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Liu J, Liu K, Tang Y, Wang W, Xu X, Liang J, Xiao Y, Elgar MA. Females adopt sexual catalepsy to facilitate mating. Curr Zool 2024; 70:174-181. [PMID: 38726244 PMCID: PMC11078043 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad010] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that males and females of dioecious species typically engage in an evolutionary sexual conflict over the frequency and choice of mating partner. Female sexual cannibalism, a particularly dramatic illustration of this conflict, is widespread in certain animal taxa including spiders. Nevertheless, females of some funnel weaving spiders that are generally aggressive to conspecifics enter a cataleptic state after male courtship, ensuring the males can mate without risk of attack. In this study, we demonstrated that the physical posture and duration, metabolites, and central neurotransmitters of females of Aterigena aculeata in sexual catalepsy closely resemble females in thanatosis but are distinct from those in anesthesia, indicating that the courted females feign death to eliminate the risk of potentially aggressive responses and thereby allow preferred males to mate. Unlike the taxonomically widespread thanatosis, which generally represents a deceptive visual signal that acts against the interest of the receivers, sexual catalepsy of females in the funnel weaving spiders may deliver a sexual-receptive signal to the courting males and thereby benefit both the signal senders and receivers. Therefore, sexual catalepsy in A. aculeata may not reflect a conflict but rather a confluence of interest between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihe Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, Jiangxi 343009, China
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Keke Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, Jiangxi 343009, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Pharmaceutical Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Weihua Wang
- Pharmaceutical Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China
| | - Jianhui Liang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yonghong Xiao
- College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, Jiangxi 343009, China
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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2
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Zheng Y, Ghosh S, Das S. A Butterfly-Inspired Multisensory Neuromorphic Platform for Integration of Visual and Chemical Cues. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2307380. [PMID: 38069632 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Unisensory cues are often insufficient for animals to effectively engage in foraging, mating, and predatory activities. In contrast, integration of cues collected from multiple sensory organs enhances the overall perceptual experience and thereby facilitates better decision-making. Despite the importance of multisensory integration in animals, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and neuromorphic computing has primarily focused on processing unisensory information. This lack of emphasis on multisensory integration can be attributed to the absence of a miniaturized hardware platform capable of co-locating multiple sensing modalities and enabling in-sensor and near-sensor processing. In this study, this limitation is addressed by utilizing the chemo-sensing properties of graphene and the photo-sensing capability of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) to create a multisensory platform for visuochemical integration. Additionally, the in-memory-compute capability of MoS2 memtransistors is leveraged to develop neural circuits that facilitate multisensory decision-making. The visuochemical integration platform is inspired by intricate courtship of Heliconius butterflies, where female species rely on the integration of visual cues (such as wing color) and chemical cues (such as pheromones) generated by the male butterflies for mate selection. The butterfly-inspired visuochemical integration platform has significant implications in both robotics and the advancement of neuromorphic computing, going beyond unisensory intelligence and information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikai Zheng
- Engineering Science and Mechanics, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Subir Ghosh
- Engineering Science and Mechanics, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Saptarshi Das
- Engineering Science and Mechanics, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Electrical Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Materials Research Institute, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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3
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Dolejšová K, Křivánek J, Štáfková J, Horáček N, Havlíčková J, Roy V, Kalinová B, Roy A, Kyjaková P, Hanus R. Identification of a queen primer pheromone in higher termites. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1165. [PMID: 36323794 PMCID: PMC9630296 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
It is long established that queens of social insects, including termites, maintain their reproductive dominance with queen primer pheromones (QPPs). Yet, the QPP chemistry has only been elucidated in a single species of lower termites. By contrast, the most diversified termite family Termitidae (higher termites), comprising over 70% of termite species, has so far resisted all attempts at QPP identification. Here, we show that the queen- and egg-specific sesquiterpene (3R,6E)-nerolidol acts as the QPP in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus. This species has a polygynous breeding system, in which the primary queen is replaced by multiple neotenic queens of parthenogenetic origin. We demonstrate that (3R,6E)-nerolidol suppresses the development of these parthenogenetic queens and thus mimics the presence of mature queen(s). It acts as an airborne signal and may be used to optimize the number of queens, thus being the key regulatory element in the special breeding system of E. neotenicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Dolejšová
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Štáfková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Natan Horáček
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Havlíčková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Virginie Roy
- Université Paris Est Créteil, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, iEES Paris, Créteil, France
| | | | - Amit Roy
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Kyjaková
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Chemistry of Social Insects, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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4
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Effects of juvenile hormone in fertility and fertility-signaling in workers of the common wasp Vespula vulgaris. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250720. [PMID: 33999926 PMCID: PMC8128253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the highly eusocial wasp, Vespula vulgaris, queens produce honest signals to alert their subordinate workers of their fertility status, and therefore they are reproductively suppressed and help in the colony. The honesty of the queen signals is likely maintained due to hormonal regulation, which affects fertility and fertility cue expression. Here, we tested if hormonal pleiotropy could support the hypothesis that juvenile hormone controls fertility and fertility signaling in workers. In addition, we aimed to check oocyte size as a proxy of fertility. To do that, we treated V. vulgaris workers with synthetic versions of juvenile hormone (JH) analogue and a JH inhibitor, methoprene and precocene, respectively. We dissected the treated females to check ovary activation and analyzed their chemical profile. Our results showed that juvenile hormone has an influence on the abundance of fertility linked compounds produced by workers, and it also showed to increase oocyte size in workers. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that juvenile hormone controls fertility and fertility signaling in workers, whereby workers are unable to reproduce without alerting other colony members of their fertility. This provides supports the hypothesis that hormonal pleiotropy contributes to keeping the queen fertility signals honest.
