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da Silva RC, do Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T, Oi CA. Chemical signatures of egg maternity and Dufour's gland in Vespine wasps. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:25. [PMID: 37227507 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01852-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are often used in the chemical communication among social insects. CHCs can be used in nestmate recognition and as queen pheromones, the latter allows the regulation of the reproductive division of labor. In the common wasp Vespula vulgaris, CHCs and egg-marking hydrocarbons are caste-specific, being hydrocarbon queen pheromones and egg maternity signals. Whether these compounds are conserved among other Vespinae wasps remains unknown. Queens, virgin queens, reproductive workers, and workers belonging to four different wasp species, Dolichovespula media, Dolichovespula saxonica, Vespa crabro, and Vespula germanica, were collected and studied. The cuticular hydrocarbons, egg surface, and Dufour's gland composition were characterized and it was found that chemical compounds are caste-specific in the four species. Quantitative and qualitative differences were detected in the cuticle, eggs, and Dufour's gland. Some specific hydrocarbons that were shown to be overproduced in the cuticle of queens were also present in higher quantities in queen-laid eggs and in their Dufour's gland. These hydrocarbons can be indicated as putative fertility signals that regulate the division of reproductive labor in these Vespine societies. Our results are in line with the literature for V. vulgaris and D. saxonica, in which hydrocarbons were shown to be conserved queen signals. This work presents correlative evidence that queen chemical compounds are found not only over the body surface of females but also in other sources, such as the Dufour's gland and eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-900, Brazil.
| | - Fabio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Role of juvenile hormone in oogenesis, chemical profile, and behavior of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Vespidae: Polistinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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3
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Juvenile hormone regulates reproductive physiology and the production of fertility cues in the swarm-founding wasp Polybia occidentalis. CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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4
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Noll FB, da Silva M, Soleman RA, Lopes RB, Grandinete YC, Almeida EAB, Wenzel JW, Carpenter JM. Marimbondos: systematics, biogeography, and evolution of social behaviour of neotropical swarm-founding wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Epiponini). Cladistics 2021; 37:423-441. [PMID: 34478190 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neotropical swarm-founding wasps are divided into 19 genera in the tribe Epiponini (Vespidae, Polistinae). They display extensive variation in several colony-level traits that make them an attractive model system for reconstructing the evolution of social phenotypes, including caste dimorphism and nest architecture. Epiponini has been upheld as a solid monophyletic group in most phylogenetic analyses carried out so far, supported by molecular, morphological and behavioural data. Recent molecular studies, however, propose different relationships among the genera of swarm-founding wasps. This study is based on the most comprehensive epiponine sampling so far and was analyzed by combining morphological, nesting and molecular data. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis shows many of the traditional clades but still impacts the way certain behavioural characters, such as nest structure and castes, evolved, and thus requires some re-interpretations. Angiopolybia as sister to the remaining Epiponini implies that nest envelopes and a casteless system are plesiomorphic in the tribe. Molecular dating points to an early tribal diversification during the Eocene (c. 55-38 Ma), with the major differentiation of current genera concentrated in the Oligocene/Miocene boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando B Noll
- Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marjorie da Silva
- Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Raduan A Soleman
- Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rogério B Lopes
- Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Yuri C Grandinete
- Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo A B Almeida
- Depto. Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - John W Wenzel
- Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, USA
| | - James M Carpenter
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
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5
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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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6
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Eyer PA, Salin J, Helms AM, Vargo EL. Distinct chemical blends produced by different reproductive castes in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4471. [PMID: 33627740 PMCID: PMC7904765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83976-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of royal pheromones by reproductives (queens and kings) enables social insect colonies to allocate individuals into reproductive and non-reproductive roles. In many termite species, nestmates can develop into neotenics when the primary king or queen dies, which then inhibit the production of additional reproductives. This suggests that primary reproductives and neotenics produce royal pheromones. The cuticular hydrocarbon heneicosane was identified as a royal pheromone in Reticulitermes flavipes neotenics. Here, we investigated the presence of this and other cuticular hydrocarbons in primary reproductives and neotenics of this species, and the ontogeny of their production in primary reproductives. Our results revealed that heneicosane was produced by most neotenics, raising the question of whether reproductive status may trigger its production. Neotenics produced six additional cuticular hydrocarbons absent from workers and nymphs. Remarkably, heneicosane and four of these compounds were absent in primary reproductives, and the other two compounds were present in lower quantities. Neotenics therefore have a distinct 'royal' blend from primary reproductives, and potentially over-signal their reproductive status. Our results suggest that primary reproductives and neotenics may face different social pressures. Future studies of these pressures should provide a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying social regulation in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Eyer
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA.
