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Virant-Doberlet M, Stritih-Peljhan N, Žunič-Kosi A, Polajnar J. Functional Diversity of Vibrational Signaling Systems in Insects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 68:191-210. [PMID: 36198397 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-095459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Communication by substrate-borne mechanical waves is widespread in insects. The specifics of vibrational communication are related to heterogeneous natural substrates that strongly influence signal transmission. Insects generate vibrational signals primarily by tremulation, drumming, stridulation, and tymbalation, most commonly during sexual behavior but also in agonistic, social, and mutualistic as well as defense interactions and as part of foraging strategies. Vibrational signals are often part of multimodal communication. Sensilla and organs detecting substrate vibration show great diversity and primarily occur in insect legs to optimize sensitivity and directionality. In the natural environment, signals from heterospecifics, as well as social and enemy interactions within vibrational communication networks, influence signaling and behavioral strategies. The exploitation of substrate-borne vibrational signaling offers a promising application for behavioral manipulation in pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meta Virant-Doberlet
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Nataša Stritih-Peljhan
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Alenka Žunič-Kosi
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Jernej Polajnar
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
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2
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Zheng YX, Wang Y, Dai BY, Li Z, Huo QR, Cui JX, Liu H, Li XH, Hughes AC, Zhang AB. Flight Mill Experiments and Computer Simulations Indicate Islands Recruit More Capable Flyers of Moths. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.771719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the traits related to species colonization and invasion, is a key question for both pest management and evolution. One of the key components is flight, which has been measured for a number of insect species through radar and tethered flight mill systems, but a general understanding of insect flight at a community level is lacking. In this study, we used flight mill experiments to quantify flight abilities of moth species, and simulation experiments to study which moths in mainland China have the potential for cross-island dispersal. We found that moths from superfamily Geometroidea (family Geometridae) have the weakest flight ability among the seven Lepidoptera superfamilies, which is characterized by the shortest longest single flight (LSF), the shortest time corresponding to the longest single flight (TLSF) (timecorrespondingtothelongestsingleflight), the lowest total distance flown (TDF), and the lowest average speed during the flight (VTDF). Surprisingly, the family Pyralidae (superfamily Pyraloidea) has the highest flight endurance of all 186 species of 12 families in this study, which is unexpected, given its small size and morphological traits yet it shows the longest LSF and TLSF. The comparison between species common to mainland and islands shows that flight distance (LSF) may be more important for species spread than flight speed. The results of mainland-island simulations show that when P(LSF>CD) (the proportion of individuals whose LSF is greater than the closest distance (CD) between mainland and island to the total number of individuals in the population) is less than 0.004, it is difficult for moth species to disperse to across islands without relying on external factors such as airflow. Over extended periods, with the immigration of species with strong flight abilities, islands are more likely to recruit species with stronger flight abilities.
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3
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Perez-Martinez CA, Leal M. Lizards as models to explore the ecological and neuroanatomical correlates of miniaturization. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Extreme body size reductions bring about unorthodox anatomical arrangements and novel ways in which animals interact with the environment. Drawing from studies of vertebrates and invertebrates, we provide a theoretical framework for miniaturization to inform hypotheses using lizards as a study system. Through this approach, we demonstrate the repeated evolution of miniaturization across 11 families and a tendency for miniaturized species to occupy terrestrial microhabitats, possibly driven by physiological constraints. Differences in gross brain morphology between two gecko species demonstrate a proportionally larger telencephalon and smaller olfactory bulbs in the miniaturized species, though more data are needed to generalize this trend. Our study brings into light the potential contributions of miniaturized lizards to explain patterns of body size evolution and its impact on ecology and neuroanatomy. In addition, our findings reveal the need to study the natural history of miniaturized species, particularly in relation to their sensory and physiological ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel Leal
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
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4
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Roberts L. Crabby commotions: visual not vibrational-orientated searching behaviours guide aggregation formation around key resources. J ETHOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-021-00710-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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5
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Liu J, He XZ, Zheng XL, Zhang Y, Wang Q. Larval social cues influence testicular investment in an insect. Curr Zool 2021; 68:1-8. [PMID: 35169624 PMCID: PMC8836345 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-sexual environment can have critical impacts on reproduction and survival of animals. Consequently, they need to prepare themselves by allocating more resources to competitive traits that give them advantages in the particular social setting they have been perceiving. Evidence shows that a male usually raises his investment in sperm after he detects the current or future increase of sperm competition because relative sperm numbers can determine his paternity share. This leads to the wide use of testis size as an index of the sperm competition level, yet testis size does not always reflect sperm production. To date, it is not clear whether male animals fine-tune their resource allocation to sperm production and other traits as a response to social cues during their growth and development. Using a polygamous insect Ephestia kuehniella, we tested whether and how larval social environment affected sperm production, testis size, and body weight. We exposed the male larvae to different juvenile socio-sexual cues and measured these traits. We demonstrate that regardless of sex ratio, group-reared males produced more eupyrenes (fertile and nucleate sperm) but smaller testes than singly reared ones, and that body weight and apyrene (infertile and anucleate sperm) numbers remained the same across treatments. We conclude that the presence of larval social, but not sexual cues is responsible for the increase of eupyrene production and decrease of testis size. We suggest that male larvae increase investment in fertile sperm cells and reduce investment in other testicular tissues in the presence of conspecific juvenile cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Liu