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5
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Kingwell C, Böröczky K, Steitz I, Ayasse M, Wcislo W. Cuticular and Dufour's Gland Chemistry Reflect Reproductive and Social State in the Facultatively Eusocial Sweat Bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:420-432. [PMID: 33682070 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01262-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Queen pheromones evolved independently in multiple eusocial insect lineages, in which they mediate reproductive conflict by inhibiting worker ovarian development. Although fundamentally important for reproductive division of labor - the hallmark of eusociality - their evolutionary origins are enigmatic. Here, we analyze cuticular and Dufour's gland chemistries across alternative social and reproductive phenotypes in Megalopta genalis bees (tribe Augochlorini, family Halictidae) that facultatively express simple eusociality. Reproductive bees have distinct overall glandular and cuticular chemical phenotypes compared with non-reproductive workers. On the cuticle, a likely site of signal transmission, reproductives are enriched for certain alkenes, most linear alkanes, and are heavily enriched for all methyl-branched alkanes. Chemicals belonging to these compound classes are known to function as fertility signals in other eusocial insect taxa. Some macrocyclic lactones, compounds that serve as queen pheromones in the other eusocial halictid tribe (Halictini), are also enriched among reproductives relative to workers. The intra-population facultative eusociality of M. genalis permits direct comparisons between individuals expressing alternative reproductive phenotypes - females that reproduce alone (solitary reproductives) and social queens - to highlight traits in the latter that may be important mediators of eusociality. Compared with solitary reproductives, the cuticular chemistries of queens are more strongly differentiated from those of workers, and furthermore are especially enriched for methyl-branched alkanes. Determining the pheromonal function(s) and information content of the candidate signaling compounds we identify will help illuminate the early evolutionary history of queen pheromones, chemical signals central to the organization of insect eusocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum Kingwell
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
| | - Katalin Böröczky
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Iris Steitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - William Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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6
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Lu A, Feder JA, Snyder-Mackler N, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC. Male-Mediated Maturation in Wild Geladas. Curr Biol 2021; 31:214-219.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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7
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Reyes-Ramírez A, Sandoval-García IA, Rocha-Ortega M, Córdoba-Aguilar A. Mutual mate choice and its benefits for both sexes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19492. [PMID: 33173125 PMCID: PMC7656247 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76615-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In mating interactions, it is common in nature for both sexes to choose simultaneously. However, this mutual mate choice and its consequences for progeny has received relatively little study; an approach where both male and female condition is manipulated is thus desirable. We compared both sexes' preferences in Tenebrio molitor beetles when individual condition varied (healthy vs infected with a fungus), and observed the direct benefits of those preferences. We predicted that: (a) females and males in good condition would prefer high quality mates; (b) preferences would be weaker when the choosing individual is in poor condition (and thus less selective given, for example, time and energetic constrains); and, (c) high quality mates would lay a larger number of total eggs and/or viable eggs than low quality mates. We found that both males and females in good condition were not more likely to choose mates that were also in good condition. However, poor-condition animals were more likely to prefer similar quality animals, while high-condition animals did not necessarily prefer mates of similar condition. Choosing sick males or females had a negative impact on egg number and viability. Our results suggest a non-adaptive mate choice in this species. Possibly, a deteriorated condition may drive individuals to invest more in attracting mates, because their chances of surviving the infection are very low. However, we do not discount the possibility that the fungus is manipulating individuals to increase its transmission during mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Reyes-Ramírez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. P. 70-275, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Iván Antonio Sandoval-García
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. P. 70-275, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Maya Rocha-Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. P. 70-275, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. P. 70-275, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
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8
