1
|
Caminer MA, Libbrecht R, Majoe M, Ho DV, Baumann P, Foitzik S. Task-specific odorant receptor expression in worker antennae indicates that sensory filters regulate division of labor in ants. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1004. [PMID: 37783732 PMCID: PMC10545721 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05273-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Division of labor (DOL) is a characteristic trait of insect societies, where tasks are generally performed by specialized individuals. Inside workers focus on brood or nest care, while others take risks by foraging outside. Theory proposes that workers have different thresholds to perform certain tasks when confronted with task-related stimuli, leading to specialization and consequently DOL. Workers are presumed to vary in their response to task-related cues rather than in how they perceive such information. Here, we test the hypothesis that DOL instead stems from workers varying in their efficiency to detect stimuli of specific tasks. We use transcriptomics to measure mRNA expression levels in the antennae and brain of nurses and foragers of the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. We find seven times as many genes to be differentially expressed between behavioral phenotypes in the antennae compared to the brain. Moreover, half of all odorant receptors are differentially expressed, with an overrepresentation of the 9-exon gene family upregulated in the antennae of nurses. Nurses and foragers thus apparently differ in the perception of their olfactory environment and task-related signals. Our study supports the hypothesis that antennal sensory filters predispose workers to specialize in specific tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel A Caminer
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Megha Majoe
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - David V Ho
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter Baumann
- Institute of Developmental and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fladerer JP, Grollitsch S, Bucar F. Three cuticular amides in the tripartite symbiosis of leafcutter ants. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 114:1-13. [PMID: 37518892 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play various roles in insects' chemical ecology. As leafcutter ants live in a specific symbiosis with fungi, they harvest and with different bacteria, some of these CHCs might be associated with a mutualistic function within this symbiosis. To obtain a more precise picture in that respect we compared the CHC profiles of the leafcutter ants, Atta sexdens, Atta cephalotes, and Acromyrmex octospinosus inhabited by mutualistic bacteria with the profiles of Polyrhachis dives and Messor aciculatus by GC-EI-MS analysis and 28 other ant species by data from the literature. We were able to identify three alkyl amides (hexadecanamide, hexadecenamide, and tetradecanamide), occurring only in the CHC profiles of leafcutter ants inhabited by symbiotic bacteria. Our results lead to the conclusion that those alkyl amides could have a function in the tripartite symbiosis of leafcutter ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Franz Bucar
- Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz Pharmacognosy, Graz, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gao Z, Xie M, Gui S, He M, Lu Y, Wang L, Chen J, Smagghe G, Gershenzon J, Cheng D. Differences in rectal amino acid levels determine bacteria-originated sex pheromone specificity in two closely related flies. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1741-1750. [PMID: 37550382 PMCID: PMC10504272 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01488-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Sex pheromones are widely used by insects as a reproductive isolating mechanism to attract conspecifics and repel heterospecifics. Although researchers have obtained extensive knowledge about sex pheromones, little is known about the differentiation mechanism of sex pheromones in closely related species. Using Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera cucurbitae as the study model, we investigated how the male-borne sex pheromones are different. The results demonstrated that both 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (TMP) and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (TTMP) were sex pheromones produced by rectal Bacillus in the two flies. However, the TMP/TTMP ratios were reversed, indicating sex pheromone specificity in the two flies. Bacterial fermentation results showed that different threonine and glycine levels were responsible for the preference of rectal Bacillus to produce TMP or TTMP. Accordingly, threonine (glycine) levels and the expression of the threonine and glycine coding genes were significantly different between B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae. In vivo assays confirmed that increased rectal glycine and threonine levels by amino acid feeding could significantly decrease the TMP/TTMP ratios and result in significantly decreased mating abilities in the studied flies. Meanwhile, decreased rectal glycine and threonine levels due to RNAi of the glycine and threonine coding genes was found to significantly increase the TMP/TTMP ratios and result in significantly decreased mating abilities. The study contributes to the new insight that insects and their symbionts can jointly regulate sex pheromone specificity in insects, and in turn, this helps us to better understand how the evolution of chemical communication affects speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zijie Gao
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Mingxue Xie
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Shiyu Gui
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Muyang He
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Yongyue Lu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Luoluo Wang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jingyuan Chen
- Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
- Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Daifeng Cheng
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Barrett BT, Kubik TD, Golightly PR, Kellner K, Kardish MR, Mueller UG. Ant genotype, but not genotype of cultivated fungi, predicts queen acceptance in the asexual fungus-farming ant Mycocepurus smithii (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03276-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
5
|
Baumgart L, Wittke M, Morsbach S, Abou B, Menzel F. Why do ants differ in acclimatory ability? Biophysical mechanisms behind cuticular hydrocarbon acclimation across species. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275883. [PMID: 35775442 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining water balance is vital for terrestrial organisms. Insects protect themselves against desiccation via cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). CHC layers are complex mixtures of solid and liquid hydrocarbons, with a surprisingly diverse composition across species. This variation may translate to differential phase behaviour, and hence varying waterproofing capacity. This is especially relevant when temperatures change, which requires acclimatory CHC changes to maintain waterproofing. Nevertheless, the physical consequences of CHC variation are still little understood. We studied acclimatory responses and their consequences for CHC composition, phase behaviour, and drought survival in three congeneric ant species. Colony fragments were kept under cool, warm, and fluctuating temperature regimes. Lasius niger and platythorax, both of which are rich in methyl-branched alkanes, showed largely predictable acclimatory changes of the CHC profile. In both species, warm acclimation increased drought resistance. Warm acclimation increased the proportion of solid compounds in L. niger but not in L. platythorax. In both species, the CHC layer formed a liquid matrix of constantly low viscosity, which contained highly viscous and solid parts. This phase heterogeneity may be adaptive, increasing robustness to temperature fluctuations. In L. brunneus, which is rich in unsaturated hydrocarbons, acclimatory CHC changes were less predictable, and warm acclimation did not enhance drought survival. The CHC layer was more homogenous, but matrix viscosity changed with acclimation. We showed that ant species use different physical mechanisms to enhance waterproofing during acclimation. Hence, the ability to acclimate, and thus climatic niche breadth, may strongly depend on species-specific CHC profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Baumgart
