1
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Meunier J. The Biology and Social Life of Earwigs (Dermaptera). ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:259-276. [PMID: 37722682 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-013023-015632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Earwigs are often known for the forceps-like appendage at the end of their abdomen, urban legends about them crawling into human ears, and their roles as pest and biological control agents. However, they are much less known for their social life. This is surprising, as many of the 1,900 species of earwigs show social behaviors toward eggs, juveniles, and adults. These behaviors typically occur during family and group living, which may be obligatory or facultative, last up to several months, and involve only a few to several hundred related or unrelated individuals. Moreover, many individuals can alternate between solitary and group living during their life cycle, an ability that probably prevailed during the emergence of social life. In this review, I detail the diversity of group living and social behavior in earwigs and show how further developing this knowledge in Dermaptera can improve our general understanding of the early evolution of social life in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France;
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2
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Chau KD, Shamekh M, Huisken J, Rehan SM. The effects of maternal care on the developmental transcriptome and metatranscriptome of a wild bee. Commun Biol 2023; 6:904. [PMID: 37709905 PMCID: PMC10502028 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05275-2] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal care acts as a strong environmental stimulus that can induce phenotypic plasticity in animals and may also alter their microbial communities through development. Here, we characterize the developmental metatranscriptome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, across developmental stages and in the presence or absence of mothers. Maternal care had the most influence during early development, with the greatest number and magnitude of differentially expressed genes between maternal care treatments, and enrichment for transcription factors regulating immune response in motherless early larvae. Metatranscriptomic data revealed fungi to be the most abundant group in the microbiome, with Aspergillus the most abundant in early larvae raised without mothers. Finally, integrative analysis between host transcriptome and metatranscriptome highlights several fungi correlating with developmental and immunity genes. Our results provide characterizations of the influence of maternal care on gene expression and the microbiome through development in a wild bee.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jesse Huisken
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sandra M Rehan
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Canada.
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3
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Honorio R, Depierrefixe P, Devers S, Rouelle M, Meunier J, Lécureuil C. Effects of cadmium ingestion on reproduction and maternal egg care in the European earwig. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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4
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Bell AJ, Calladine KS, Wardle DA, Phillips ID. Rapid colonization of the post‐burn environment improves egg survival in pyrophilic ground beetles. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J. Bell
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
- Troutreach Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Canada
| | - Kiara S. Calladine
- Troutreach Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Canada
| | - David A. Wardle
- Asian School of the Environment Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore
| | - Iain D. Phillips
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
- Troutreach Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Canada
- Water Quality Services, Integrated Water Services Water Security Agency of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
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5
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Collard B, Tixier P, Carval D, Lavigne C, Delattre T. Assessing the effect of complex ground types on ground-dwelling arthropod movements with video monitoring: Dealing with concealed movements under a layer of plant residues. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:ECE39072. [PMID: 35845381 PMCID: PMC9271991 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effect of ground types on foraging movements of ground-dwelling arthropods is a key step to managing their spatial distribution as required for successful conservation biological control. Indeed, fine movements at the centimeter scale can strongly influence the foraging ability of pest predators. However, because radio frequency identification or harmonic tracking techniques are not yet suitable for small species and video tracking focuses on uniform and light backgrounds, foraging movements have rarely been studied in relation to ground types. We present a method to track a ground-dwelling arthropod (the earwig Euborellia caraibea) at night, walking on two contrasted ground types: bare soil and soil partly covered with a stratum of banana plant residues allowing individuals to hide periodically. The tracking of individuals within these ground types was achieved by infrared light, tagging individuals, video treatments, and semi-automatic cleaning of trajectories. We tested different procedures to obtain segments with identical durations to quantify speeds and sinuosities. These procedures were characterized by the junction time gap between trajectory fragments, the rediscretization time of trajectories, and whether or not to use interpolation to fill in missing points in the trajectories. Earwigs exhibited significantly slower and more sinuous movements on soil with banana plant residues than on bare soil. Long time gaps for trajectory junction, extended rediscretization times, and interpolation were complementary means to integrate concealed movements in the trajectories. The highest slowdown in plant residues was detected when the procedure could account for longer periods under the residues. These results suggest that earwigs spent a significant amount of time concealed by the residues. Additionally, the residues strongly decreased the earwigs' movement. Since the technical solutions presented in this study are inexpensive, easy to set up, and replicate, they represent valuable contributions to the emerging field of video monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanche Collard