| | - Jared Salin
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA
| | - Anjel M Helms
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA
| | - Edward L Vargo
- Department of Entomology, 2143 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2143, USA
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7
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Dominance Hierarchy, Ovarian Activity and Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Primitively Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus (Vespidae, Polistinae, Mischocyttarini). J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:835-844. [PMID: 32789711 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The dominance hierarchy in primitively eusocial insect societies has been shown to be mainly regulated through aggressive interactions. Females that are generally more dominant stand out and occupy the queen position, meaning that they monopolize reproduction while others perform other tasks. Chemical communication is important for maintaining social cohesion. Cuticular hydrocarbons are recognized as the main molecules responsible for mediating social interactions, especially nestmate recognition and queen signalling. Many highly eusocial groups have been studied in recent years, but primitively eusocial groups, which are key to understanding the evolution of social behavior, remain unexplored. In this study, we investigated the connection between cuticular hydrocarbons in females expressed in different social contexts in the primitively eusocial wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus. Colonies in two different ontogenetic phases, pre- and post-worker emergence, were used. We observed and categorized behavioral interactions between individual females and collected all individuals in a nest to obtain information on size, ovary activation and chemical composition. Furthermore, we conducted experiments in which the alpha (dominant) females were removed from nests to produce a new dominance hierarchy. We found that females in different hierarchical positions had small chemical difference corresponding with ovary activity. Our results support the hypothesis that cuticular hydrocarbons are associated with social context in this primitively eusocial species, with some compounds being associated with hierarchical position and ovarian activity.
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8
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Tsuchida K, Saigo T, Asai K, Okamoto T, Ando M, Ando T, Sasaki K, Yokoi K, Watanabe D, Sugime Y, Miura T. Reproductive workers insufficiently signal their reproductive ability in a paper wasp. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Why workers forfeit direct reproduction is a crucial question in eusocial evolution. Worker reproduction provides an excellent opportunity to understand the mechanism of kin conflict resolution between the queen and workers. We evaluated behavioral and physiological differences among females in the paper wasp Polistes chinensis antennalis to examine why some workers reproduce under queenright conditions. Reproductive workers were old and foraged less early in the season; their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles overlapped with those of queens but were significantly different. The distinct CHC profile of the eggs of the queen likely represented a cue for policing against those by workers. Juvenile hormone (JH) and dopamine seemed to be associated with gonadotropic function, and the JH level of reproductive workers was similar to that of the queen. The high JH level of reproductive workers likely facilitated their reproduction even under queenright conditions. Gene expression levels of the queen and reproductive workers differed only in vitellogenin. These results suggest that worker reproduction is facilitated by an increase in JH level; however, CHC is not a fertility-linked signal, but a queen-linked signal; consequently, reproductive workers without a queen-linked signal might be allowed to stay within the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Tsuchida
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Takaharu Saigo
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Asai
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Tomoko Okamoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Masaki Ando
- Laboratory of Forest Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Tetsu Ando
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering (BASE), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Sasaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Honeybee Science Research Center, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kakeru Yokoi
- Insect Genome Research Unit, Division of Applied Genetics, The National Agriculture and Research Organization, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Dai Watanabe
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Sugime
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toru Miura
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Japan
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9
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Orlova M, Amsalem E. Context matters: plasticity in response to pheromones regulating reproduction and collective behavior in social Hymenoptera. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:69-76. [PMID: 31404906 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones mediating social behavior are critical components in the cohesion and function of the colony and are instrumental in the evolution of eusocial insect species. However, different aspects of colony function, such as reproductive division of labor and colony maintenance (e.g. foraging, brood care, and defense), pose different challenges for the optimal function of pheromones. While reproductive communication is shaped by forces of conflict and competition, colony maintenance calls for enhanced cooperation and self-organization. Mechanisms that ensure efficacy, adaptivity and evolutionary stability of signals such as structure-to-function suitability, honesty and context are important to all chemical signals but vary to different degrees between pheromones regulating reproductive division of labor and colony maintenance. In this review, we will discuss these differences along with the mechanisms that have evolved to ensure pheromone adaptivity in reproductive and non-reproductive context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Orlova
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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10
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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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11
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Oi CA, Oliveira RC, van Zweden JS, Mateus S, Millar JG, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. Do Primitively Eusocial Wasps Use Queen Pheromones to Regulate Reproduction? A Case Study of the Paper Wasp Polistes satan. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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12
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Chemical Characterization of Young Virgin Queens and Mated Egg-Laying Queens in the Ant Cataglyphis cursor: Random Forest Classification Analysis for Multivariate Datasets. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:127-136. [PMID: 29350346 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0923-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Social insects are well known for their extremely rich chemical communication, yet their sex pheromones remain poorly studied. In the thermophilic and thelytokous ant, Cataglyphis cursor, we analyzed the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and Dufour's gland contents of queens of different age and reproductive status (sexually immature gynes, sexually mature gynes, mated and egg-laying queens) and of workers. Random forest classification analyses showed that the four groups of individuals were well separated for both chemical sources, except mature gynes that clustered with queens for cuticular hydrocarbons and with immature gynes for Dufour's gland secretions. Analyses carried out with two groups of females only allowed identification of candidate chemicals for queen signal and for sexual attractant. In particular, gynes produced more undecane in the Dufour's gland. This chemical is both the sex pheromone and the alarm pheromone of the ant Formica lugubris. It may therefore act as sex pheromone in C. cursor, and/or be involved in the restoration of monogyny that occurs rapidly following colony fission. Indeed, new colonies often start with several gynes and all but one are rapidly culled by workers, and this process likely involves chemical signals between gynes and workers. These findings open novel opportunities for experimental studies of inclusive mate choice and queen choice in C. cursor.