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Marti Wittke
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Svenja Morsbach
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Bérengère Abou
- Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR CNRS 7057, Université de Paris, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (iomE), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zozaya SM, Teasdale LC, Moritz C, Higgie M, Hoskin CJ. Composition of a chemical signalling trait varies with phylogeny and precipitation across an Australian lizard radiation. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:919-933. [PMID: 35665557 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The environment presents challenges to the transmission and detection of animal signalling systems, resulting in selective pressures that can drive signal divergence amongst populations in disparate environments. For chemical signals, climate is a potentially important selective force because factors such as temperature and moisture influence the persistence and detection of chemicals. We investigated an Australian lizard radiation (Heteronotia) to explore relationships between a sexually dimorphic chemical signalling trait (epidermal pore secretions) and two key climate variables: temperature and precipitation. We reconstructed the phylogeny of Heteronotia with exon capture phylogenomics, estimated phylogenetic signal in amongst-lineage chemical variation and assessed how chemical composition relates to temperature and precipitation using multivariate phylogenetic regressions. High estimates of phylogenetic signal indicate that the composition of epidermal pore secretions varies amongst lineages in a manner consistent with Brownian motion, although there are deviations to this, with stark divergences coinciding with two phylogenetic splits. Accounting for phylogenetic non-independence, we found that amongst-lineage chemical variation is associated with geographic variation in precipitation but not temperature. This contrasts somewhat with previous lizard studies, which have generally found an association between temperature and chemical composition. Our results suggest that geographic variation in precipitation can affect the evolution of chemical signalling traits, possibly influencing patterns of divergence amongst lineages and species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Zozaya
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Luisa C Teasdale
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Craig Moritz
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Megan Higgie
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Conrad J Hoskin
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Moore H, Lutz L, Bernhardt V, Drijfhout FP, Cody RB, Amendt J. Cuticular hydrocarbons for the identification and geographic assignment of empty puparia of forensically important flies. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1791-1800. [PMID: 35217906 PMCID: PMC9576650 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Research in social insects has shown that hydrocarbons on their cuticle are species-specific. This has also been proven for Diptera and is a promising tool for identifying important fly taxa in Forensic Entomology. Sometimes the empty puparia, in which the metamorphosis to the adult fly has taken place, can be the most useful entomological evidence at the crime scene. However, so far, they are used with little profit in criminal investigations due to the difficulties of reliably discriminate among different species. We analysed the CHC chemical profiles of empty puparia from seven forensically important blow flies Calliphora vicina, Chrysomya albiceps, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia silvarum, Protophormia terraenovae, Phormia regina and the flesh fly Sarcophaga caerulescens. The aim was to use their profiles for identification but also investigate geographical differences by comparing profiles of the same species (here: C. vicina and L. sericata) from different regions. The cuticular hydrocarbons were extracted with hexane and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results reveal distinguishing differences within the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles allowing for identification of all analysed species. There were also differences shown in the profiles of C. vicina from Germany, Spain, Norway and England, indicating that geographical locations can be determined from this chemical analysis. Differences in L. sericata, sampled from England and two locations in Germany, were less pronounced, but there was even some indication that it may be possible to distinguish populations within Germany that are about 70 km apart from one another.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Moore
- Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Shrivenham, Wiltshire, SN6 8LA, UK.
| | - Lena Lutz
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Biology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Victoria Bernhardt
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Biology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Falko P Drijfhout
- School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Robert B Cody
- JEOL USA, Inc. 11 Dearborn Rd, Peabody, MA, 01969, USA
| | - Jens Amendt
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Forensic Biology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Large-scale characterization of sex pheromone communication systems in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4165. [PMID: 34230464 PMCID: PMC8260797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24395-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects use sex pheromones as a reproductive isolating mechanism to attract conspecifics and repel heterospecifics. Despite the profound knowledge of sex pheromones, little is known about the coevolutionary mechanisms and constraints on their production and detection. Using whole-genome sequences to infer the kinship among 99 drosophilids, we investigate how phylogenetic and chemical traits have interacted at a wide evolutionary timescale. Through a series of chemical syntheses and electrophysiological recordings, we identify 52 sex-specific compounds, many of which are detected via olfaction. Behavioral analyses reveal that many of the 43 male-specific compounds are transferred to the female during copulation and mediate female receptivity and/or male courtship inhibition. Measurement of phylogenetic signals demonstrates that sex pheromones and their cognate olfactory channels evolve rapidly and independently over evolutionary time to guarantee efficient intra- and inter-specific communication systems. Our results show how sexual isolation barriers between species can be reinforced by species-specific olfactory signals. Despite the profound knowledge of sex pheromones, little is known about the coevolutionary mechanisms and constraints on their production and detection. Whole-genome sequences from 99 drosophilids, with chemical and behavioural data, show that sex pheromones and their cognate olfactory channels evolve rapidly and independently.
