mate choice scenarios? Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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25
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Sarmiento-Ponce EJ, Sutcliffe MPF, Hedwig B. Substrate texture affects female cricket walking response to male calling song. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172334. [PMID: 29657819 PMCID: PMC5882743 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Field crickets are extensively used as a model organism to study female phonotactic walking behaviour, i.e. their attraction to the male calling song. Laboratory-based phonotaxis experiments generally rely on arena or trackball-based settings; however, no attention has been paid to the effect of substrate texture on the response. Here, we tested phonotaxis in female Gryllus bimaculatus, walking on trackballs machined from methyl-methacrylate foam with different cell sizes. Surface height variations of the trackballs, due to the cellular composition of the material, were measured with profilometry and characterized as smooth, medium or rough, with roughness amplitudes of 7.3, 16 and 180 µm. Female phonotaxis was best on a rough and medium trackball surface, a smooth surface resulted in a significant lower phonotactic response. Claws of the cricket foot were crucial for effective walking. Females insert their claws into the surface pores to allow mechanical interlocking with the substrate texture and a high degree of attachment, which cannot be established on smooth surfaces. These findings provide insight to the biomechanical basis of insect walking and may inform behavioural studies that the surface texture on which walking insects are tested is crucial for the resulting behavioural response.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. J. Sarmiento-Ponce
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - M. P. F. Sutcliffe
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - B. Hedwig
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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26
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Barbosa F, Rebar D, Greenfield MD. When do trade-offs occur? The roles of energy constraints and trait flexibility in bushcricket populations. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:287-301. [PMID: 29215173 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In many animal species, the expression of sexually selected traits is negatively correlated with traits associated with survival such as immune function, a relationship termed a 'trade-off'. But an alternative in which sexually selected traits are positively correlated with survival traits is also widespread. We propose that the nature of intertrait relationships is largely determined by overall energy expenditure, energy availability and trait flexibility, with trade-offs expected when individuals are subject to energy constraints. We tested this hypothesis in Ephippiger diurnus, a European bushcricket in which males are distinguished by two prominent sexually selected traits, acoustic calls and a large spermatophore transferred to the female at mating, and where immune function may be critical in survival. Ephippiger diurnus are distributed as small, isolated populations that are differentiated genetically and behaviourally. We analysed songs, spermatophores and the immune function in male individuals from eight populations spanning a range of song types. As predicted, we only found trade-offs in those populations that expended more energy on song and were less flexible in their ability to adjust that expenditure. Ultimately, energy constraints and resulting trade-offs may limit the evolution of song exaggeration in E. diurnus populations broadcasting long calls comprised of multiple 'syllables'.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Barbosa
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, UMR 7261, Tours, France.,Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL, USA
| | - D Rebar
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, UMR 7261, Tours, France.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M D Greenfield
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, UMR 7261, Tours, France
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27
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Smith GD, French SS. Physiological Trade-Offs in Lizards: Costs for Individuals and Populations. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:344-351. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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28
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Variation in sex pheromone emission does not reflect immunocompetence but affects attractiveness of male burying beetles-a combination of laboratory and field experiments. Naturwissenschaften 2017. [PMID: 28620738 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1473-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts a trade-off between male sexual trait expression and immunocompetence. Using burying beetles, Nicrophorus vespilloides, as a model, we investigated the relationship between male immune function, sex pheromone emission, and attractiveness under field conditions. In the first experiment, we tested whether there is a positive correlation between immune capacity, sex pheromone characteristics (quantity, relative composition, and time invested in pheromone emission), and male attractiveness. As a measurement of immune capacity, we used an individual's encapsulation ability against a novel antigen. In the second experiment, we specifically examined whether a trade-off between chemical trait expression and immune function existed. To this end, we challenged the immune system and measured the subsequent investment in sex pheromone emission and the attractiveness of the male under field conditions. We found that a male's immunocompetence was neither related to the emission of the male's sex pheromone nor to its attractiveness in the field. Furthermore, none of the immune-challenge treatments affected the subsequent investment in pheromone emission or number of females attracted. However, we showed that the same males that emitted a high quantity of their sex pheromone in the laboratory were able to attract more females in the field. Our data suggest that the chemical signal is not a reliable predictor of a male's immunocompetence but rather is a general important fitness-related trait, with a higher emission of the sex pheromone measured in the laboratory directly affecting the attractiveness of a male under field conditions.