- INRAEAvignonFrance
- CIRAD, UPR GECOMontpellierFrance
- GECO, Univ Montpellier, CIRADMontpellierFrance
| | - Philippe Tixier
- CIRAD, UPR GECOMontpellierFrance
- GECO, Univ Montpellier, CIRADMontpellierFrance
| | - Dominique Carval
- CIRAD, UPR GECOMontpellierFrance
- GECO, Univ Montpellier, CIRADMontpellierFrance
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6
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Van Meyel S, Devers S, Dupont S, Dedeine F, Meunier J. Alteration of gut microbiota with a broad-spectrum antibiotic does not impair maternal care in the European earwig. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1034-1045. [PMID: 33877702 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The microbes residing within the gut of an animal host often increase their own fitness by modifying their host's physiological, reproductive and behavioural functions. Whereas recent studies suggest that they may also shape host sociality and therefore have critical effects on animal social evolution, the impact of the gut microbiota on maternal care remains unexplored. This is surprising, as this behaviour is widespread among animals, often determines the fitness of both juveniles and parents, and is essential in the evolution of complex animal societies. Here, we tested whether life-long alterations of the gut microbiota with rifampicin-a broad-spectrum antibiotic-impair pre- and post-hatching maternal care in the European earwig. Our results first confirm that rifampicin altered the mothers' gut microbial communities and indicate that the composition of the gut microbiota differs before and after egg care. Contrary to our predictions, however, the rifampicin-induced alterations of the gut microbiota did not modify pre- or post-hatching care. Independent of maternal care, rifampicin increased the females' faeces production and resulted in lighter eggs and juveniles. By contrast, rifampicin altered none of the other 21 physiological, reproductive and longevity traits measured over the 300 days of a female's lifetime. Overall, these findings reveal that altering the gut microbiota with a large spectrum antibiotic such as rifampicin does not necessarily affect host sociality. They also emphasize that not all animals have evolved a co-dependence with their microbiota and call for caution when generalizing the central role of gut microbes in host biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Van Meyel
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Séverine Devers
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Simon Dupont
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Franck Dedeine
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261 CNRS - Université de Tours, Tours, France
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7
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Le Navenant A, Brouchoud C, Capowiez Y, Rault M, Suchail S. How lasting are the effects of pesticides on earwigs? A study based on energy metabolism, body weight and morphometry in two generations of Forficula auricularia from apple orchards. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143604. [PMID: 33246715 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Widespread use of pesticides to control pests is the dominant system in conventional apple orchards. To avoid adverse side effects, there is a growing interest in promoting alternative methods including biological control based on the use of natural enemies. The European earwig Forficula auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficuidae) is an effective predator in apple orchards. Pesticide pressure has been shown to divert energy resources which could have a negative impact on life history traits. In this study we assessed (i) whether variations in pesticide exposure could differentially impact energy reserves, body weight and morphometric parameters of F. auricularia, and (ii) whether these effects persist into the next generation reared under optimal conditions. Individuals from the first generation were collected in late October from organic, IPM and conventional orchards. The next generation was obtained under a rearing program, in the absence of pesticide exposure. Earwigs collected from conventional orchards exhibited lower values for all morphometric parameters compared to those collected in organic orchards. However, a relaxed period without pesticide exposure (in autumn) appears to have allowed the females to recover their energy reserves to ensure reproduction and maternal care. Glycogen contents were the reserves that were more easily restored. However, probably due to the rearing conditions (food ad libitum), all the earwigs from the second generation exhibited higher body weights and energy reserves than their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Le Navenant
- Univ Avignon, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Pôle Agrosciences, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza, BP 21239, 84916 Avignon, France
| | - Corinne Brouchoud
- Univ Avignon, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Pôle Agrosciences, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza, BP 21239, 84916 Avignon, France
| | - Yvan Capowiez
- INRAE, UMR 1114 EMMAH Domaine Saint Paul, 84914 Avignon cedex 09, France
| | - Magali Rault
- Univ Avignon, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Pôle Agrosciences, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza, BP 21239, 84916 Avignon, France.