Collapse
|
9
|
Moore HE, Hall MJR, Drijfhout FP, Cody RB, Whitmore D. Cuticular hydrocarbons for identifying Sarcophagidae (Diptera). Sci Rep 2021; 11:7732. [PMID: 33833323 PMCID: PMC8032779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87221-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition and quantity of insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) can be species-specific as well as sexually dimorphic within species. CHC analysis has been previously used for identification and ageing purposes for several insect orders including true flies (Diptera). Here, we analysed the CHC chemical profiles of adult males and females of eleven species of flesh flies belonging to the genus Sarcophaga Meigen (Sarcophagidae), namely Sarcophaga africa (Wiedemann), S. agnata Rondani, S. argyrostoma Robineau-Desvoidy, S. carnaria (Linnaeus), S. crassipalpis Macquart, S. melanura Meigen, S. pumila Meigen, S. teretirostris Pandellé, S. subvicina Rohdendorf, S. vagans Meigen and S. variegata (Scopoli). Cuticular hydrocarbons extracted from pinned specimens from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London using a customised extraction technique were analysed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Time of preservation prior to extraction ranged between a few weeks to over one hundred years. CHC profiles (1) allowed reliable identification of a large majority of specimens, (2) differed between males and females of the same species, (3) reliably associated males and females of the same species, provided sufficient replicates (up to 10) of each sex were analysed, and (4) identified specimens preserved for up to over one hundred years prior to extraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Moore
- Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham, Wiltshire, SN6 8LA, UK.
| | - Martin J R Hall
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Falko P Drijfhout
- Chemical Ecology Group, School of Chemical and Physical Science, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, England, UK
| | - Robert B Cody
- JEOL USA, Inc. 11 Dearborn Rd., Peabody, MA, 01969, USA
| | - Daniel Whitmore
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191, Stuttgart, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gallot A, Sauzet S, Desouhant E. Kin recognition: Neurogenomic response to mate choice and sib mating avoidance in a parasitic wasp. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241128. [PMID: 33104752 PMCID: PMC7588116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sib mating increases homozygosity, which therefore increases the risk of inbreeding depression. Selective pressures have favoured the evolution of kin recognition and avoidance of sib mating in numerous species, including the parasitoid wasp Venturia canescens. We studied the female neurogenomic response associated with sib mating avoidance after females were exposed to courtship displays by i) unrelated males or ii) related males or iii) no courtship (controls). First, by comparing the transcriptional responses of females exposed to courtship displays to those exposed to controls, we saw a rapid and extensive transcriptional shift consistent with social environment. Second, by comparing the transcriptional responses of females exposed to courtship by related to those exposed to unrelated males, we characterized distinct and repeatable transcriptomic patterns that correlated with the relatedness of the courting male. Network analysis revealed 3 modules of specific ‘sib-responsive’ genes that were distinct from other ‘courtship-responsive’ modules. Therefore, specific neurogenomic states with characteristic brain transcriptomes associated with different behavioural responses affect sib mating avoidance behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Gallot
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Sandrine Sauzet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS–Université de Montpellier, UMR 9002, Biology of Repetitive Sequences, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Desouhant
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Butterworth NJ, Wallman JF, Drijfhout FP, Johnston NP, Keller PA, Byrne PG. The evolution of sexually dimorphic cuticular hydrocarbons in blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae). J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1468-1486. [PMID: 32722879 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are organic compounds found on the cuticles of all insects which can act as close-contact pheromones, while also providing a hydrophobic barrier to water loss. Given their widespread importance in sexual behaviour and survival, CHCs have likely contributed heavily to the adaptation and speciation of insects. Despite this, the patterns and mechanisms of their diversification have been studied in very few taxa. Here, we perform the first study of CHC diversification in blowflies, focussing on wild populations of the ecologically diverse genus Chrysomya. We convert CHC profiles into qualitative and quantitative traits and assess their inter- and intra-specific variation across 10 species. We also construct a global phylogeny of Chrysomya, onto which CHCs were mapped to explore the patterns of their diversification. For the first time, we demonstrate that blowflies express an exceptional diversity of CHCs, which have diversified in a nonphylogenetic and punctuated manner, are species-specific and sexually dimorphic. It is likely that both ecological and sexual selection have shaped these patterns of CHC diversification, and our study now provides a comprehensive framework for testing such hypotheses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Butterworth
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - James F Wallman
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Falko P Drijfhout
- School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Nikolas P Johnston
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul A Keller
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillip G Byrne
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Miller SE, Sheehan MJ, Reeve HK. Coevolution of cognitive abilities and identity signals in individual recognition systems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190467. [PMID: 32420843 PMCID: PMC7331018 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are mediated by recognition systems, meaning that the cognitive abilities or phenotypic diversity that facilitate recognition may be common targets of social selection. Recognition occurs when a receiver compares the phenotypes produced by a sender with a template. Coevolution between sender and receiver traits has been empirically reported in multiple species and sensory modalities, though the dynamics and relative exaggeration of traits from senders versus receivers have received little attention. Here, we present a coevolutionary dynamic model that examines the conditions under which senders and receivers should invest effort in facilitating individual recognition. The model predicts coevolution of sender and receiver traits, with the equilibrium investment dependent on the relative costs of signal production versus cognition. In order for recognition to evolve, initial sender and receiver trait values must be above a threshold, suggesting that recognition requires some degree of pre-existing diversity and cognitive abilities. The analysis of selection gradients demonstrates that the strength of selection on sender signals and receiver cognition is strongest when the trait values are furthest from the optima. The model provides new insights into the expected strength and dynamics of selection during the origin and elaboration of individual recognition, an important feature of social cognition in many taxa. This article is part of the theme issue 'Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J. Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - H. Kern Reeve
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
|
14
|
Dong C, Weadick CJ, Truffault V, Sommer RJ. Convergent evolution of small molecule pheromones in Pristionchus nematodes. eLife 2020; 9:55687. [PMID: 32338597 PMCID: PMC7224695 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The small molecules that mediate chemical communication between nematodes-so-called 'nematode-derived-modular-metabolites' (NDMMs)-are of major interest because of their ability to regulate development, behavior, and life-history. Pristionchus pacificus nematodes produce an impressive diversity of structurally complex NDMMs, some of which act as primer pheromones that are capable of triggering irreversible developmental switches. Many of these NDMMs have only ever been found in P. pacificus but no attempts have been made to study their evolution by profiling closely related species. This study brings a comparative perspective to the biochemical study of NDMMs through the systematic MS/MS- and NMR-based analysis of exo-metabolomes from over 30 Pristionchus species. We identified 36 novel compounds and found evidence for the convergent evolution of complex NDMMs in separate branches of the Pristionchus phylogeny. Our results demonstrate that biochemical innovation is a recurrent process in Pristionchus nematodes, a pattern that is probably typical across the animal kingdom.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanfu Dong
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cameron J Weadick
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ralf J Sommer
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lorenzi MC, d'Ettorre P. Nestmate Recognition in Social Insects: What Does It Mean to Be Chemically Insignificant? Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
16
|
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.