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Huang H, Ren L, Li H, Schmidt A, Gershenzon J, Lu Y, Cheng D. The nesting preference of an invasive ant is associated with the cues produced by actinobacteria in soil. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008800. [PMID: 32913361 PMCID: PMC7482974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil-dwelling animals are at risk of pathogen infection in soils. When choosing nesting sites, animals could reduce this risk by avoiding contact with pathogens, yet there is currently little evidence. We tested this hypothesis using Solenopsis invicta as a model system. Newly mated queens of S. invicta were found to nest preferentially in soil containing more actinobacteria of Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis and to be attracted to two volatiles produced by these bacteria, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol. Actinobacteria-rich soil was favored by S. invicta and this soil contained fewer putative entomopathogenic fungi than adjacent areas. Queens in such soil benefited from a higher survival rate. In culture, isolated actinobacteria inhibited entomopathogenic fungi, suggested that their presence may reduce the risk of fungal infection. These results indicated a soil-dwelling ant may choose nest sites presenting relatively low pathogen risk by detecting the odors produced by bacteria with anti-fungal properties. Insect pathogens are widely distributed in soil. Soil-dwelling insects must overcome challenges arising from pathogens in soil. Here we report that a soil-dwelling ant may choose nest sites with lower pathogen infection risk, specifically the ant can sense the cues of some actinobacteria that can inhibit the growth of the pathogens. By choosing the sites with higher abundance of some actinobacteria, the ant can get a higher survival rate. The ant and some actinobacteria thus coordinate a specialized adaptive strategy of infection risk management, enabling the ant population to grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Huang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Ren
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijing Li
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Axel Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Yongyue Lu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (DC)
| | - Daifeng Cheng
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (DC)
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9
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Ge J, Ge Z, Zhu D, Wang X. Pheromonal Regulation of the Reproductive Division of Labor in Social Insects. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:837. [PMID: 32974354 PMCID: PMC7468439 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive altruism in social insects is an evolutionary enigma that has been puzzling scientists starting from Darwin. Unraveling how reproductive skew emerges and maintains is crucial to understand the reproductive altruism involved in the consequent division of labor. The regulation of adult worker reproduction involves conspecific inhibitory signals, which are thought to be chemical signals by numerous studies. Despite the primary identification of few chemical ligands, the action modes of primer pheromones that regulate reproduction and their molecular causes and effects remain challenging. Here, these questions were elucidated by comprehensively reviewing recent advances. The coordination with other modalities of queen pheromones (QPs) and its context-dependent manner to suppress worker reproduction were discussed under the vast variation and plasticity of reproduction during colony development and across taxa. In addition to the effect of QPs, special attention was paid to recent studies revealing the regulatory effect of brood pheromones. Considering the correlation between pheromone and hormone, this study focused on the production and perception of pheromones under the endocrine control and highlighted the pivotal roles of nutrition-related pathways. The novel chemicals and gene pathways discovered by recent works provide new insights into the understanding of social regulation of reproductive division of labor in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuxi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Walsh EM, Sweet S, Knap A, Ing N, Rangel J. Queen honey bee (Apis mellifera) pheromone and reproductive behavior are affected by pesticide exposure during development. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2810-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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11
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Distinct Roles of Cuticular Aldehydes as Pheromonal Cues in Two Cotesia Parasitoids. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:128-137. [PMID: 31907752 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01142-9] [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] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular compounds (CCs) that cover the surface of insects primarily serve as protection against entomopathogens, harmful substances, and desiccation. However, CCs may also have secondary signaling functions. By studying the role of CCs in intraspecific interactions, we may advance our understanding of the evolution of pheromonal communication in insects. We previously found that the gregarious parasitoid, Cotesia glomerata (L.), uses heptanal as a repellent pheromone to help avoid mate competition among sibling males, whereas another cuticular aldehyde, nonanal, is part of the female-produced attractive sex pheromone. Here, we show that the same aldehydes have different pheromonal functions in a related solitary parasitoid, Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson). Heptanal enhances the attractiveness of the female's sex pheromone, whereas nonanal does not affect a female's attractiveness. Hence, these common aldehydes are differentially used by the two Cotesia species to mediate, synergistically, the attractiveness of the main constituents of their respective sex pheromones. The specificity of the complete sex pheromone blend is apparently regulated by two specific, less volatile compounds, which evoke strong electroantennographic (EAG) responses. This is the first demonstration that volatile CCs have evolved distinct pheromonal functions to aid divergent mating strategies in closely related species. We discuss the possibility that additional compounds are involved in attraction and that, like the aldehydes, they are likely oxidative products of unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons.