| | - Séverine Suchail
- Univ Avignon, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Pôle Agrosciences, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza, BP 21239, 84916 Avignon, France
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8
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Meunier J, Dufour J, Van Meyel S, Rault M, Lécureuil C. Sublethal exposure to deltamethrin impairs maternal egg care in the European earwig Forficula auricularia. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 258:127383. [PMID: 32559491 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The application of pesticides typically leads to lethal and sublethal exposure of non-target insects. Whereas our current understanding of these sublethal effects typically focuses on reproductive and physiological parameters, recent works emphasize that sublethal effects on behaviors such as maternal care could be of major importance in non-target species. However, it remained unknown whether these sublethal effects occur in insects. Here, we tested if exposure to sublethal doses of deltamethrin - a pyrethroid insecticide commonly used in crops - alters the expression of maternal egg care in females of the European earwig Forficula auricularia, a predator insect and pest control. Our results first reveal that deltamethrin exposure impaired the expression of three forms of maternal egg care: It decreased the likelihood of mothers to gather their otherwise scattered clutch of eggs, increased the time during which the female abandoned the clutch after a predator attack and reduced egg grooming duration. These sublethal effects did not reflect a lower activity of deltamethrin-exposed females, as these females increased their expression of self-grooming, and deltamethrin exposure did not affect females' exploration and mobility. Finally, we found that the negative effects of deltamethrin on egg care did not modify egg development, hatching rate and juvenile weight, possibly due to the transient effects of deltamethrin on maternal behaviors. Overall, our results reveal that sublethal exposure to a pesticide may diminish maternal egg care in a natural pest control and call for the integration of this measurement in assays on pesticides application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France.
| | - Juliette Dufour
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Sophie Van Meyel
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Magali Rault
- Avignon University, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Pôle Agrosciences, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza, BP 21239, 84916, Avignon, France
| | - Charlotte Lécureuil
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France.
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9
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Nguyen B, Than A, Dinh H, Morimoto J, Ponton F. Parental Microbiota Modulates Offspring Development, Body Mass and Fecundity in a Polyphagous Fruit Fly. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1289. [PMID: 32846933 PMCID: PMC7563405 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The commensal microbiota is a key modulator of animal fitness, but little is known about the extent to which the parental microbiota influences fitness-related traits of future generations. We addressed this gap by manipulating the parental microbiota of a polyphagous fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) and measuring offspring developmental traits, body composition, and fecundity. We generated three parental microbiota treatments where parents had a microbiota that was non-manipulated (control), removed (axenic), or removed-and-reintroduced (reinoculation). We found that the percentage of egg hatching, of pupal production, and body weight of larvae and adult females were lower in offspring of axenic parents compared to that of non-axenic parents. The percentage of partially emerged adults was higher, and fecundity of adult females was lower in offspring of axenic parents relative to offspring of control and reinoculated parents. There was no significant effect of parental microbiota manipulation on offspring developmental time or lipid reserve. Our results reveal transgenerational effects of the parental commensal microbiota on different aspects of offspring life-history traits, thereby providing a better understanding of the long-lasting effects of host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binh Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia; (B.N.); (A.T.); (H.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Anh Than
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia; (B.N.); (A.T.); (H.D.); (J.M.)
- Department of Entomology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Trau Quy, Gia Lam, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Hue Dinh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia; (B.N.); (A.T.); (H.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia; (B.N.); (A.T.); (H.D.); (J.M.)
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Ave, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia; (B.N.); (A.T.); (H.D.); (J.M.)