Collapse
|
17
|
Sprenger PP, Hartke J, Feldmeyer B, Orivel J, Schmitt T, Menzel F. Influence of Mutualistic Lifestyle, Mutualistic Partner, and Climate on Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles in Parabiotic Ants. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:741-754. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01099-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
18
|
Botella-Cruz M, Pallarés S, Millán A, Velasco J. Role of cuticle hydrocarbons composition in the salinity tolerance of aquatic beetles. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 117:103899. [PMID: 31202853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Salinity tolerance has enabled the colonization of inland saline waters and promoted species diversification in some lineages of aquatic insects. However, the mechanisms behind this tolerance, particularly the role of cuticle hydrocarbons (CHCs), are not well-known. We characterized the CHC profile of eight species of two water beetle genera (Nebrioporus, Adephaga: Dytiscidae and Enochrus, Polyphaga: Hydrophilidae), which span the fresh-hypersaline gradient, to: i) determine the interspecific variation of CHC composition in relation to species' salinity tolerance; ii) explore plastic adjustments in CHC profiles in response to salinity changes at the intraspecific level in saline-tolerant species. CHC profiles were highly species-specific, more complex and diverse in composition, and characterized by longer-chain-length compounds in the species with higher salinity tolerance within each genus. Higher salinity tolerance in the Enochrus species was also associated with an increase in the relative abundance of branched alkanes, and with a lower proportion of n-alkanes and unsaturated compounds. These CHC characteristics are related with improved waterproofing capacity and suggest that reducing cuticle permeability was one of the key mechanisms to adapt to saline waters. Similar CHC composition patterns were found at the intraspecific level between populations from lower and higher salinity sites within saline-tolerant species of each genus. These saline species also displayed an extraordinary ability to adjust CHC profiles to changing salinity conditions in the laboratory in a relatively short time, which reflects great plasticity and a high potential to deal with daily and seasonal environmental fluctuations in the highly dynamic saline habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Susana Pallarés
- Department of Zoology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales (ICAM), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Andrés Millán
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Spain
| | - Josefa Velasco
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Hartke J, Sprenger PP, Sahm J, Winterberg H, Orivel J, Baur H, Beuerle T, Schmitt T, Feldmeyer B, Menzel F. Cuticular hydrocarbons as potential mediators of cryptic species divergence in a mutualistic ant association. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9160-9176. [PMID: 31463013 PMCID: PMC6706187 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon advances in sequencing techniques, more and more morphologically identical organisms are identified as cryptic species. Often, mutualistic interactions are proposed as drivers of diversification. Species of the neotropical parabiotic ant association between Crematogaster levior and Camponotus femoratus are known for highly diverse cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles, which in insects serve as desiccation barrier but also as communication cues. In the present study, we investigated the association of the ants' CHC profiles with genotypes and morphological traits, and discovered cryptic species pairs in both genera. To assess putative niche differentiation between the cryptic species, we conducted an environmental association study that included various climate variables, canopy cover, and mutualistic plant species. Although mostly sympatric, the two Camponotus species seem to prefer different climate niches. However in the two Crematogaster species, we could not detect any differences in niche preference. The strong differentiation in the CHC profiles may thus suggest a possible role during speciation itself either by inducing assortative mating or by reinforcing sexual selection after the speciation event. We did not detect any further niche differences in the environmental parameters tested. Thus, it remains open how the cryptic species avoid competitive exclusion, with scope for further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Hartke
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreFrankfurt am MainGermany
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes‐Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Philipp P. Sprenger
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes‐Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Jacqueline Sahm
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes‐Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
- Present address:
Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Helena Winterberg
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Jérôme Orivel
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CIRAD, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane)Kourou CedexFrance
| | - Hannes Baur
- Department of InvertebratesNatural History Museum BernBernSwitzerland
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Till Beuerle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical BiologyUniversity of Technology BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes‐Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Tartally A, Thomas JA, Anton C, Balletto E, Barbero F, Bonelli S, Bräu M, Casacci LP, Csősz S, Czekes Z, Dolek M, Dziekańska I, Elmes G, Fürst MA, Glinka U, Hochberg ME, Höttinger H, Hula V, Maes D, Munguira ML, Musche M, Nielsen PS, Nowicki P, Oliveira PS, Peregovits L, Ritter S, Schlick-Steiner BC, Settele J, Sielezniew M, Simcox DJ, Stankiewicz AM, Steiner FM, Švitra G, Ugelvig LV, Van Dyck H, Varga Z, Witek M, Woyciechowski M, Wynhoff I, Nash DR. Patterns of host use by brood parasitic Maculinea butterflies across Europe. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180202. [PMID: 30967080 PMCID: PMC6388033 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The range of hosts exploited by a parasite is determined by several factors, including host availability, infectivity and exploitability. Each of these can be the target of natural selection on both host and parasite, which will determine the local outcome of interactions, and potentially lead to coevolution. However, geographical variation in host use and specificity has rarely been investigated. Maculinea (= Phengaris) butterflies are brood parasites of Myrmica ants that are patchily distributed across the Palæarctic and have been studied extensively in Europe. Here, we review the published records of ant host use by the European Maculinea species, as well as providing new host ant records for more than 100 sites across Europe. This comprehensive survey demonstrates that while all but one of the Myrmica species found on Maculinea sites have been recorded as hosts, the most common is often disproportionately highly exploited. Host sharing and host switching are both relatively common, but there is evidence of specialization at many sites, which varies among Maculinea species. We show that most Maculinea display the features expected for coevolution to occur in a geographic mosaic, which has probably allowed these rare butterflies to persist in Europe. This article is part of the theme issue 'The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- András Tartally
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032, Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1 Hungary
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Christian Anton
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Emilio Balletto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Francesca Barbero
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
| | | | - Luca Pietro Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin 10123, Italy