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12
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Orbell PA, Potter JR, Elgar MA. Collective displays as signals of relative colony size: meat ants, Iridomyrmex purpureus, are economical with the truth. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Princen SA, Van Oystaeyen A, Petit C, van Zweden JS, Wenseleers T. Cross-activity of honeybee queen mandibular pheromone in bumblebees provides evidence for sensory exploitation. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe evolutionary origin of queen pheromones (QPs), which regulate reproductive division of labor in insect societies, has been explained by two evolutionary scenarios: the sender-precursor hypothesis and the sensory exploitation hypothesis. These scenarios differ in terms of whether the signaling system was built on preadaptations on the part of either the sender queens or the receiver workers. While some social insect QPs—such as cuticular hydrocarbons—were likely derived from ancestral fertility cues and evolved according to the former theory, the honeybee’s queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) has been suggested to act directly on preexisting gene-regulatory networks linked with reproduction. This is evidenced by the fact that QMP has been shown to also inhibit ovary activation in fruit flies, thereby implying exploitation of conserved physiological pathways. To verify whether QMP has similar effects on more closely related eusocial species, we here tested for QMP cross-activity in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Interestingly, we found that the non-native QMP blend significantly inhibited egg laying in both worker and queen bumblebees and caused accompanying shifts in ovary activation. The native bumblebee QP pentacosane, by contrast, only inhibited the reproduction of the workers. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that honeybee QMP likely evolved via a route of sensory exploitation. We argue that such exploitation could allow social insect queens to produce compounds that manipulate the workers to remain sterile, but that a major hurdle would be that the queens themselves would have to be immune to such compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Princen
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
- Biobest Group NV, Westerlo, Belgium
| | - Clément Petit
- Biobest Group NV, Westerlo, Belgium
- Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Naamsestraat, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Princen SA, Oliveira RC, Ernst UR, Millar JG, van Zweden JS, Wenseleers T. Honeybees possess a structurally diverse and functionally redundant set of queen pheromones. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190517. [PMID: 31213188 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce workers to remain sterile, play a key role in regulating reproductive division of labour in insect societies. In the honeybee, volatiles produced by the queen's mandibular glands have been argued to act as the primary sterility-inducing pheromones. This contrasts with evidence from other groups of social insects, where specific queen-characteristic hydrocarbons present on the cuticle act as conserved queen signals. This led us to hypothesize that honeybee queens might also employ cuticular pheromones to stop workers from reproducing. Here, we support this hypothesis with the results of bioassays with synthetic blends of queen-characteristic alkenes, esters and carboxylic acids. We show that all these compound classes suppress worker ovary development, and that one of the blends of esters that we used was as effective as the queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) mix. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the two main QMP compounds 9-ODA and 9-HDA tested individually were as effective as the blend of all four major QMP compounds, suggesting considerable signal redundancy. Possible adaptive reasons for the observed complexity of the honeybee queen signal mix are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Princen
- 1 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Ricardo Caliari Oliveira
- 1 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Ulrich R Ernst
- 1 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution , Leuven , Belgium.,2 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Functional Genomics and Proteomics Group , Leuven , Belgium.,3 Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Molecular Evolution and Sociobiology Group , Münster , Germany
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- 4 Departments of Entomology and Chemistry, University of California , Riverside, CA 92521 , USA
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- 1 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- 1 Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution , Leuven , Belgium
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15
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Zipple MN, Roberts EK, Alberts SC, Beehner JC. Male-mediated prenatal loss: Functions and mechanisms. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:114-125. [PMID: 30953577 PMCID: PMC6548597 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexually selected infanticide has been the subject of intense empirical and theoretical study for decades; a related phenomenon, male-mediated prenatal loss, has received much less attention in evolutionary studies. Male-mediated prenatal loss occurs when inseminated or pregnant females terminate reproductive effort following exposure to a nonsire male, either through implantation failure or pregnancy termination. Male-mediated prenatal loss encompasses two sub-phenomena: sexually selected feticide and the Bruce effect. In this review, we provide a framework that explains the relationship between feticide and the Bruce effect and describes what is known about the proximate and ultimate mechanisms involved in each. Using a simple model, we demonstrate that male-mediated prenatal loss can provide greater reproductive benefits to males than infanticide. We therefore suggest that, compared to infanticide, male-mediated prenatal loss may be more prevalent in mammalian species and may have played a greater role in their social evolution than has previously been documented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eila K Roberts
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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16
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The Combined Use of an Attractive and a Repellent Sex Pheromonal Component by a Gregarious Parasitoid. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:559-569. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01066-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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17