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13
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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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14
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Oliveira RC, Vollet-Neto A, Akemi Oi C, van Zweden JS, Nascimento F, Sullivan Brent C, Wenseleers T. Hormonal pleiotropy helps maintain queen signal honesty in a highly eusocial wasp. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1654. [PMID: 28490760 PMCID: PMC5431770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01794-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In insect societies, both queens and workers produce chemicals that reliably signal caste membership and reproductive status. The mechanisms that help to maintain the honesty of such queen and fertility signals, however, remain poorly studied. Here we test if queen signal honesty could be based on the shared endocrine control of queen fertility and the production of specific signals. In support of this “hormonal pleiotropy” hypothesis, we find that in the common wasp, application of methoprene (a juveline hormone analogue) caused workers to acquire a queen-like cuticular hydrocarbon profile, resulting in the overproduction of known queen pheromones as well as some compounds typically linked to worker fertility. By contrast, administration of precocene-I (a JH inhibitor) had a tendency to have the opposite effect. Furthermore, a clear gonadotropic effect of JH in queens was suggested by the fact that circulating levels of JH were ca. 2 orders of magnitude higher in queens than those in workers and virgin, non-egg-laying queens, even if methoprene or precocene treatment did not affect the ovary development of workers. Overall, these results suggest that queen signal honesty in this system is maintained by queen fertility and queen signal production being under shared endocrine control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Caliari Oliveira
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Ayrton Vollet-Neto
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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15
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Lopez-Osorio F, Pickett KM, Carpenter JM, Ballif BA, Agnarsson I. Phylogenomic analysis of yellowjackets and hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Vespinae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 107:10-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Menzel F, Radke R, Foitzik S. Odor diversity decreases with inbreeding in the ant Hypoponera opacior. Evolution 2016; 70:2573-2582. [PMID: 27641363 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Reduction in heterozygosity can lead to inbreeding depression. This loss of genetic variability especially affects diverse loci, such as immune genes or those encoding recognition cues. In social insects, nestmates are recognized by their odor, that is their cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Genes underlying hydrocarbon production are thought to be under balancing selection. If so, inbreeding should result in a loss of chemical diversity. We show here that cuticular hydrocarbon diversity decreases with inbreeding. Studying an ant with a facultative inbreeding lifestyle, we found inbred workers to exhibit both a lower number of hydrocarbons and less diverse, that is less evenly proportioned profiles. The association with inbreeding was strong for methyl-branched alkanes, which play a major role in nestmate recognition, and for n-alkanes, whereas unsaturated compounds were unaffected. Shifts in allocation strategies with inbreeding in our focal species indicate that these ants can detect their inbreeding level and use this information to adjust their reproductive strategy. Our study is the first to demonstrate that odor profiles can encode information on inbreeding, with broad implications not only for social insects, but for sexual selection and mate choice in general. Odor profiles may constitute an honest signal of inbreeding, a fitness-relevant trait in many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Menzel
- Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
| | - René Radke
- Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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17
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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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18
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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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19
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Lihoreau M, Rivault C, van Zweden JS. Kin discrimination increases with odor distance in the German cockroach. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Mersch DP. The social mirror for division of labor: what network topology and dynamics can teach us about organization of work in insect societies. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2104-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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21
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Oliveira RC, Oi CA, Vollet-Neto A, Wenseleers T. Intraspecific worker parasitism in the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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22