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Z He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
| | - Xia-Lin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4100, New Zealand
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Collie J, Granela O, Brown EB, Keene AC. Aggression Is Induced by Resource Limitation in the Monarch Caterpillar. iScience 2020; 23:101791. [PMID: 33376972 PMCID: PMC7756136 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Food represents a limiting resource for the growth and developmental progression of many animal species. As a consequence, competition over food, space, or other resources can trigger territoriality and aggressive behavior. In the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, caterpillars feed predominantly on milkweed, raising the possibility that access to milkweed is critical for growth and survival. Here, we characterize the role of food availability on aggression in monarch caterpillars and find that monarch caterpillars display stereotyped aggressive lunges that increase during development, peaking during the fourth and fifth instar stages. The number of lunges toward a conspecific caterpillar was significantly increased under conditions of low food availability, suggesting resource defense may trigger aggression. These findings establish monarch caterpillars as a model for investigating interactions between resource availability and aggressive behavior under ecologically relevant conditions and set the stage for future investigations into the neuroethology of aggression in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Collie
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Odelvys Granela
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Elizabeth B. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Alex C. Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Corresponding author
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7
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Yadav C, Smith ML, Yack JE. Transcriptome analysis of a social caterpillar, Drepana arcuata: De novo assembly, functional annotation and developmental analysis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234903. [PMID: 32569288 PMCID: PMC7307738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata, provides an excellent opportunity to study mechanisms mediating developmental changes in social behaviour. Larvae transition from being social to solitary during the 3rd instar, concomitant with shifts in their use of acoustic communication. In this study we characterize the transcriptome of D. arcuata to initiate sociogenomic research of this lepidopteran insect. We assembled and annotated the combined larval transcriptome of “social” early and “solitary” late instars using next generation Illumina sequencing, and used this transcriptome to conduct differential gene expression analysis of the two behavioural phenotypes. A total of 211,012,294 reads generated by RNA sequencing were assembled into 231,348 transcripts and 116,079 unigenes for the functional annotation of the transcriptome. Expression analysis revealed 3300 transcripts that were differentially expressed between early and late instars, with a large proportion associated with development and metabolic processes. We independently validated differential expression patterns of selected transcripts using RT-qPCR. The expression profiles of social and solitary larvae revealed differentially expressed transcripts coding for gene products that have been previously reported to influence social behaviour in other insects (e.g. cGMP- and cAMP- dependent kinases, and bioamine receptors). This study provides the first transcriptomic resources for a lepidopteran species belonging to the superfamily Drepanoidea, and gives insight into genetic factors mediating grouping behaviour in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanchal Yadav
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myron L. Smith
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jayne E. Yack
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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8
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Casacci LP, Bonelli S, Balletto E, Barbero F. Multimodal Signaling in Myrmecophilous Butterflies. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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9
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Raboin M, Elias DO. Anthropogenic noise and the bioacoustics of terrestrial invertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/12/jeb178749. [PMID: 31217253 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.178749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is an important issue of environmental concern owing to its wide-ranging effects on the physiology, behavior and ecology of animals. To date, research has focused on the impacts of far-field airborne noise (i.e. pressure waves) on vertebrates, with few exceptions. However, invertebrates and the other acoustic modalities they rely on, primarily near-field airborne and substrate-borne sound (i.e. particle motion and vibrations, respectively) have received little attention. Here, we review the literature on the impacts of different types of anthropogenic noise (airborne far-field, airborne near-field, substrate-borne) on terrestrial invertebrates. Using literature on invertebrate bioacoustics, we propose a framework for understanding the potential impact of anthropogenic noise on invertebrates and outline predictions of possible constraints and adaptations for invertebrates in responding to anthropogenic noise. We argue that understanding the impacts of anthropogenic noise requires us to consider multiple modalities of sound and to cultivate a broader understanding of invertebrate bioacoustics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Raboin
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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10
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Abstract