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10
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Van Meyel S, Meunier J. Filial egg cannibalism in the European earwig: its determinants and implications in the evolution of maternal egg care. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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11
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Körner M, Vogelweith F, Libbrecht R, Foitzik S, Feldmeyer B, Meunier J. Offspring reverse transcriptome responses to maternal deprivation when reared with pathogens in an insect with facultative family life. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200440. [PMID: 32345162 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring of species with facultative family life are able to live with and without parents (i.e. to adjust to extreme changes in their social environment). While these adjustments are well understood on a phenotypic level, their genetic underpinnings remain surprisingly understudied. Investigating gene expression changes in response to parental absence may elucidate the genetic constraints driving evolutionary transitions between solitary and family life. Here, we manipulated maternal presence to observe gene expression changes in the fat body of juvenile European earwigs, an insect with facultative family life. Because parents typically protect offspring against pathogens, expression changes were recorded in pathogen-free and pathogen-exposed environments. We found that manipulating maternal presence changed the expression of 154 genes, including several metabolism and growth-related genes, and that this change depended on pathogen presence. Specifically, localization and cell transporter genes were downregulated in maternal absence without pathogens but upregulated with pathogens. At least one immunity gene (pathogenesis-related protein 5) was affected by pathogen exposure regardless of maternal presence. Overall, our findings explicate how offspring adjust to parental deprivation on a molecular level and reveal that such adjustments heavily depend on pathogens in the environment. This emphasizes the central role of pathogens in family life evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Körner
- Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
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12
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Arcila F, Meunier J. Friend or foe? The apparent benefits of gregarine (Apicomplexa: Sporozoa) infection in the European earwig. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:461-469. [PMID: 32224124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Studying the costs and benefits of host-parasite interactions is of central importance to shed light on the evolutionary drivers of host life history traits. Although gregarines (Apicomplexa: Sporozoa) are one of the most frequent parasites in the gut of invertebrates, the diversity of its potential impacts on a host remains poorly explored. In this study, we addressed this gap in knowledge by investigating the prevalence of natural infections by the gregarine Gregarina ovata and testing how these infections shape a large set of morphological, behavioural and physiological traits in the European earwig Forficula auricularia. Our results first show that G. ovata was present in 76.8% of 573 field-sampled earwigs, and that its prevalence was both higher in males compared with females and increased between July and September. The load of G. ovata in the infected individuals was higher in males than females, but this sex difference vanished during the season. Our experiments then surprisingly revealed apparent benefits of G. ovata infections. Food-deprived hosts survived longer when they exhibited high compared with low gregarine loads. Moreover, the presence of gregarines was associated with a reduced phenoloxidase activity, indicating a lower immune resistance or a higher immune tolerance of the infected hosts. By contrast, we found no effect of G. ovata presence and number on earwigs' development (eye distance, forceps length), activity, food consumption or resistance against a fungal pathogen. Overall, our findings suggest that G. ovata could be involved in a mutualistic relationship with the European earwig. Given the ubiquitous presence of gregarines among invertebrates, our data also suggest that this common member of insect gut flora could have a broad and positive role in the life history of many host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Arcila
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
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13
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Tourneur J, Meunier J. Variations in seasonal (not mean) temperatures drive rapid adaptations to novel environments at a continent scale. Ecology 2020; 101:e02973. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐Claude Tourneur
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal 141 Avenue du Président‐Kennedy Montréal Québec H2X 1Y4 Canada
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte (IRBI) UMR 7261 CNRS Université de Tours Tours France
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14
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Van Meyel S, Devers S, Meunier J. Love them all: mothers provide care to foreign eggs in the European earwig Forficula auricularia. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Van Meyel
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Séverine Devers
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
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15
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Kronauer DJ, Libbrecht R. Back to the roots: the importance of using simple insect societies to understand the molecular basis of complex social life. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:33-39. [PMID: 30551765 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary trajectories toward insect eusociality come in two broad forms. In species like wasps, bees, and ants, the first helpers remained at the nest primarily to help with brood care. In species like aphids and termites, on the other hand, nest defense was initially the primary ecological driving force. To better understand the molecular basis of these two alternative evolutionary trajectories, it is therefore important to study the mechanistic basis of brood care and nest defense behavior. So far, most studies have compared morphologically distinct castes in advanced eusocial species of ants, bees, wasps, and termites. However, the interpretation of such comparisons is limited by multiple confounding factors and the fact that castes are typically fixed and cannot be manipulated at the adult stage. In this review, we argue that conducting molecular studies of brood care and nest defense in simpler, more flexible insect societies may complement studies of advanced eusocial insects and provide avenues toward more functional analyses. We review the available literature and propose candidate study systems for future molecular investigations of brood care and nest defense in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jc Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
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