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Grüter C, Keller L. Inter-caste communication in social insects. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:6-11. [PMID: 26803006 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Social insect colonies function as highly integrated units despite consisting of many individuals. This requires the different functional parts of the colony (e.g. different castes) to exchange information that aid in colony functioning and ontogeny. Here we discuss inter-caste communication in three contexts, firstly, the communication between males and females during courtship, secondly, the communication between queens and workers that regulate reproduction and thirdly, the communication between worker castes that allows colonies to balance the number of different worker types. Some signals show surprising complexity in both their chemistry and function, whereas others are simple compounds that were probably already used as pheromones in the solitary ancestors of several social insect lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Grüter
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Laurent Keller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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23
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González-Forero M. Stable eusociality via maternal manipulation when resistance is costless. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:2208-23. [PMID: 26341103 PMCID: PMC4685003 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Revised: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In many eusocial species, queens use pheromones to influence offspring to express worker phenotypes. Although evidence suggests that queen pheromones are honest signals of the queen's reproductive health, here I show that queen's honest signalling can result from ancestral maternal manipulation. I develop a mathematical model to study the coevolution of maternal manipulation, offspring resistance to manipulation and maternal resource allocation. I assume that (i) maternal manipulation causes offspring to be workers against offspring's interests; (ii) offspring can resist at no direct cost, as is thought to be the case with pheromonal manipulation; and (iii) the mother chooses how much resource to allocate to fertility and maternal care. In the coevolution of these traits, I find that maternal care decreases, thereby increasing the benefit that offspring obtain from help, which in the long run eliminates selection for resistance. Consequently, ancestral maternal manipulation yields stable eusociality despite costless resistance. Additionally, ancestral manipulation in the long run becomes honest signalling that induces offspring to help. These results indicate that both eusociality and its commonly associated queen honest signalling can be likely to originate from ancestral manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M González-Forero
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Caliari Oliveira R, Oi CA, do Nascimento MMC, Vollet-Neto A, Alves DA, Campos MC, Nascimento F, Wenseleers T. The origin and evolution of queen and fertility signals in Corbiculate bees. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:254. [PMID: 26573687 PMCID: PMC4647589 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0509-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In social Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), various chemical compounds present on the cuticle have been shown to act as fertility signals. In addition, specific queen-characteristic hydrocarbons have been implicated as sterility-inducing queen signals in ants, wasps and bumblebees. In Corbiculate bees, however, the chemical nature of queen-characteristic and fertility-linked compounds appears to be more diverse than in ants and wasps. Moreover, it remains unknown how queen signals evolved across this group and how they might have been co-opted from fertility signals in solitary ancestors. Results Here, we perform a phylogenetic analysis of fertility-linked compounds across 16 species of solitary and eusocial bee species, comprising both literature data as well as new primary data from a key solitary outgroup species, the oil-collecting bee Centris analis, and the highly eusocial stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis. Our results demonstrate the presence of fertility-linked compounds belonging to 12 different chemical classes. In addition, we find that some classes of compounds (linear and branched alkanes, alkenes, esters and fatty acids) were already present as fertility-linked signals in the solitary ancestors of Corbiculate bees, while others appear to be specific to certain species. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that queen signals in Corbiculate bees are likely derived from ancestral fertility-linked compounds present in solitary bees that lacked reproductive castes. These original fertility-linked cues or signals could have been produced either as a by-product of ovarian activation or could have served other communicative purposes, such as in mate recognition or the regulation of egg-laying. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0509-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Caliari Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Ayrton Vollet-Neto
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Denise Araujo Alves
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil.