- Laboratory of Social and Myrmecophilous Insects, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Sándor Csősz
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H1117, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Czekes
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor St 5–7, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Matthias Dolek
- Büro Geyer und Dolek, Alpenblick 12, 82237 Wörthsee, Germany
| | - Izabela Dziekańska
- Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1 J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Graham Elmes
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Matthias A. Fürst
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Uta Glinka
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Michael E. Hochberg
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution – CNRS UMR 5554, Université de Montpellier – CC 065, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France Cedex 05, France
| | - Helmut Höttinger
- Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Live Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vladimir Hula
- Department of Zoology, Hydrobiology, Fishery and Apiculture, Faculty of AgriScience, Mendel University Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno 61300, Czech Republic
| | - Dirk Maes
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Herman Teirlinckgebouw, Havenlaan 88 bus 73, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Miguel L. Munguira
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología (Zoología), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Martin Musche
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | | | - Piotr Nowicki
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Paula S. Oliveira
- Department of Forest Science and Landscape, Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB)/University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - László Peregovits
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 1088 Budapest Baross u. 13., Hungary
| | - Sylvia Ritter
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Josef Settele
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcin Sielezniew
- Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1 J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - David J. Simcox
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Anna M. Stankiewicz
- Laboratory of Social and Myrmecophilous Insects, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Florian M. Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Giedrius Švitra
- Lithuanian Entomological Society, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Line V. Ugelvig
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Zoltán Varga
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032, Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1 Hungary
| | - Magdalena Witek
- Laboratory of Social and Myrmecophilous Insects, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Michal Woyciechowski
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Irma Wynhoff
- Dutch Butterfly Conservation and Butterfly Conservation Europe, PO Box 506, 6700 AM Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - David R. Nash
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Morandin C, Pulliainen U, Bos N, Schultner E. De novo transcriptome assembly and its annotation for the black ant Formica fusca at the larval stage. Sci Data 2018; 5:180282. [PMID: 30561435 PMCID: PMC6298252 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication and nutrition are major drivers of fitness in ants. While communication is paramount to colony cohesion, nutrition is decisive in regulating reproductive division of labor among colony members. However, neither of these has been studied from a molecular perspective in developing individuals. Here, we report the availability of the first transcriptome resources for larvae of the ant Formica fusca, a species with excellent discrimination abilities and thus the potential to become a model system for studying molecular mechanisms of communication. We generated a comprehensive, high-coverage RNA-seq data set using Illumina RNA-seq technology by sequencing 24 individual 1st - 2nd instar larvae collected from four experimental groups (6 samples per treatment, 49 million mean reads per sample, coverage between 194-253×). A total of 24,765 unigenes were generated using a combination of genome-guided and de novo transcriptome assembly. A comprehensive assembly pipeline and annotation lists are provided. This dataset adds valuable transcriptomic resources for further study of developmental gene expression, transcriptional regulation and functional gene activity in ant larvae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Morandin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Unni Pulliainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, FI-10900 Hanko, Finland
| | - Nick Bos
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eva Schultner
- Institut für Zoologie, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Robertson LP, Hall CR, Forster PI, Carroll AR. Alkaloid diversity in the leaves of Australian Flindersia (Rutaceae) species driven by adaptation to aridity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2018; 152:71-81. [PMID: 29734038 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The genus Flindersia (Rutaceae) comprises 17 species of mostly Australian endemic trees. Although most species are restricted to rainforests, four have evolved to grow in semi-arid and arid environments. In this study, the leaf alkaloid diversity of rainforest and semi-arid/arid zone adapted Australian Flindersia were compared by LC/MS-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Contrary to expectations, Flindersia alkaloid diversity was strongly correlated with environmental aridity, where species predominating in drier regions produced more alkaloids than their wet rainforest congenerics. Rainforest species were also more chemically similar to each other than were the four semi-arid/arid zone species. There was a significant relationship between the presence of alkaloid structural classes and phylogenetic distance, suggesting that alkaloid profiles are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The results suggest that the radiation of Flindersia species out of the rainforest and into drier environments has promoted the evolution of unique alkaloid diversity. Plants growing in arid and semi-arid regions of Australia may represent an untapped source of undescribed specialised metabolites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke P Robertson
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Southport 4222, Gold Coast, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Casey R Hall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond 2753, Australia
| | - Paul I Forster
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Toowong 4066, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anthony R Carroll
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Southport 4222, Gold Coast, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan 4111, Brisbane, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Brückner A, Hoenle PO, von Beeren C. Comparative chemical analysis of army ant mandibular gland volatiles (Formicidae: Dorylinae). PeerJ 2018; 6:e5319. [PMID: 30038876 PMCID: PMC6052855 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Army ants are keystone species in many tropical ecosystems. Yet, little is known about the chemical compounds involved in army ant communication. In the present study, we analyzed the volatile mandibular gland secretions—triggers of ant alarm responses—of six Neotropical army ant species of the genus Eciton (outgroup: Nomamyrmex esenbeckii). Using solid-phase microextraction, we identified 12 chemical compounds, primarily ketones with associated alcohols, one ester and skatole. Most compounds were shared among species, but their relative composition was significantly different. By comparing chemical distances of mandibular gland secretions to species divergence times, we showed that the secretions’ compositions are not strictly determined by phylogeny. By identifying chemical bouquets of seven army ant species, our study provides a valuable comparative resource for future studies aiming to unveil the chemicals’ precise role in army ant alarm communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Brückner