Animals may use a variety of sensory modalities to assess ownership and resource-holding potential (RHP). However, few studies have experimentally tested whether animals can assess these key variables through a purely vibrational modality, exclusively involving substrate-borne vibrations. Here we studied social terrestrial hermit crabs ( Coenobita compressus), where competitors assess homeowners by climbing on top of a solid external structure-an architecturally remodelled shell home, inside of which the owner then produces vibrations. In the field, we used a miniature vibratory device, hidden within an empty shell, to experimentally simulate a 'phantom owner', with variable amplitudes of vibration representing different levels of homeowner strength. We found that assessors could use these vibrations to deduce the owner's RHP: for strong vibrations (indicative of a high RHP owner) assessors were least likely to escalate the conflict; for weak vibrations (indicative of a low RHP owner) assessors showed intermediate escalation; and in the absence of vibration (indicative of an extremely weak or absent owner) assessors were most likely to escalate. These results reveal that animals can assess homeowner strength based solely on substrate vibrations, thereby making important decisions about whether to escalate social conflicts over property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College , Hanover, NH 03755 , USA
| | - Mark E Laidre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College , Hanover, NH 03755 , USA
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11
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Breviglieri CPB, Romero GQ. Acoustic stimuli from predators trigger behavioural responses in aggregate caterpillars. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Crasso Paulo B. Breviglieri
- Department of Animal Biology; Institute of Biology; University of Campinas (UNICAMP); Campinas São Paulo 13083-970 Brazil
| | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Department of Animal Biology; Institute of Biology; University of Campinas (UNICAMP); Campinas São Paulo 13083-970 Brazil
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12
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13
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Vocalizations in juvenile anurans: common spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) regularly emit calls before sexual maturity. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:75. [PMID: 27590626 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1401-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic communication is prominent in adult anuran amphibians, in reproductive, territorial and defensive contexts. In contrast, reports on vocalizations of juvenile anurans are rare and anecdotal, and their function unstudied. We here provide conclusive evidence for vocalizations in juvenile spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) in very early terrestrial stages. While the aquatic tadpoles did not emit sounds, first vocalizations of metamorphs were heard as early as in stages 42-43, and calls were regularly emitted from stage 44 on, often from specimens still bearing extensive tail stubs. Three main types of calls could be distinguished, of which one consists of a series of short notes, one of a typically single longer and pulsed note, and one of a single tonal note. In experimental setups, the number of calls per froglet increased with density of individuals and after feeding, while on the contrary calls were not elicited by playback. The function of these juvenile calls remains unclarified, but they might reflect a general arousal in the context of feeding. Further evidence is necessary to test whether such feeding calls could confer a signal to conspecifics and thus might represent intraspecific acoustic communication in these immature terrestrial amphibians.
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14
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Riva F, Barbero F, Bonelli S, Balletto E, Casacci LP. The acoustic repertoire of lycaenid butterfly larvae. BIOACOUSTICS 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2016.1197151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riva
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emilio Balletto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca P. Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Cao D, Zhou H, Wei W, Lei M, Yuan S, Qi D, Zhang Z. Vocal repertoire of adult captive red pandas (Ailurus fulgens). ANIM BIOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Vocal signals are a common communication tool used to recognize different individuals, advertise fertile phases or discriminate amongst potential mates. Therefore, a thorough understanding of vocal repertoires forms the basis for investigating the role of acoustic signaling in the sexual and social behavior of any animal. Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are classified as a vulnerable species and have declined by as much as 40% over the past 50 years in China. Adult red pandas are known to call frequently during mating and aggressive encounters; however, no quantitative description of their vocalizations has been attempted. Here, the vocal repertoire of captive red pandas was investigated. Acoustical and statistical analyses indicated seven vocalization types during the breeding season: “growl”, “bark”, “squeal”, “bleat”, “hoot”, “grunt” and “twitter”; the spectrogram for each vocalization type was extracted. The type of vocalizations produced varied with behavioral state and implies different functional contexts. Future studies are needed to uncover the functions of red panda vocalizations in individual recognition, sexual selection and social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Cao
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Miaowen Lei
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Shibin Yuan
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Dunwu Qi
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Panda Road 1375#, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Zejun Zhang
- Giant Panda Conservation and Culture Research Center, China West Normal University, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong 637009, China
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16
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Sherratt TN, Mesterton-Gibbons M. The evolution of respect for property. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1185-202. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. N. Sherratt
- Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