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29
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Arriaga-Osnaya BJ, Contreras-Garduño J, Espinosa-García FJ, García-Rodríguez YM, Moreno-García M, Lanz-Mendoza H, Godínez-Álvarez H, Cueva Del Castillo R. Are body size and volatile blends honest signals in orchid bees? Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3037-3045. [PMID: 28480003 PMCID: PMC5415524 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary sexual traits may convey reliable information about males’ ability to resist pathogens and that females may prefer those traits because their genes for resistance would be passed on to their offspring. In many insect species, large males have high mating success and can canalize more resources to the immune function than smaller males. In other species, males use pheromones to identify and attract conspecific mates, and thus, they might function as an honest indicator of a male's condition. The males of orchid bees do not produce pheromones. They collect and store flower volatiles, which are mixed with the volatile blends from other sources, like fungi, sap and resins. These blends are displayed as perfumes during the courtship. In this study, we explored the relationship between inter‐individual variation in body size and blend composition with the males’ phenoloxidase (PO) content in Euglossa imperialis. PO content is a common measure of insect immune response because melanine, its derived molecule, encapsulates parasites and pathogens. Body size and blend composition were related to bees’ phenolic PO content. The inter‐individual variation in body size and tibial contents could indicate differences among males in their skills to gain access to some compounds. The females may evaluate their potential mates through these compounds because some of them are reliable indicators of the males’ capacity to resist infections and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Miguel Moreno-García
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública Cuernavaca Morelos México
| | - Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública Cuernavaca Morelos México
| | - Héctor Godínez-Álvarez
- UBIPRO Laboratorio de Ecología FES Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México City México
| | - Raúl Cueva Del Castillo
- UBIPRO Laboratorio de Ecología FES Iztacala Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México City México
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30
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Maciel-Vergara G, Ros VID. Viruses of insects reared for food and feed. J Invertebr Pathol 2017; 147:60-75. [PMID: 28189501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2017.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The use of insects as food for humans or as feed for animals is an alternative for the increasing high demand for meat and has various environmental and social advantages over the traditional intensive production of livestock. Mass rearing of insects, under insect farming conditions or even in industrial settings, can be the key for a change in the way natural resources are utilized in order to produce meat, animal protein and a list of other valuable animal products. However, because insect mass rearing technology is relatively new, little is known about the different factors that determine the quality and yield of the production process. Obtaining such knowledge is crucial for the success of insect-based product development. One of the issues that is likely to compromise the success of insect rearing is the outbreak of insect diseases. In particular, viral diseases can be devastating for the productivity and the quality of mass rearing systems. Prevention and management of viral diseases imply the understanding of the different factors that interact in insect mass rearing. This publication provides an overview of the known viruses in insects most commonly reared for food and feed. Nowadays with large-scale sequencing techniques, new viruses are rapidly being discovered. We discuss factors affecting the emergence of viruses in mass rearing systems, along with virus transmission routes. Finally we provide an overview of the wide range of measures available to prevent and manage virus outbreaks in mass rearing systems, ranging from simple sanitation methods to highly sophisticated methods including RNAi and transgenics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Maciel-Vergara
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Vera I D Ros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Dinh KV, Janssens L, Therry L, Bervoets L, Bonte D, Stoks R. Delayed effects of chlorpyrifos across metamorphosis on dispersal-related traits in a poleward moving damselfly. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:634-643. [PMID: 27476426 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
How exposure to contaminants may interfere with the widespread poleward range expansions under global warming is largely unknown. Pesticide exposure may negatively affect traits shaping the speed of range expansion, including traits related to population growth rate and dispersal-related traits. Moreover, rapid evolution of growth rates during poleward range expansions may come at a cost of a reduced investment in detoxification and repair thereby increasing the vulnerability to contaminants at expanding range fronts. We tested effects of a sublethal concentration of the widespread pesticide chlorpyrifos on traits related to range expansion in replicated edge and core populations of the poleward moving damselfly Coenagrion scitulum reared at low and high food levels in a common garden experiment. Food limitation in the larval stage had strong negative effects both in the larval stage and across metamorphosis in the adult stage. Exposure to chlorpyrifos during the larval stage did not affect larval traits but caused delayed effects across metamorphosis by increasing the incidence of wing malformations during metamorphosis and by reducing a key component of the adult immune response. There was some support for an evolutionary trade-off scenario as the faster growing edge larvae suffered a higher mortality during metamorphosis. Instead, there was no clear support for the faster growing edge larvae being more vulnerable to chlorpyrifos. Our data indicate that sublethal delayed effects of pesticide exposure, partly in association with the rapid evolution of faster growth rates, may slow down range expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuong Van Dinh
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Lizanne Janssens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Lieven Therry
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, USR 2936, F-09200, Moulis, France.