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Pheromones Regulating Reproduction in Subsocial Beetles: Insights with References to Eusocial Insects. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:785-795. [PMID: 29974316 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0982-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Beetles have evolved diverse strategies to cope with environmental challenges. Although parents of the vast majority of beetle species do not take care of their offspring, there are some species, in which parents provide elaborate post-hatching care and remain temporarily associated with their offspring to defend them from competitors or to provision them with food. Usually, socially induced reproductive "control" is a core feature of eusocial societies, but here we highlight that already in small family groups, socially induced reproductive regulation can play a fundamental role. By discussing the family life of burying beetles, we illustrate the mechanisms behind such a reproductive "control" and show that - similar to eusocial insects - pheromones can be an important regulating factor. However, apart from burying beetles, our knowledge of pheromones or other signals mediating reproductive regulation is surprisingly rudimentary for social beetles. More data are required to broaden our currently patchy picture.
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18
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Queen Control or Queen Signal in Ants: What Remains of the Controversy 25 Years After Keller and Nonacs' Seminal Paper? J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:805-817. [PMID: 29858748 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0974-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Ant queen pheromones (QPs) have long been known to affect colony functioning. In many species, QPs affect important reproductive functions such as diploid larvae sexualization and egg-laying by workers, unmated queens (gynes), or other queens. Until the 1990s, these effects were generally viewed to be the result of queen manipulation through the use of coercive or dishonest signals. However, in their seminal 1993 paper, Keller and Nonacs challenged this idea, suggesting that QPs had evolved as honest signals that informed workers and other colony members of the queen's presence and reproductive state. This paper has greatly influenced the study of ant QPs and inspired numerous attempts to identify fertility-related compounds and test their physiological and behavioral effects. In the present article, we review the literature on ant QPs in various contexts and pay special attention to the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Although the controversy generated by Keller and Nonacs' (Anim Behav 45:787-794, 1993) paper is currently less intensively debated, there is still no clear evidence which allows the rejection of the queen control hypothesis in favor of the queen signal hypothesis. We argue that important questions remain regarding the mode of action of QPs, and their targets which may help understanding their evolution.
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19
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Lhomme P, Hines HM. Reproductive Dominance Strategies in Insect Social Parasites. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:838-850. [PMID: 29785629 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0971-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In eusocial insects, the high cost of altruistic cooperation between colony members has favoured the evolution of cheaters that exploit social services of other species. In the most extreme forms of insect social parasitism, which has evolved multiple times across most social lineages, obligately parasitic species invade the nests of social species and manipulate the workforce of their hosts to rear their own reproductive offspring. As alien species that have lost their own sociality, these social parasites still face social challenges to infiltrate and control their hosts, thus providing independent replicates for understanding the mechanisms essential to social dominance. This review compares socially parasitic insect lineages to find general trends and build a hypothetical framework for the means by which social parasites achieve reproductive dominance. It highlights how host social organization and social parasite life history traits may impact the way they achieve reproductive supremacy, including the potential role of chemical cues. The review discusses the coevolutionary dynamics between host and parasite during this process. Altogether, this review emphasizes the value of social parasites for understanding social evolution and the need for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lhomme
- Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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20
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Oldroyd BP. Queen pheromone: contraceptive or a queen presence signal?—A comment on Holman. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Oldroyd
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, Macleay Building A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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22
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Henneken J, Jones TM. Pheromones-based sexual selection in a rapidly changing world. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:84-88. [PMID: 29208228 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Insects utilise chemical cues for a range of different purposes and the complexity and degree of specificity of these signals is arguably unparalleled in the animal kingdom. Chemical signals are particularly important for insect reproduction and the selective pressures driving their evolution and maintenance have been the subject of previous reviews. However, the world in which chemical cues evolved and are maintained is changing at an unprecedented rate. How (or indeed whether) chemical signals used in sexual selection will respond is largely unknown. Here, we explore how recent increases in urbanisation and associated anthropogenic impacts may affect how chemical signals are produced and perceived. We focus on four anthropomorphic influences which have the potential to interact with pheromone-mediated sexual selection processes; climatic temperature shifts, exposure to chemical pollutants, the presence of artificial light at night and nutrient availability. Our aim is to provide a broad overview of key areas where the rapidly changing environment of the future might specifically affect pheromones utilised in sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Henneken