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Tsubaki R, Hosoda N, Kitajima H, Takanashi T. Substrate-borne vibrations induce behavioral responses in the leaf-dwelling cerambycid, Paraglenea fortunei. Zoolog Sci 2014; 31:789-94. [PMID: 25483790 DOI: 10.2108/zs140029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many insects utilize substrate-borne vibrations as a source of information for recognizing mates or predators. Among various substrates, plant leaves are commonly used for transmitting and receiving vibrational information. However, little is known about the utilization of vibrations by leaf-dwelling insects, especially coleopteran beetles. We conducted two experiments to examine the response of the leaf-dwelling cerambycid beetle, Paraglenea fortunei, to substrate-borne vibrations. We recorded and analyzed vibrations of host plant leaves from four different sources: wind (0.5 m/s), a beetle during landing, a walking beetle, and a beetle walking in the wind (0.5 m/s). We then measured the behavioral thresholds, the lowest amplitudes that induce behavioral responses, from beetles walking and resting on horizontal and vertical substrates with pulsed vibrations ranging from 20 Hz to 1 kHz. The vibrational characteristics of biotic and abiotic stimuli clearly differed. Beetle-generated vibrations (landing, walking, and walking in the wind) were broadly high in the low-frequency components above ∼30 Hz, while wind-generated vibrations showed a dominant peak at ∼30 Hz and a steep decrease thereafter. Among four situations, beetles walking on horizontal substrates showed lowest thresholds to vibrations of 75-500 Hz, which are characteristic of beetle-generated vibrations. Given that P. fortunei beetles are found on horizontal leaf surfaces of the host plant, vibrations transmitted though horizontal substrates may induce a strong freeze response in walking beetles to detect conspecifics or heterospecifics. Our findings provide evidence that leaf-dwelling beetles can discriminate among biotic and abiotic factors via differences in vibrational characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi Tsubaki
- 1 Department of Forest Entomology, Forestry and Forestry Product Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
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Farine JP, Cortot J, Ferveur JF. Drosophila adult and larval pheromones modulate larval food choice. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140043. [PMID: 24741012 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects use chemosensory cues to feed and mate. In Drosophila, the effect of pheromones has been extensively investigated in adults, but rarely in larvae. The colonization of natural food sources by Drosophila buzzatii and Drosophila simulans species may depend on species-specific chemical cues left in the food by larvae and adults. We identified such chemicals in both species and measured their influence on larval food preference and puparation behaviour. We also tested compounds that varied between these species: (i) two larval volatile compounds: hydroxy-3-butanone-2 and phenol (predominant in D. simulans and D. buzzatii, respectively), and (ii) adult cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs). Drosophila buzzatii larvae were rapidly attracted to non-CH adult conspecific cues, whereas D. simulans larvae were strongly repulsed by CHs of the two species and also by phenol. Larval cues from both species generally reduced larval attraction and pupariation on food, which was generally--but not always--low, and rarely reflected larval response. As these larval and adult pheromones specifically influence larval food search and the choice of a pupariation site, they may greatly affect the dispersion and survival of Drosophila species in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, , 6 Boulevard Gabriel, Dijon 21000, France
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Abarca M, Boege K, Zaldívar-Riverón A. Shelter-building behavior and natural history of two pyralid caterpillars feeding on Piper stipulaceum. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:39. [PMID: 25373186 PMCID: PMC4206229 DOI: 10.1093/jis/14.1.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Shelter-building behavior by caterpillars provides a mechanism of defense against predators, microenvironment enhancement, and in some cases nutritional benefits. This study provides a detailed description of the life cycle and shelter-building process of caterpillars, and identifies constraints and factors influencing this adaptive behavior in Lepidomys n. sp. near proclea Druce (Pyralidae: Chrysauginae), a tropical dry forest pyralid. Five macroscopic larval instars were detected during the life cycle, and activities performed during shelter-building were categorized and timed. Caterpillar predators were identified, and 20% of all collected larvae died due to attack by parasitoid wasps. Shelter-building behavior was found to be constrained by the ontogenetic stage of caterpillars and influenced by leaf size of the host plant, Piper stipulaceum Opiz (Piperales: Piperaceae) . A similar pattern of shelter-building behavior exhibited by Tosale n. sp. near cuprealis larvae that coexisted in the same host plant is also described. Larvae of the second species were significantly less abundant than those of Lepidomys and hatched one month later in the rainy season, which could indicate some competitive interactions between these two pyralid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Abarca
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México D.F., México Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, 2023 G St. NW Suite 340, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Karina Boege
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México D.F., México
| | - Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón
- Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México, D.F., México
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Yack JE, Gill S, Drummond-Main C, Sherratt TN. Residency Duration and Shelter Quality Influence Vibratory Signalling Displays in A Territorial Caterpillar. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jayne E. Yack
- Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Sharleen Gill
- Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
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21