| | - Lieven Bervoets
- Systemic, Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Robby Stoks
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Lin T, Zhang D, Liu X, Xiao D. Parental care improves immunity in the seahorse (Hippocampus erectus). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 58:554-562. [PMID: 27702678 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2016.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the sexual dimorphism in immune response in the seahorse Hippocampus erectus in which males compete for mates and invest heavily in parental care was assessed. Variability in immunocompetence in virginal seahorses with differing levels of sexual maturity (i.e., immaturity, early maturity and maturity) and with different mating statuses (i.e., virginal, experienced mating failure and experienced mating success) were analyzed by evaluating immune parameters in the plasma. Additionally, ultrastructural characteristics of the inner epithelium of the brood pouch were compared between males that had experienced mating failure and those that had succeeded. Generally, immunity in sexually mature virgin males was greater than in females, and mating competition significantly reduced males' immunity. However, parental care gave males stronger immune and metabolic abilities and resulted in their immunity significantly rebounding after a successful mating. The present study quantitatively clarifies, for the first time, how parental care and mating competition jointly affect immunity. Moreover, previous findings that females display more efficient immune defenses than males in conventional species (i.e., males are as competitor and females as care giver) and that males' immunity is higher than females' in the pipefish (i.e., females are as competitor and males as care giver) in combination with the present results indicate that parental care is a key factor for sexual dimorphism in immunity. The care-giving sex has strong immunity regardless of the sex in charge of mating competition or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Lin
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 200090, PR China
| | - Dong Zhang
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 200090, PR China.
| | - Xin Liu
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 200090, PR China
| | - Dongxue Xiao
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 200090, PR China
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Adult bacterial exposure increases behavioral variation and drives higher repeatability in field crickets. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:1941-1947. [PMID: 28584393 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2200-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Among-individual differences in behavior are now a widely studied research-focus within the field of behavioral ecology. Furthermore, elements of an animal's internal state, such as energy or fat reserves, and infection status can have large impacts on behaviors. Despite this, we still know little regarding how state may affect behavioral variation. Recent exposure to pathogens may have a particularly large impact on behavioral expression given that it likely activates costly immune pathways, potentially forcing organism to make behavioral tradeoffs. In this study we investigate how recent exposure to a common bacterial pathogen, Serratia marcescens, affects both the mean behavioral expression and the among-individual differences (i.e. variation) in boldness behavior in the field cricket, Gryllus integer. We find that recent pathogen exposure does not affect mean behavioral expression of the treatment groups, but instead affects behavioral variation and repeatability. Specifically, bacterial exposure drove large among-individual variation, resulting in high levels of repeatability in some aspects of boldness (willingness to emerge into a novel environment), but not others (latency to become active in novel environment), compared to non-infected crickets. Interestingly, sham injection resulted in a universal lack of among-individual differences. Our results highlight the sensitivity of among-individual variance and repeatability estimates to ecological and environmental factors that individuals face throughout their lives.
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Brandt A, Gorenflo A, Siede R, Meixner M, Büchler R. The neonicotinoids thiacloprid, imidacloprid, and clothianidin affect the immunocompetence of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 86:40-7. [PMID: 26776096 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A strong immune defense is vital for honey bee health and colony survival. This defense can be weakened by environmental factors that may render honey bees more vulnerable to parasites and pathogens. Honey bees are frequently exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides, which are being discussed as one of the stress factors that may lead to colony failure. We investigated the sublethal effects of the neonicotinoids thiacloprid, imidacloprid, and clothianidin on individual immunity, by studying three major aspects of immunocompetence in worker bees: total hemocyte number, encapsulation response, and antimicrobial activity of the hemolymph. In laboratory experiments, we found a strong impact of all three neonicotinoids. Thiacloprid (24h oral exposure, 200 μg/l or 2000 μg/l) and imidacloprid (1 μg/l or 10 μg/l) reduced hemocyte density, encapsulation response, and antimicrobial activity even at field realistic concentrations. Clothianidin had an effect on these immune parameters only at higher than field realistic concentrations (50-200 μg/l). These results suggest that neonicotinoids affect the individual immunocompetence of honey bees, possibly leading to an impaired disease resistance capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annely Brandt
- LLH Bee Institute, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany.