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Therésa M Jones
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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23
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Steiger S, Stökl J. Pheromones involved in insect parental care and family life. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:89-95. [PMID: 29208229 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective parental care requires recognition and communication processes. Whereas chemical communication has been studied intensively in eusocial organisms, in which the workers (siblings) predominantly provide brood care, insect groups in which parents engage in care have been largely neglected. However, the study of communication in insect families might complement and enhance our understanding not only of the evolution of signaling process involved in social insects, but also of those involved in vertebrate families. In this review, we synthesize the existing information about the pheromones and chemical cues that regulate and affect insect parental care and family life. We will present research dealing with pre-hatching as well as post-hatching parental care and cover interactions between parents and offspring, between male and female parents, and among siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, University of Gießen, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, University of Gießen, 35392 Gießen, Germany
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Viney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Harvey
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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25
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Olejarz J, Veller C, Nowak MA. The evolution of queen control over worker reproduction in the social Hymenoptera. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:8427-8441. [PMID: 29075460 PMCID: PMC5648666 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A trademark of eusocial insect species is reproductive division of labor, in which workers forego their own reproduction while the queen produces almost all offspring. The presence of the queen is key for maintaining social harmony, but the specific role of the queen in the evolution of eusociality remains unclear. A long‐discussed scenario is that a queen either behaviorally or chemically sterilizes her workers. However, the demographic and ecological conditions that enable such manipulation are still debated. We study a simple model of evolutionary dynamics based on haplodiploid genetics. Our model is set in the commonly observed case where workers have lost the ability to lay female (diploid) eggs by mating, but retain the ability to lay male (haploid) eggs. We consider a mutation that acts in a queen, causing her to control the reproductive behavior of her workers. Our mathematical analysis yields precise conditions for the evolutionary emergence and stability of queen‐induced worker sterility. These conditions do not depend on the queen's mating frequency. We find that queen control is always established if it increases colony reproductive efficiency, but can evolve even if it decreases colony efficiency. We further derive the conditions under which queen control is evolutionarily stable against invasion by mutant workers who have recovered the ability to lay male eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Olejarz
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Carl Veller
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics Harvard University Cambridge MA USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Martin A Nowak
- Program for Evolutionary Dynamics Harvard University Cambridge MA USA.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA.,Department of Mathematics Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
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26
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Smith AA, Liebig J. The evolution of cuticular fertility signals in eusocial insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 22:79-84. [PMID: 28805643 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A reproductive division of labor is a definitive characteristic of eusocial insect societies and it requires a means through which colony members can assess the presence and productivity of reproductive individuals. Cuticular hydrocarbons are the primary means of doing so across eusocial hymenopterans. However, recent experimental work presents conflicting views on how these chemical signals function, are interpreted by workers, and evolve. These recent advances include demonstrations of hydrocarbons as evolutionarily conserved 'queen pheromones' and as species-divergent 'fertility signals' used by both queens and workers. In this review, we synthesize conflicting studies into an evolutionary framework suggesting a transition of reproductive communication from cue-like signature mixtures, to learned fertility signals, to innate queen pheromones that evolved across eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Smith
- Research & Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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27
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Wittwer B, Hefetz A, Simon T, Murphy LEK, Elgar MA, Pierce NE, Kocher SD. Solitary bees reduce investment in communication compared with their social relatives. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:6569-6574. [PMID: 28533385 PMCID: PMC5488929 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620780114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social animals must communicate to define group membership and coordinate social organization. For social insects, communication is predominantly mediated through chemical signals, and as social complexity increases, so does the requirement for a greater diversity of signals. This relationship is particularly true for advanced eusocial insects, including ants, bees, and wasps, whose chemical communication systems have been well-characterized. However, we know surprisingly little about how these communication systems evolve during the transition between solitary and group living. Here, we demonstrate that the sensory systems associated with signal perception are evolutionarily labile. In particular, we show that differences in signal production and perception are tightly associated with changes in social behavior in halictid bees. Our results suggest that social species require a greater investment in communication than their solitary counterparts and that species that have reverted from eusociality to solitary living have repeatedly reduced investment in these potentially costly sensory perception systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Wittwer