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Fiorentino VL, Murphy SM, Stoepler TM, Lill JT. Facilitative effects of group feeding on performance of the saddleback caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:131-138. [PMID: 24472205 DOI: 10.1603/en13144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Gregarious feeding by insect herbivores is a widely observed, yet poorly understood, behavioral adaptation. Previous research has tested the importance of group feeding for predator deterrence, noting the ubiquity of aposematism among group-feeding insects, but few studies have examined the role of feeding facilitation for aggregates of insect herbivores. We tested the hypothesis that group feeding has facilitative effects on performance of the saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea Clemens, a generalist herbivore of deciduous trees. In an understory forest setting, we reared caterpillars alone or in groups on two different host plants, white oak (Quercus alba L.) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrlich), and recorded multiple measures of insect performance during regular field censuses. As predicted, A. stimulea caterpillars feeding in groups on white oak had increased relative growth rates compared with caterpillars feeding alone, and the magnitude of this facilitative effect varied among censuses, conferring benefits both early and late in development. By contrast, no facilitative effects of group feeding were detected on beech, suggesting that the benefits of facilitative feeding may be host specific. On both hosts, caterpillar development time was slightly faster for group-feeding cohorts compared with their solitary counterparts. Because early instar caterpillars are particularly vulnerable to predation and parasitism, even modest increases in growth rates and reductions in development time may decrease exposure time to enemies during these vulnerable stages. On both hosts, group feeding also reduced the trade-off between individual development time and cocoon mass, suggesting that feeding efficiency is improved in group feeders relative to solitary caterpillars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Fiorentino
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, 2023 G Street NW, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Sliwinski M, Sigmon E. Why do leaf-tying caterpillars abandon their leaf ties? PeerJ 2013; 1:e173. [PMID: 24109557 PMCID: PMC3792177 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaf-tying caterpillars act as ecosystem engineers by building shelters between overlapping leaves, which are inhabited by other arthropods. Leaf-tiers have been observed to leave their ties and create new shelters (and thus additional microhabitats), but the ecological factors affecting shelter fidelity are poorly known. For this study, we explored the effects of resource limitation and occupant density on shelter fidelity and assessed the consequences of shelter abandonment. We first quantified the area of leaf material required for a caterpillar to fully develop for two of the most common leaf-tiers that feed on white oak, Quercus alba. On average, Psilocorsis spp. caterpillars consumed 21.65 ± 0.67 cm2 leaf material to complete development. We also measured the area of natural leaf ties found in a Maryland forest, to determine the distribution of resources available to caterpillars in situ. Of 158 natural leaf ties examined, 47% were too small to sustain an average Psilocorsis spp. caterpillar for the entirety of its development. We also manipulated caterpillar densities within experimental ties on potted trees to determine the effects of cohabitants on the likelihood of a caterpillar to leave its tie. We placed 1, 2, or 4 caterpillars in ties of a standard size and monitored the caterpillars twice daily to track their movement. In ties with more than one occupant, caterpillars showed a significantly greater propensity to leave their tie, and left sooner and at a faster rate than those in ties as single occupants. To understand the consequences of leaf tie abandonment, we observed caterpillars searching a tree for a site to build a shelter in the field. This is a risky behavior, as 17% of the caterpillars observed died while searching for a shelter site. Caterpillars that successfully built a shelter traveled 110 ± 20 cm and took 28 ± 7 min to find a suitable site to build a shelter. In conclusion, leaf-tying caterpillars must frequently abandon their leaf tie due to food limitation and interactions with other caterpillars, but this is a costly behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Sliwinski
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University , Washington, DC , USA
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Social waves in giant honeybees (Apis dorsata) elicit nest vibrations. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:595-609. [PMID: 23722559 PMCID: PMC3696463 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1056-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Giant honeybees (Apis dorsata) nest in the open and have developed a wide array of strategies for colony defence, including the Mexican wave-like shimmering behaviour. In this collective response, the colony members perform upward flipping of their abdomens in coordinated cascades across the nest surface. The time–space properties of these emergent waves are response patterns which have become of adaptive significance for repelling enemies in the visual domain. We report for the first time that the mechanical impulse patterns provoked by these social waves and measured by laser Doppler vibrometry generate vibrations at the central comb of the nest at the basic (=‘natural’) frequency of 2.156 ± 0.042 Hz which is more than double the average repetition rate of the driving shimmering waves. Analysis of the Fourier spectra of the comb vibrations under quiescence and arousal conditions provoked by mass flight activity and shimmering waves gives rise to the proposal of two possible models for the compound physical system of the bee nest: According to the elastic oscillatory plate model, the comb vibrations deliver supra-threshold cues preferentially to those colony members positioned close to the comb. The mechanical pendulum model predicts that the comb vibrations are sensed by the members of the bee curtain in general, enabling mechanoreceptive signalling across the nest, also through the comb itself. The findings show that weak and stochastic forces, such as general quiescence or diffuse mass flight activity, cause a harmonic frequency spectrum of the comb, driving the comb as an elastic plate. However, shimmering waves provide sufficiently strong forces to move the nest as a mechanical pendulum. This vibratory behaviour may support the colony-intrinsic information hypothesis herein that the mechanical vibrations of the comb provoked by shimmering do have the potential to facilitate immediate communication of the momentary defensive state of the honeybee nest to the majority of its members.