| | - Anna Gorenflo
- LLH Bee Institute, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
| | - Reinhold Siede
- LLH Bee Institute, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
| | - Marina Meixner
- LLH Bee Institute, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
| | - Ralph Büchler
- LLH Bee Institute, Erlenstr. 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
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Lai YT, Kekäläinen J, Kortet R. Infestation with the parasitic nematode Philometra ovata does not impair behavioral sexual competitiveness or odor attractiveness of the male European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus). Acta Ethol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-015-0229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mowles SL, Jepson NM. Physiological Costs of Repetitive Courtship Displays in Cockroaches Handicap Locomotor Performance. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143664. [PMID: 26606147 PMCID: PMC4659605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Courtship displays are typically thought to have evolved via female choice, whereby females select mates based on the characteristics of a display that is expected to honestly reflect some aspect of the male's quality. Honesty is typically enforced by mechanistic costs and constraints that limit the level at which a display can be performed. It is becoming increasingly apparent that these costs may be energetic costs involved in the production of dynamic, often repetitive displays. A female attending to such a display may thus be assessing the physical fitness of a male as an index of his quality. Such assessment would provide information on his current physical quality as well as his ability to carry out other demanding activities, qualities with which a choosy female should want to provision her offspring. In the current study we use courtship interactions in the Cuban burrowing cockroach, Byrsotria fumigata to directly test whether courtship is associated with a signaler's performance capacity. Males that had produced courtship displays achieved significantly lower speeds and distances in locomotor trials than non-courting control males. We also found that females mated more readily with males that produced a more vigorous display. Thus, males of this species have developed a strategy where they produce a demanding courtship display, while females choose males based on their ability to produce this display. Courtship displays in many taxa often involve dynamic repetitive actions and as such, signals of stamina in courtship may be more widespread than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L. Mowles
- Department of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Natalie M. Jepson
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Vincent CM, Gwynne DT. Sex-biased immunity is driven by relative differences in reproductive investment. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0333. [PMID: 25030981 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in immunity are often observed, with males generally having a weaker immune system than females. However, recent data in a sex-role-reversed species in which females compete to mate with males suggest that sexually competitive females have a weaker immune response. These findings support the hypothesis that sexual dimorphism in immunity has evolved in response to sex-specific fitness returns of investment in traits such as parental investment and longevity, but the scarcity of data in sex-reversed species prevents us from drawing general conclusions. Using an insect species in which males make a large but variable parental investment in their offspring, we use two indicators of immunocompetence to test the hypothesis that sex-biased immunity is determined by differences in parental investment. We found that when the value of paternal investment was experimentally increased, male immune investment became relatively greater than that of females. Thus, in this system, in which the direction of sexual competition is plastic, the direction of sex-biased immunity is also plastic and appears to track relative parental investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal M Vincent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Darryl T Gwynne
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
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Barbosa F, Rebar D, Greenfield MD. Reproduction and immunity trade-offs constrain mating signals and nuptial gift size in a bushcricket. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Shestakov LS, Vedenina VY. Broad Selectivity for Courtship Song in the CricketGryllus bimaculatus. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lev S. Shestakov
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow Russia
| | - Varvara Yu. Vedenina
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow Russia
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Shestakov LS. A comparative analysis of vibrational signals in 16 sympatric bug species (Pentatomidae, Heteroptera). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s0013873815030045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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DiRienzo N, Niemelä PT, Skog A, Vainikka A, Kortet R. Juvenile pathogen exposure affects the presence of personality in adult field crickets. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Effects of overwintering temperature on the survival of the black garden ant (Lasius niger). J Therm Biol 2015; 49-50:112-8. [PMID: 25774034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The overwintering temperatures of ants might well be elevated due to climate change. We studied whether the overwintering temperature affects the survival of the queens and whole colonies of the black garden ant, Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758). In two consecutive years (2009, 2010) we collected mated, colony founding queens (n = 280) from the urban area of Turku, Finland. Half of the queens overwintered in +7 to +8 °C and the other half in +2 °C. After the overwintering period, we determined their survival rate and measured the body fat content, body size and immune defence (encapsulation rate) of overwintering queens. Using the same setup, we studied the survival of 1-year-old L. niger colonies (queen & workers). Overwintering at a lower temperature (+2 °C) decreased the survival of workers. The survival of colony founding queens differed between years, but unlike with workers, the overwintering temperature did not affect their survival: neither in the colony experiment nor in the single queen experiment. All of the surviving queens managed to produce their worker offspring at the same rate. The relative amount of body fat of queens was higher for those who overwintered at a lower temperature, which is likely a result of lower energy consumption. We did not detect differences in the encapsulation rate between the temperature treatment groups. The ability of colony founding queens to tolerate wide overwintering temperature variations present in urban environments may explain the success of the colony in urban areas. As the colony grows, the overwintering chambers may extend more deeply into the ground. Thus, workers may not have to cope with such cold conditions as colony founding queens.