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Abraham Hefetz
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Tovit Simon
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Li E K Murphy
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Sarah D Kocher
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540
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28
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29
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Croft JR, Liu T, Camiletti AL, Simon AF, Thompson GJ. Sexual response of male Drosophila to honey bee queen mandibular pheromone: implications for genetic studies of social insects. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:143-149. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1147-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Henneken J, Goodger JQD, Jones TM, Elgar MA. Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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31
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Hosseini SA, van Wijk M, Ke G, Goldansaz SH, Schal C, Groot AT. Experimental evidence for chemical mate guarding in a moth. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38567. [PMID: 27934963 PMCID: PMC5146913 DOI: 10.1038/srep38567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In polyandrous species, males seek to maximize their reproductive output by monopolizing their mate. Often the male transfers substances to the female that suppress her sexual receptivity or antagonize the behavior of competing males; both are usually transferred in seminal fluids and represent forms of chemical mate guarding. In moths, more long-range female sex pheromones have been identified than in any other animal group, and males often display with close-range sex pheromones, yet odor-based post-copulatory mate guarding has not been described in moths so far. We tested the hypothesis that the male sex pheromone in the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens perfumes the female and functions as an anti-aphrodisiac. Indeed, virgin females perfumed with male pheromone extract, or with its main component, mated significantly less than control virgin females, and this effect persisted for two successive nights. This chemical mate guarding strategy was disadvantageous for H. virescens females, because the reproductive output of twice-mated females was significantly higher than that of once-mated females. Since the female and male sex pheromones are biosynthetically related in this and other moth species, chemical mate guarding may also impose selection pressure on the long-range female sex pheromone channel and consequently affect the evolution of sexual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Ali Hosseini
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel van Wijk
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Gao Ke
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Seyed Hossein Goldansaz
- University of Tehran, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Karaj, Iran
| | - Coby Schal
- North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA
| | - Astrid T Groot
- University of Amsterdam, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Raleigh NC, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, Jena, Germany
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32
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Smith AA, Millar JG, Suarez AV. Comparative analysis of fertility signals and sex-specific cuticular chemical profiles of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:419-30. [PMID: 26847561 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.128850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The lipid mixture that coats the insect cuticle contains a number of chemical signals. Mate choice in solitary insects is mediated by sexually dimorphic cuticular chemistry, whereas in eusocial insects, these profiles provide information through which colony members are identified and the fertility status of individuals is assessed. Profiles of queens and workers have been described for a number of eusocial species, but there have been few comparisons of fertility signals among closely related species. Additionally, sexual dimorphism in cuticular lipid profiles has only been reported in two species of ants. This study describes the cuticular chemical profiles of queens, workers and males of three species of Odontomachus trap-jaw ants: O. ruginodis, O. relictus and O. haematodus. These are compared with fertility signals and sexually dimorphic profiles already described from O. brunneus. We report that fertility signals are not conserved within this genus: chemical compounds that distinguish queens from workers vary in number and type among the species. Furthermore, the compounds that were most abundant in cuticular extracts of O. ruginodis queens relative to workers were novel 2,5-dialkyltetrahydrofurans. Bioassays of extracts of O. ruginodis queens indicate that the dialkyltetrahydrofuran and hydrocarbon fractions of the profile are likely to work synergistically in eliciting behavioral responses from workers. In contrast, cuticular lipids that distinguish males from females are more conserved across species, with isomeric and relative abundance variations comprising the main differences among species. Our results provide new insights into how these contact chemical signals may have arisen and evolved within eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Smith
- Research and Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Andrew V Suarez
- Departments of Animal Biology and Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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33
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Camiletti AL, Percival-Smith A, Croft JR, Thompson GJ. A novel screen for genes associated with pheromone-induced sterility. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36041. [PMID: 27786267 PMCID: PMC5081541 DOI: 10.1038/srep36041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