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Zha YP, Chen JY, Jin ZB, Wang CB, Lei CL. Effects of Ultrasound on the Fecundity and Development of the Cotton Bollworm,Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)1. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3954/13-05.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Dejan KA, Fresquez JM, Meyer AM, Edgerly JS. Maternal territoriality achieved through shaking and lunging: an investigation of patterns in associated behaviors and substrate vibrations in a colonial embiopteran, Antipaluria urichi. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2013; 13:82. [PMID: 24224696 PMCID: PMC3841071 DOI: 10.1673/031.013.8201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/25/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Substrate vibration communication is displayed by a variety of insects that rely on silk for shelter. Such signaling is often associated with territoriality and social interactions. The goal in this study was to explore the use of substrate vibration by subsocial insects of the little-studied order Embioptera (also known as Embiidina). Antipaluria urichi (Saussure) (Embioptera: Clothodidae) from Trinidad and Tobago, a large embiopteran, exhibits maternal care and facultatively colonial behavior. Previous observations suggested that they were aggressive while guarding eggs but gregarious when not. Egg-guarders in particular have been observed shaking and lunging their bodies, but to date these putative signals have not been recorded nor were their contexts known. Staged interactions were conducted in the laboratory using residents that had established silk domiciles enveloping piezo-electric film used to detect vibrations. Predictions from two competing hypotheses, the maternal territoriality hypothesis and the group cohesion hypothesis, were erected to explain the occurrence of signaling. Experiments pitted pre-reproductive and egg-guarding residents against female and male intruders, representing social partners that ranged from potentially threatening to innocuous or even helpful. Behavioral acts were identified and scored along with associated substrate vibrations, which were measured for associated body movements, duration, and frequency spectra. Signals, sorted by the distinct actions used to generate them, were lunge, shake, push up, and snapback. Egg-guarding females produced most signals in response to female intruders, a result that supported the maternal territoriality hypothesis. Female intruders generally responded to such signaling by moving away from egg-guarding residents. In contrast, pre-reproductive residents did not signal much, and intruders settled beside them. Theme software was used to analyze the behavioral event recordings to seek patterns over time and their association with signals. Long patterns of behavioral acts were associated with shakes, lunges, and push-ups, indicating that interactions were occurring between the residents and intruders as would be expected when communication occurs. The value of Theme software, as well as the relationship between signaling by A. urichi and the risks and benefits of coloniality, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaaliq A. Dejan
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | - John M. Fresquez
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | - Annika M. Meyer
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | - Janice S. Edgerly
- Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
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Guedes RNC, Matheson SM, Frei B, Smith ML, Yack JE. Vibration detection and discrimination in the masked birch caterpillar (Drepana arcuata). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 198:325-35. [PMID: 22302526 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0711-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2011] [Revised: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Leaf-borne vibrations are potentially important to caterpillars for communication and risk assessment. Yet, little is known about the vibratory environment of caterpillars, or how they detect and discriminate between vibrations from relevant and non-relevant sources. We measured the vibratory ‘landscape’ of the territorial masked birch caterpillar Drepana arcuata (Drepanidae), and assessed its ability to detect and respond to vibrations generated by conspecific and predatory intruders, wind and rain. Residents of leaf shelters were shown to respond to low amplitude vibrations generated by a crawling conspecific intruder, since removal of the vibrations through leaf incision prevented the resident’s response. Residents did not respond to large amplitude, low frequency disturbances caused by wind and rain alone, but did respond to approaching conspecifics under windy conditions, indicating an ability to discriminate between these sources. Residents also responded differently in the presence of vibrations generated by approaching predators (Podisus) and conspecifics. An analysis of vibration characteristics suggests that despite significant overlap between vibrations from different sources, there are differences in frequency and amplitude characteristics that caterpillars may use to discriminate between sources. Caterpillars live in a vibration-rich environment that we argue forms a prominent part of the sensory world of substrate bound holometabolous larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- R N C Guedes
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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27
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Proaño CB, Cruz S, McMillan DM, Edgerly JS. Exploration of substrate vibrations as communication signals in a webspinner from Ecuador (Embioptera: Clothodidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 41:196-203. [PMID: 23950043 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-012-0034-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 03/19/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Embiopterans are among the least known of all insect orders, and yet their behavior is worthy of investigation for many reasons. They spin silk produced in glands in their front tarsi and live in groups, usually mothers with their young and sometimes in large colonies with many reproductive females sharing the silk. We discovered a large embiid (Clothodidae) in an Ecuadorian rain forest living under camouflaged silk sheets spun onto the bark of trees. Observations in previous studies of a related Trinidadian clothodid revealed that individuals shake and lunge their bodies in response to intruders of their silk domicile. We took the opportunity afforded by the discovery of the large clothodids to rear them in the laboratory and to investigate their communication behavior. We used piezoelectric film to detect substrate vibrations generated by adult females as elicited by a variety of intruders (an artificial stimulus, conspecific female or male, or a female of different species of webspinners). The residents produced three signals distinguishable by behavioral action, frequency (hertz), pulses per bout, and amplitude at peak frequency. We designated these as lift silk, shake, and snapback. Shakes varied the most in amplitude and frequency in response to the different intruders, and therefore, we propose that shakes may transmit the most information as individuals contact each other. This is the first report to characterize spectral qualities and contexts of substrate vibrations in an embiopteran.