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Kelly CD. Effect of an immune challenge on the functional performance of male weaponry. Behav Processes 2014; 108:197-203. [PMID: 25444779 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Theories of parasite-mediated sexual selection predict a positive association between immune function and the expression of sexually selected ornaments. Few studies, however, have investigated how an immune challenge affects the performance of sexually selected weaponry. Male Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens) (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) possess enlarged mandibles that are used as weapons in fights for access to females residing in tree galleries. Intense sexual competition appears to have favoured the evolution of alternative male mating strategies in this species as males have a trimorphic phenotype in which weapon size varies across morphotype: 8th instar males have the smallest jaws, 10th instar males have the largest and 9th instar males being intermediate to the other two. After injecting males and females with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS; immune challenge) or saline (control) I measured over a 24h period each weta's body mass to assess whether they responded immunologically to the LPS and their bite force to assess the functional performance of their jaws. Both sexes responded immunologically to the immune-challenge as LPS-injected individuals lost significantly more body mass than saline-injected controls with females losing more mass than males. Female bite force was significantly reduced 8h after LPS-injection whereas male bite force did not significantly decline. Both sexes regained pre-injection functional performance of their jaws 24h after the immune challenge. My results suggest that females trade-off bite force for immune function whereas males do not. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: insert SI title.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clint D Kelly
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP-8888 succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8.
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Selective forces on origin, adaptation and reduction of tympanal ears in insects. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:155-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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McNamara KB, van Lieshout E, Simmons LW. The effect of maternal and paternal immune challenge on offspring immunity and reproduction in a cricket. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1020-8. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K. B. McNamara
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology (M092); the University of Western Australia; Crawley Australia
| | - E. van Lieshout
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology (M092); the University of Western Australia; Crawley Australia
| | - L. W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology; School of Animal Biology (M092); the University of Western Australia; Crawley Australia
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Mikonranta L, Mappes J, Kaukoniitty M, Freitak D. Insect immunity: oral exposure to a bacterial pathogen elicits free radical response and protects from a recurring infection. Front Zool 2014; 11:23. [PMID: 24602309 PMCID: PMC3975449 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous exposure to a pathogen can help organisms cope with recurring infection. This is widely recognised in vertebrates, but increasing occasions are also being reported in invertebrates where this phenomenon is referred to as immune priming. However, the mechanisms that allow acquired pathogen resistance in insects remain largely unknown. Results We studied the priming of bacterial resistance in the larvae of the tiger moth, Parasemia plantaginis using two gram-negative bacteria, a pathogenic Serratia marcescens and a non-pathogenic control, Escherichia coli. A sublethal oral dose of S. marcescens provided the larvae with effective protection against an otherwise lethal septic infection with the same pathogen five days later. At the same time, we assessed three anti-bacterial defence mechanisms from the larvae that had been primarily exposed to the bacteria via contaminated host plant. Results showed that S. marcescens had induced a higher amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the larval haemolymph, possibly protecting the host from the recurring infection. Conclusions Our study supports the growing evidence of immune priming in insects. It shows that activation of the protective mechanism requires a specific induction, rather than a sheer exposure to any gram-negative bacteria. The findings indicate that systemic pathogen recognition happens via the gut, and suggest that persistent loitering of immune elicitors or anti-microbial molecules are a possible mechanism for the observed prophylaxis. The self-harming effects of ROS molecules are well known, which indicates a potential cost of increased resistance. Together these findings could have important implications on the ecological and epidemiological processes affecting insect and pathogen populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Mikonranta
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P,O, Box 35, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland.
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Mowles SL. The physiological cost of courtship: field cricket song results in anaerobic metabolism. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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