For honey bee and other social insect colonies the ‘queen substance’ regulates colony reproduction rendering workers functionally sterile. The evolution of worker reproductive altruism is explained by inclusive fitness theory, but little is known of the genes involved or how they regulate the phenotypic expression of altruism. We previously showed that application of honeybee queen pheromone to virgin fruit flies suppresses fecundity. Here we exploit this finding to identify genes associated with the perception of an ovary-inhibiting social pheromone. Mutational and RNAi approaches in Drosophila reveal that the olfactory co-factor Orco together with receptors Or49b, Or56a and Or98a are potentially involved in the perception of queen pheromone and the suppression of fecundity. One of these, Or98a, is known to mediate female fly mating behaviour, and its predicted ligand is structurally similar to a methyl component of the queen pheromone. Our novel approach to finding genes associated with pheromone-induced sterility implies conserved reproductive regulation between social and pre-social orders, and further helps to identify candidate orthologues from the pheromone-responsive pathway that may regulate honeybee worker sterility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Camiletti
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Anthony Percival-Smith
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Justin R Croft
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Graham J Thompson
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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34
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Conservation of Queen Pheromones Across Two Species of Vespine Wasps. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:1175-1180. [PMID: 27722875 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0777-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Social insects are known for their reproductive division of labor between queens and workers, whereby queens lay the majority of the colony's eggs, and workers engage mostly in non-reproductive tasks. Queens produce pheromones that signal their presence and fertility to workers, which in turn generally remain sterile. Recently, it has been discovered that specific queen-characteristic cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) function as queen pheromones across multiple lineages of social insects. In the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, several long-chain linear alkanes and 3-methylalkanes were shown to act as queen signals. Here, we describe similar bioassays with a related species of highly eusocial vespine wasp, the Saxon wasp, Dolichovespula saxonica. We show that a blend of queen-characteristic hydrocarbons that are structurally related to those of the common wasp inhibit worker reproduction, suggesting conservation of queen pheromones across social wasps. Overall, our results highlight the central importance of CHCs in chemical communication among social insects in general, and as conserved queen pheromones in these social wasps in particular.
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35
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Amsalem E, Orlova M, Grozinger CM. A conserved class of queen pheromones? Re-evaluating the evidence in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151800. [PMID: 26490791 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of reproductive division of labour is a key component in the evolution of social insects. Chemical signals are important mechanisms to regulate worker reproduction, either as queen-produced pheromones that coercively inhibit worker reproduction or as queen signals that honestly advertise her fecundity. A recent study suggested that a conserved class of hydrocarbons serve as queen pheromones across three independent origins of eusociality. In bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), pentacosane (C25) was suggested to serve as a queen pheromone. Here, we repeat these studies using a different species of bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) with a more controlled experimental design. Instead of dequeened colonies, we used same-aged, three-worker queenless groups comprising either experienced or naive workers (with/without adult exposure to queen pheromone). We quantified three hydrocarbons (C23, C25 and C27) on the cuticular surfaces of females and tested their effects on the two worker types. Our results indicate differences in responses of naive and experienced workers, genetic effects on worker reproduction, and general effects of hydrocarbons and duration of egg laying on ovary resorption rates. However, we found no evidence to support the theory that a conserved class of hydrocarbons serve as queen pheromones or queen signals in Bombus impatiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Margarita Orlova
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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36
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Camiletti AL, Thompson GJ. Drosophila As a Genetically Tractable Model for Social Insect Behavior. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Ronai I, Vergoz V, Oldroyd B. The Mechanistic, Genetic, and Evolutionary Basis of Worker Sterility in the Social Hymenoptera. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Elgar MA. Integrating insights across diverse taxa: challenges for understanding social evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Oi CA, van Zweden JS, Oliveira RC, Van Oystaeyen A, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. The origin and evolution of social insect queen pheromones: Novel hypotheses and outstanding problems. Bioessays 2015; 37:808-21. [PMID: 25916998 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce daughter workers to remain sterile, are considered to play a key role in regulating the reproductive division of labor of insect societies. Although queen pheromones were long thought to be highly taxon-specific, recent studies have shown that structurally related long-chain hydrocarbons act as conserved queen signals across several independently evolved lineages of social insects. These results imply that social insect queen pheromones are very ancient and likely derived from an ancestral signalling system that was already present in their common solitary ancestors. Based on these new insights, we here review the literature and speculate on what signal precursors social insect queen pheromones may have evolved from. Furthermore, we provide compelling evidence that these pheromones should best be seen as honest signals of fertility as opposed to suppressive agents that chemically sterilize the workers against their own best interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia A Oi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo C Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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