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Proaño
- Lab de Ecología y Comportamiento, Univ San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
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Kojima W, Takanashi T, Ishikawa Y. Vibratory communication in the soil: pupal signals deter larval intrusion in a group-living beetle Trypoxylus dichotoma. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1264-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Bura VL, Rohwer VG, Martin PR, Yack JE. Whistling in caterpillars (Amorpha juglandis, Bombycoidea): sound-producing mechanism and function. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:30-7. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.046805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Caterpillar defenses have been researched extensively, and, although most studies focus on visually communicated signals, little is known about the role that sounds play in defense. We report on whistling, a novel form of sound production for caterpillars and rare for insects in general. The North American walnut sphinx (Amorpha juglandis) produces whistle ‘trains’ ranging from 44 to 2060 ms in duration and comprising one to eight whistles. Sounds were categorized into three types: broadband, pure whistles and multi-harmonic plus broadband, with mean dominant frequencies at 15 kHz, 9 kHz and 22 kHz, respectively. The mechanism of sound production was determined by selectively obstructing abdominal spiracles, monitoring air flow at different spiracles using a laser vibrometer and recording body movements associated with sound production using high-speed video. Contractions of the anterior body segments always accompanied sound production, forcing air through a pair of enlarged spiracles on the eighth abdominal segment. We tested the hypothesis that sounds function in defense using simulated attacks with blunt forceps and natural attacks with an avian predator – the yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia). In simulated attacks, 94% of caterpillars responded with whistle trains that were frequently accompanied by directed thrashing but no obvious chemical defense. In predator trials, all birds readily attacked the caterpillar, eliciting whistle trains each time. Birds responded to whistling by hesitating, jumping back or diving away from the sound source. We conclude that caterpillar whistles are defensive and propose that they function specifically as acoustic ‘eye spots’ to startle predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica L. Bura
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6
| | - Vanya G. Rohwer
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Paul R. Martin
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Jayne E. Yack
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6
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32
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Acoustic underwater signals with a probable function during competitive feeding in a tadpole. Naturwissenschaften 2010; 98:135-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0752-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2010] [Revised: 11/23/2010] [Accepted: 11/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Natale GS, Alcalde L, Herrera R, Cajade R, Schaefer EF, Marangoni F, Trudeau VL. Underwater acoustic communication in the macrophagic carnivorous larvae of Ceratophrys ornata (Anura: Ceratophryidae). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2009.00445.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Scott JL, Kawahara AY, Skevington JH, Yen SH, Sami A, Smith ML, Yack JE. The evolutionary origins of ritualized acoustic signals in caterpillars. Nat Commun 2010; 1:4. [PMID: 20975675 PMCID: PMC2895511 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2009] [Accepted: 02/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal communication signals can be highly elaborate, and researchers have long sought explanations for their evolutionary origins. For example, how did signals such as the tail-fan display of a peacock, a firefly flash or a wolf howl evolve? Animal communication theory holds that many signals evolved from non-signalling behaviours through the process of ritualization. Empirical evidence for ritualization is limited, as it is necessary to examine living relatives with varying degrees of signal evolution within a phylogenetic framework. We examine the origins of vibratory territorial signals in caterpillars using comparative and molecular phylogenetic methods. We show that a highly ritualized vibratory signal—anal scraping—originated from a locomotory behaviour—walking. Furthermore, comparative behavioural analysis supports the hypothesis that ritualized vibratory signals derive from physical fighting behaviours. Thus, contestants signal their opponents to avoid the cost of fighting. Our study provides experimental evidence for the origins of a complex communication signal, through the process of ritualization. Many animals communicate through gestures, some caterpillars use scraping and drumming signals to ward off unwanted neighbours. Here, Scott et al. demonstrate that "leg-like" structures used by some caterpillar species to communicate evolved from legs that their ancestors used to walk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn L Scott
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
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Scott JL, Matheson SM, Yack JE. Variation on a theme: vibrational signaling in caterpillars of the rose hook-tip moth, Oreto rosea. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2010; 10:54. [PMID: 20569131 PMCID: PMC3014813 DOI: 10.1673/031.010.5401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2008] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Vibrational communication in hook-tip moth caterpillars is thought to be widely used and highly variable across species, but this phenomenon has been experimentally examined in only two species to date. The purpose of this study is to characterize and describe the function of vibrational signaling in a species, Oreta rosea Walker 1855 (Lepidoptera: Drepanidae), that differs morphologically from previously studied species. Caterpillars of this species produce three distinct types of vibrational signals during territorial encounters with conspecifics--mandible drumming, mandible scraping and lateral tremulation. Signals were recorded using a laser-doppler vibrometer and characterized based on temporal and spectral components. Behavioural encounters between a leaf resident and a conspecific intruder were staged to test the hypothesis that signaling functions as a territorial display. Drumming and scraping signals both involve the use of the mandibles, being hit vertically on, or scraped laterally across, the leaf surface. Lateral tremulation involves quick, short, successive lateral movements of the anterior body region that vibrates the entire leaf. Encounters result in residents signaling, with the highest rates observed when intruders make contact with the resident. Residents signal significantly more than intruders and most conflicts are resolved within 10 minutes, with residents winning 91% of trials. The results support the hypothesis that vibrational signals function to advertise leaf occupancy. Signaling is compared between species, and evolutionary origins of vibrational communication in caterpillars are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn L. Scott
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON KIS 5B6, Canada
| | - Sarah M. Matheson
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON KIS 5B6, Canada
| | - Jayne E. Yack
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON KIS 5B6, Canada
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36