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Philipp O Hoenle
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Menzel F, Blaimer BB, Schmitt T. How do cuticular hydrocarbons evolve? Physiological constraints and climatic and biotic selection pressures act on a complex functional trait. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.1727. [PMID: 28298343 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the cuticles of virtually all insects, serving as a waterproofing agent and as a communication signal. The causes for the high CHC variation between species, and the factors influencing CHC profiles, are scarcely understood. Here, we compare CHC profiles of ant species from seven biogeographic regions, searching for physiological constraints and for climatic and biotic selection pressures. Molecule length constrained CHC composition: long-chain profiles contained fewer linear alkanes, but more hydrocarbons with disruptive features in the molecule. This is probably owing to selection on the physiology to build a semi-fluid cuticular layer, which is necessary for waterproofing and communication. CHC composition also depended on the precipitation in the ants' habitats. Species from wet climates had more alkenes and fewer dimethyl alkanes than those from drier habitats, which can be explained by different waterproofing capacities of these compounds. By contrast, temperature did not affect CHC composition. Mutualistically associated (parabiotic) species possessed profiles highly distinct from non-associated species. Our study is, to our knowledge, the first to show systematic impacts of physiological, climatic and biotic factors on quantitative CHC composition across a global, multi-species dataset. We demonstrate how they jointly shape CHC profiles, and advance our understanding of the evolution of this complex functional trait in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Menzel
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Bonnie B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Schönrogge K, Barbero F, Casacci L, Settele J, Thomas J. Acoustic communication within ant societies and its mimicry by mutualistic and socially parasitic myrmecophiles. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
26
|
Observation of intra- and interspecific differences in the nest chemical profiles of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Polistinae) using infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2017; 176:165-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
27
|
Buchinger TJ, Bussy U, Li K, Wang H, Huertas M, Baker CF, Jia L, Hayes MC, Li W, Johnson NS. Phylogenetic distribution of a male pheromone that may exploit a nonsexual preference in lampreys. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:2244-2254. [PMID: 29030885 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are among the most important sexual signals used by organisms throughout the animal kingdom. However, few are identified in vertebrates, leaving the evolutionary mechanisms underlying vertebrate pheromones poorly understood. Pre-existing biases in receivers' perceptual systems shape visual and auditory signalling systems, but studies on how receiver biases influence the evolution of pheromone communication remain sparse. The lamprey Petromyzon marinus uses a relatively well-understood suite of pheromones and offers a unique opportunity to study the evolution of vertebrate pheromone communication. Previous studies indicate that male signalling with the mating pheromone 3-keto petromyzonol sulphate (3kPZS) may exploit a nonsexual attraction to juvenile-released 3kPZS that guides migration into productive rearing habitat. Here, we infer the distribution of male signalling with 3kPZS using a phylogenetic comparison comprising six of 10 genera and two of three families. Our results indicate that only P. marinus and Ichthyomyzon castaneus release 3kPZS at high rates. Olfactory and behavioural assays with P. marinus, I. castaneus and a subset of three other species that do not use 3kPZS as a sexual signal indicate that male signalling might have driven the evolution of female adaptations to detect 3kPZS with specific olfactory mechanisms and respond to 3kPZS with targeted attraction relevant during mate search. We postulate that 3kPZS communication evolved independently in I. castaneus and P. marinus, but cannot eliminate the alternative that other species lost 3kPZS communication. Regardless, our results represent a rare macroevolutionary investigation of a vertebrate pheromone and provide insight into the evolutionary mechanisms underlying pheromone communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T J Buchinger
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - U Bussy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - K Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - H Wang
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - M Huertas
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - C F Baker
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - L Jia
- College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - M C Hayes
- United States Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - W Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - N S Johnson
- United States Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Feinerman O, Korman A. Individual versus collective cognition in social insects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:73-82. [PMID: 28057830 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The concerted responses of eusocial insects to environmental stimuli are often referred to as collective cognition at the level of the colony. To achieve collective cognition, a group can draw on two different sources: individual cognition and the connectivity between individuals. Computation in neural networks, for example, is attributed more to sophisticated communication schemes than to the complexity of individual neurons. The case of social insects, however, can be expected to differ. This is because individual insects are cognitively capable units that are often able to process information that is directly relevant at the level of the colony. Furthermore, involved communication patterns seem difficult to implement in a group of insects as they lack a clear network structure. This review discusses links between the cognition of an individual insect and that of the colony. We provide examples for collective cognition whose sources span the full spectrum between amplification of individual insect cognition and emergent group-level processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Feinerman
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Amos Korman
- Institut de Recherche en Informatique Fondamentale (IRIF), CNRS and University Paris Diderot, Paris 75013, France
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wurdack M, Polidori C, Keller A, Feldhaar H, Schmitt T. Release from prey preservation behavior via prey switch allowed diversification of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in digger wasps. Evolution 2017; 71:2562-2571. [PMID: 28791674 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Revised: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cuticle of insects is covered by a layer of hydrocarbons (CHC), whose original function is the protection from desiccation and pathogens. However, in most insects CHC profiles are species specific. While this variability among species was largely linked to communication and recognition functions, additional selective forces may shape insect CHC profiles. Here, we show that in Philanthinae digger wasps (Crabronidae) the CHC profile coevolved with a peculiar brood-care strategy. In particular, we found that the behavior to embalm prey stored in the nest with hydrocarbons is adaptive to protect larval food from fungi in those species hunting for Hymenoptera. The prey embalming secretion is identical in composition to the alkene-dominated CHC profile in these species, suggesting that their profile is adaptively conserved for this purpose. In contrast, prey embalming is not required in those species that switched to Coleoptera as prey. Released from this chemical brood-care strategy, Coleoptera-hunting species considerably diversified their CHC profiles. Differential needs to successfully protect prey types used as larval food have thus driven the diversification of CHCs profiles of female Philanthinae wasps. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a direct link between selection pressure for food preservation and CHC diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Wurdack