| | - Maria Claudia Campos
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Fabio Nascimento
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Behavioral Ecology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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25
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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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26
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Andrade-Silva ACR, Nascimento FS. Reproductive regulation in an orchid bee: social context, fertility and chemical signalling. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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27
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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: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [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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28
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Kelstrup HC, Hartfelder K, Nascimento FS, Riddiford LM. The role of juvenile hormone in dominance behavior, reproduction and cuticular pheromone signaling in the caste-flexible epiponine wasp, Synoeca surinama. Front Zool 2014; 11:78. [PMID: 25371699 PMCID: PMC4219083 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-014-0078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The popular view on insect sociality is that of a harmonious division of labor among two morphologically distinct and functionally non-overlapping castes. But this is a highly derived state and not a prerequisite for a functional society. Rather, caste-flexibility is a central feature in many eusocial wasps, where adult females have the potential to become queens or workers, depending on the social environment. In non-swarming paper wasps (e.g., Polistes), prospective queens fight one another to assert their dominance, with losers becoming workers if they remain on the nest. This aggression is fueled by juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, major factors involved in caste differentiation in most eusocial insects. We tested whether these hormones have conserved aggression-promoting functions in Synoeca surinama, a caste-flexible swarm-founding wasp (Epiponini) where reproductive competition is high and aggressive displays are common. RESULTS We observed the behavioral interactions of S. surinama females in field nests before and after we had removed the egg-laying queen(s). We measured the ovarian reproductive status, hemolymph JH and ecdysteroid titers, ovarian ecdysteroid content, and analyzed the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition of females engaged in competitive interactions in both queenright and queenless contexts. These data, in combination with hormone manipulation experiments, revealed that neither JH nor ecdysteroids are necessary for the expression of dominance behaviors in S. surinama. Instead, we show that JH likely functions as a gonadotropin and directly modifies the cuticular hydrocarbon blend of young workers to match that of a reproductive. Hemolymph ecdysteroids, in contrast, are not different between queens and workers despite great differences in ovarian ecdysteroid content. CONCLUSIONS The endocrine profile of S. surinama shows surprising differences from those of other caste-flexible wasps, although a rise in JH titers in replacement queens is a common theme. Extensive remodeling of hormone functions is also evident in the highly eusocial bees, which has been attributed to the evolution of morphologically defined castes. Our results show that hormones which regulate caste-plasticity can lose these roles even while caste-plasticity is preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C Kelstrup
- />Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 USA
- />Present address: Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag XI, Matieland, 7602 South Africa
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- />Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paul, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14049-900 SP Brazil
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- />Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciȇncias e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900 SP Brazil
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- />Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 USA
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29
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González-Forero M. AN EVOLUTIONARY RESOLUTION OF MANIPULATION CONFLICT. Evolution 2014; 68:2038-51. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio González-Forero
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee 37996-1610
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS); Knoxville Tennessee 37996-3410
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30
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Kelstrup HC, Hartfelder K, Nascimento FS, Riddiford LM. Reproductive status, endocrine physiology and chemical signaling in the Neotropical, swarm-founding eusocial wasp Polybia micans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:2399-410. [PMID: 24744417 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.096750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the evolution of caste-based societies in Hymenoptera, the classical insect hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids were co-opted into new functions. Social wasps, which show all levels of sociality and lifestyles, are an ideal group in which to study such functional changes. Virtually all studies on the physiological mechanisms underlying reproductive division of labor and caste functions in wasps have been done on independent-founding paper wasps, and the majority of these studies have focused on species specially adapted for overwintering. The relatively little-studied tropical swarm-founding wasps of the Epiponini (Vespidae) are a diverse group of permanently social wasps, with some species maintaining caste flexibility well into the adult phase. We investigated the behavior, reproductive status, JH and ecdysteroid titers in hemolymph, ecdysteroid content of the ovary and cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in the caste-monomorphic, epiponine wasp Polybia micans Ducke. We found that the JH titer was not elevated in competing queens from established multiple-queen nests, but increased in lone queens that lack direct competition. In queenless colonies, JH titer rose transiently in young potential reproductives upon challenge by nestmates, suggesting that JH may prime the ovaries for further development. Ovarian ecdysteroids were very low in workers but higher and correlated with the number of vitellogenic oocytes in the queens. Hemolymph ecdysteroid levels were low and variable in both workers and queens. Profiles of P. micans CHCs reflected caste, age and reproductive status, but were not tightly linked to either hormone. These findings show a significant divergence in hormone function in swarm-founding wasps compared with independently founding ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C Kelstrup
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14049-900 SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900 SP, Brazil
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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32
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Van Oystaeyen A, Oliveira RC, Holman L, van Zweden JS, Romero C, Oi CA, d'Ettorre P, Khalesi M, Billen J, Wäckers F, Millar JG, Wenseleers T. Conserved class of queen pheromones stops social insect workers from reproducing. Science 2014; 343:287-90. [PMID: 24436417 DOI: 10.1126/science.1244899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
A major evolutionary transition to eusociality with reproductive division of labor between queens and workers has arisen independently at least 10 times in the ants, bees, and wasps. Pheromones produced by queens are thought to play a key role in regulating this complex social system, but their evolutionary history remains unknown. Here, we identify the first sterility-inducing queen pheromones in a wasp, bumblebee, and desert ant and synthesize existing data on compounds that characterize female fecundity in 64 species of social insects. Our results show that queen pheromones are strikingly conserved across at least three independent origins of eusociality, with wasps, ants, and some bees all appearing to use nonvolatile, saturated hydrocarbons to advertise fecundity and/or suppress worker reproduction. These results suggest that queen pheromones evolved from conserved signals of solitary ancestors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, Zoological Institute, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59-Box 2466, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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