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Bura VL, Fleming AJ, Yack JE. What's the buzz? Ultrasonic and sonic warning signals in caterpillars of the great peacock moth (Saturnia pyri). Naturwissenschaften 2009; 96:713-8. [PMID: 19305964 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0527-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2008] [Revised: 02/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Caterpillars have many natural enemies and, therefore, have evolved a diversity of antipredator strategies. Most research focuses on those strategies (crypsis, countershading, and warning coloration) targeting visually guided predators. In contrast, defensive sounds, although documented for more than a century, have been poorly studied. We report on a novel form of sound production--chirping--in caterpillars of the common European Great Peacock moth (Saturnia pyri). Chirps are broadband, with dominant peaks ranging between the sonic (3.7 kHz) and ultrasonic (55.1 kHz) and are generated by a rapid succession of mandibular "tooth strikes." Chirp trains are induced by simulated predator attacks and precede or accompany the secretion of a defensive chemical from integumental bristles, supporting our hypothesis that these sounds function in acoustic aposematism. We propose that these caterpillars generate multimodal warning signals (visual, chemical, and acoustic) to target the dominant sensory modalities of different predators, including birds, bats, and invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica L Bura
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6
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37
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Hebets EA, Elias DO, Mason AC, Miller GL, Stratton GE. Substrate-dependent signalling success in the wolf spider, Schizocosa retrorsa. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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38
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Inta R, Lai JCS, Fu EW, Evans TA. Termites live in a material world: exploration of their ability to differentiate between food sources. J R Soc Interface 2007; 4:735-44. [PMID: 17360255 PMCID: PMC2373396 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2007.0223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drywood termites are able to assess wood size using vibratory signals, although the exact mechanism behind this assessment ability is not known. Important vibratory characteristics such as the modal frequencies of a wooden block depend on its geometry and boundary conditions; however, they are also dependent on the material characteristics of the block, such as mass, density and internal damping. We report here on choice experiments that tested the ability of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus to assess wooden block size using a solid wooden block paired with a composite block, the latter made of either wood and aluminium or wood and rubber. Each composite block was constructed to match mass or low-frequency vibratory modes (i.e. fundamental frequency) of the solid wooden block. The termites always chose the blocks with more wood; they moved to the solid wooden blocks usually within a day and then tunnelled further into the solid wooden block by the end of the experiment. Termites offered composite blocks of wood and rubber matched for mass were the slowest to show a preference for the solid wooden block and this preference was the least definitive of any treatment, which indicated that mass and/or damping may play a role in food assessment. This result clearly shows that the termites were not fooled by composite blocks matched for mass or frequency, which implies that they probably employ more than a single simple measure in their food assessment strategy. This implies a degree of sophistication in their ability to assess their environment hitherto unknown. The potential importance of alternative features in the vibrational signals is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ra Inta
- School of Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Australian Defence Force Academy, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia.
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39
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Vibrational signals in a gregarious sawfly larva (Perga affinis): group coordination or competitive signaling? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0414-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Brown SG, Boettner GH, Yack JE. Clicking caterpillars: acoustic aposematism inAntheraea polyphemusand other Bombycoidea. J Exp Biol 2007; 210:993-1005. [PMID: 17337712 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.001990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYAcoustic signals produced by caterpillars have been documented for over 100 years, but in the majority of cases their significance is unknown. This study is the first to experimentally examine the phenomenon of audible sound production in larval Lepidoptera, focusing on a common silkmoth caterpillar, Antheraea polyphemus (Saturniidae). Larvae produce airborne sounds,resembling `clicks', with their mandibles. Larvae typically signal multiple times in quick succession, producing trains that last over 1 min and include 50–55 clicks. Individual clicks within a train are on average 24.7 ms in duration, often consisting of multiple components. Clicks are audible in a quiet room, measuring 58.1–78.8 dB peSPL at 10 cm. They exhibit a broadband frequency that extends into the ultrasound spectrum, with most energy between 8 and 18 kHz. Our hypothesis that clicks function as acoustic aposematic signals, was supported by several lines of evidence. Experiments with forceps and domestic chicks correlated sound production with attack, and an increase in attack rate was positively correlated with the number of signals produced. In addition, sound production typically preceded or accompanied defensive regurgitation. Bioassays with invertebrates (ants) and vertebrates (mice) revealed that the regurgitant is deterrent to would-be predators. Comparative evidence revealed that other Bombycoidea species,including Actias luna (Saturniidae) and Manduca sexta(Sphingidae), also produce airborne sounds upon attack, and that these sounds precede regurgitation. The prevalence and adaptive significance of warning sounds in caterpillars is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G Brown
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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41
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Castellanos I, Barbosa P. Evaluation of predation risk by a caterpillar using substrate-borne vibrations. Anim Behav 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Specht A, Formentini AC, Corseuil E. Biologia de Hylesia nigricans (Berg) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Hemileucinae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1590/s0101-81752006000100018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biologia de Hylesia nigricans (Berg) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Hemileucinae). As espécies de Hylesia Hübner, [1820] destacam-se entre os demais lepidópteros por apresentarem ação urticante tanto durante a fase larval (erucismo) quanto na fase adulta (lepidopterismo). Hylesia nigricans (Berg, 1875) cuja ocorrência é registrada do sudeste do Brasil até Argentina e Uruguai vem sendo relacionada como praga de diversas frutíferas cultivadas e essências florestais, também têm sido relacionada com diversos episódios de lepidopterismo desde o início do século passado. Tendo em vista a sua importância, este estudo objetivou detalhar os principais aspectos biológicos da espécie com observações na natureza e em laboratório, também foram relacionados aspectos comportamentais e plantas hospedeiras observadas no campo e referidas em bibliografia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elio Corseuil
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
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Bergman DA, Martin AL, Moore PA. Control of information flow through the influence of mechanical and chemical signals during agonistic encounters by the crayfish, Orconectes rusticus. Anim Behav 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Whitfield J. Caterpillars beat tattoo. Nature 2001. [DOI: 10.1038/news010920-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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