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79114 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Carlo Polidori
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (ICAM), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III, s/n; E-45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Alexander Keller
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.,Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Campus Nord, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Department of Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Menzel F, Schmitt T, Blaimer BB. The evolution of a complex trait: cuticular hydrocarbons in ants evolve independent from phylogenetic constraints. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:1372-1385. [PMID: 28485028 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are ubiquitous and highly diverse in insects, serving as communication signal and waterproofing agent. Despite their vital function, the causes, mechanisms and constraints on CHC diversification are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated phylogenetic constraints on the evolution of CHC profiles, using a global data set of the species-rich and chemically diverse ant genus Crematogaster. We decomposed CHC profiles into quantitative (relative abundances, chain length) and qualitative traits (presence/absence of CHC classes). A species-level phylogeny was estimated using newly generated and previously published sequences from five nuclear markers. Moreover, we reconstructed a phylogeny for the chemically diverse Crematogaster levior species group using cytochrome oxidase I. Phylogenetic signal was measured for these traits on genus and clade level and within the chemically diverse C. levior group. For most quantitative CHC traits, phylogenetic signal was low and did not differ from random expectation. This was true on the level of genus, clade and species group, indicating that CHC traits are evolutionary labile. In contrast, the presence or absence of alkenes and alkadienes was highly conserved within the C. levior group. Hence, the presence or absence of biosynthetic pathways may be phylogenetically constrained, especially at lower taxonomic levels. Our study shows that CHC composition can evolve rapidly, allowing insects to quickly adapt their chemical profiles to external selection pressures, whereas the presence of biosynthetic pathways appears more constrained. However, our results stress the importance to consider the taxonomic level when investigating phylogenetic constraints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - T Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - B B Blaimer
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
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
|
33
|
Dejean A, Azémar F, Libert M, Compin A, Hérault B, Orivel J, Bouyer T, Corbara B. Ant-lepidopteran associations along African forest edges. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 104:7. [PMID: 28035457 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1424-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Working along forest edges, we aimed to determine how some caterpillars can co-exist with territorially dominant arboreal ants (TDAAs) in tropical Africa. We recorded caterpillars from 22 lepidopteran species living in the presence of five TDAA species. Among the defoliator and/or nectarivorous caterpillars that live on tree foliage, the Pyralidae and Nymphalidae use their silk to protect themselves from ant attacks. The Notodontidae and lycaenid Polyommatinae and Theclinae live in direct contact with ants; the Theclinae even reward ants with abundant secretions from their Newcomer gland. Lichen feeders (lycaenid; Poritiinae), protected by long bristles, also live among ants. Some lycaenid Miletinae caterpillars feed on ant-attended membracids, including in the shelters where the ants attend them; Lachnocnema caterpillars use their forelegs to obtain trophallaxis from their host ants. Caterpillars from other species live inside weaver ant nests. Those of the genus Euliphyra (Miletinae) feed on ant prey and brood and can obtain trophallaxis, while those from an Eberidae species only prey on host ant eggs. Eublemma albifascia (Erebidae) caterpillars use their thoracic legs to obtain trophallaxis and trophic eggs from ants. Through transfer bioassays of last instars, we noted that herbivorous caterpillars living in contact with ants were always accepted by alien conspecific ants; this is likely due to an intrinsic appeasing odor. Yet, caterpillars living in ant shelters or ant nests probably acquire cues from their host colonies because they were considered aliens and killed. We conclude that co-evolution with ants occurred similarly in the Heterocera and Rhopalocera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alain Dejean
- Ecolab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, UPS-ECOLAB, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France. .,CNRS, UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, France.
| | - Frédéric Azémar
- Ecolab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, UPS-ECOLAB, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Arthur Compin
- Ecolab, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, UPS-ECOLAB, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, France
| | - Jérôme Orivel
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, France
| | | | - Bruno Corbara
- CNRS, UMR Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome et Environnement, Université Blaise Pascal, Complexe Scientifique des Cézeaux, 63177, Aubière Cedex, France.,Université Clermont Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal (LMGE), 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Guimarães IDC, Cardoso CAL, Lima SM, Andrade LHDC, Antonialli Junior WF. Chemical signals might mediate interactions between females and juveniles of Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae: Theridiidae). Behav Processes 2016; 126:27-35. [PMID: 26955918 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies related to communication on spiders show that, as in other invertebrates, the interactions between conspecifics are also made through chemical signals. Therefore, in order to assess whether the composition of cuticular compounds might be involved in interactions that occur during the days after the emergence of juveniles in Latrodectus geometricus, we conducted behavioral and cuticular chemical profiles analysis of females and juveniles of different ages. The results show that females, regardless of their reproductive state, tolerate juveniles of other females with up to 40 days post-emergence and attack juveniles of 80 days post-emergence. Cuticlar chemical analysis shows that while the profile of juveniles is similar to adult's profile, they can remain in the web without being confused with threat or prey. Also, cuticular chemical profiles vary between different populations probably due to genetic and environmental differences or similarities between them. Finally, females in incubation period are able to detect the presence of eggs within any egg sac, but cannot distinguish egg sacs produced by conspecifics from the ones they had produced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid de Carvalho Guimarães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, 79804-970 Dourados-MS, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Andrea Lima Cardoso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, 79804-970 Dourados-MS, Brazil.
| | - Sandro Marcio Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, 79804-970 Dourados-MS, Brazil.
| | - Luis Humberto da Cunha Andrade
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, 79804-970 Dourados-MS, Brazil.
| | - William Fernnando Antonialli Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Rodovia Dourados/Itahum, Km 12, Caixa Postal 351, 79804-970 Dourados-MS, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Martins LCB, Delabie JHC, Serrão JE. The function of intramandibular glands of the antNeoponera villosa(Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae). TROPICAL ZOOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03946975.2016.1139394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
36
|
Holman L, Hanley B, Millar JG. Highly specific responses to queen pheromone in three Lasius ant species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2058-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
37
|
Braga MV, Mendonça PM, Barbosa RR, Blomquist GJ, Novo SPC, Dutra JDMF, de Souza SM, Queiroz MMDC. Identification of Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) (Diptera: Phoridae) in mummified human body from Itacambira (MG), Brazil, using scanning electron microscopy and cuticular hydrocarbons. J NAT HIST 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1113320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Vianna Braga
- Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paloma Martins Mendonça
- Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Rocha Barbosa
- Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gary James Blomquist
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Shênia Patricia Corrêa Novo
- Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana da Matta Furniel Dutra
- Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Endemias Samuel Pessoa (Densp), Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sheila Mendonça de Souza
- Laboratório de Paleoparasitologia, Departamento de Endemias Samuel Pessoa (Densp), Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Margareth Maria de Carvalho Queiroz
- Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mestrado Profissional em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Severino Sombra, Vassouras, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Evolution of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Hymenoptera: a Meta-Analysis. J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:871-83. [PMID: 26410609 PMCID: PMC4619461 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0631-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is the oldest form of communication, spreading across all forms of life. In insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) function as chemical cues for the recognition of mates, species, and nest-mates in social insects. Although much is known about the function of individual hydrocarbons and their biosynthesis, a phylogenetic overview is lacking. Here, we review the CHC profiles of 241 species of Hymenoptera, one of the largest and most important insect orders, which includes the Symphyta (sawflies), the polyphyletic Parasitica (parasitoid wasps), and the Aculeata (wasps, bees, and ants). We investigated whether these taxonomic groups differed in the presence and absence of CHC classes and whether the sociality of a species (solitarily vs. social) had an effect on CHC profile complexity. We found that the main CHC classes (i.e., n-alkanes, alkenes, and methylalkanes) were all present early in the evolutionary history of the Hymenoptera, as evidenced by their presence in ancient Symphyta and primitive Parasitica wasps. Throughout all groups within the Hymenoptera, the more complex a CHC the fewer species that produce it, which may reflect the Occam’s razor principle that insects’ only biosynthesize the most simple compound that fulfil its needs. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the complexity of CHC profiles between social and solitary species, with some of the most complex CHC profiles belonging to the Parasitica. This profile complexity has been maintained in the ants, but some specialization in biosynthetic pathways has led to a simplification of profiles in the aculeate wasps and bees. The absence of CHC classes in some taxa or species may be due to gene silencing or down-regulation rather than gene loss, as demonstrated by sister species having highly divergent CHC profiles, and cannot be predicted by their phylogenetic history. The presence of highly complex CHC profiles prior to the vast radiation of the social Hymenoptera indicates a ‘spring-loaded’ system where the diversity of CHC needed for the complex communication systems of social insects were already present for natural selection to act upon, rather than having evolved independently. This diversity may have aided the multiple independent evolution of sociality within the Aculeata.
Collapse
|
39
|
Lopez-Osorio F, Perrard A, Pickett KM, Carpenter JM, Agnarsson I. Phylogenetic tests reject Emery's rule in the evolution of social parasitism in yellowjackets and hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Vespinae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150159. [PMID: 26473041 PMCID: PMC4593675 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Social parasites exploit the brood-care behaviour and social structure of one or more host species. Within the social Hymenoptera there are different types of social parasitism. In its extreme form, species of obligate social parasites, or inquilines, do not have the worker caste and depend entirely on the workers of a host species to raise their reproductive offspring. The strict form of Emery's rule states that social parasites share immediate common ancestry with their hosts. Moreover, this rule has been linked with a sympatric origin of inquilines from their hosts. Here, we conduct phylogenetic analyses of yellowjackets and hornets based on 12 gene fragments and evaluate competing evolutionary scenarios to test Emery's rule. We find that inquilines, as well as facultative social parasites, are not the closest relatives of their hosts. Therefore, Emery's rule in its strict sense is rejected, suggesting that social parasites have not evolved sympatrically from their hosts in yellowjackets and hornets. However, the relaxed version of the rule is supported, as inquilines and their hosts belong to the same Dolichovespula clade. Furthermore, inquilinism has evolved only once in Dolichovespula.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Lopez-Osorio
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Adrien Perrard
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10023, USA
| | - Kurt M. Pickett
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - James M. Carpenter
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10023, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Engsontia P, Sangket U, Robertson HM, Satasook C. Diversification of the ant odorant receptor gene family and positive selection on candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptors. BMC Res Notes 2015; 8:380. [PMID: 26306879 PMCID: PMC4549895 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chemical communication plays important roles in the social behavior of ants making them one of the most successful groups of animals on earth. However, the molecular evolutionary process responsible for their chemosensory adaptation is still elusive. Recent advances in genomic studies have led to the identification of large odorant receptor (Or) gene repertoires from ant genomes providing fruitful materials for molecular evolution analysis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that diversification of this gene family is involved in olfactory adaptation of each species. Results We annotated the Or genes from the genome sequences of two leaf-cutter ants, Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta cephalotes (385 and 376 putative functional genes, respectively). These were used, together with Or genes from Camponotus floridanus, Harpegnathos saltator, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, Linepithema humile, Cerapachys biroi, Solenopsis invicta and Apis mellifera, in molecular evolution analysis. Like the Or family in other insects, ant Or genes evolve by the birth-and-death model of gene family evolution. Large gene family expansions involving tandem gene duplications, and gene gains outnumbering losses, are observed. Codon analysis of genes in lineage-specific expansion clades revealed signatures of positive selection on the candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptor genes (9-exon subfamily) of Cerapachys biroi, Camponotus floridanus, Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta cephalotes. Positively selected amino acid positions are primarily in transmembrane domains 3 and 6, which are hypothesized to contribute to the odor-binding pocket, presumably mediating changing ligand specificity. Conclusions This study provides support for the hypothesis that some ant lineage-specific Or genes have evolved under positive selection. Newly duplicated genes particularly in the candidate cuticular hydrocarbon receptor clade that have evolved under positive selection may contribute to the highly sophisticated lineage-specific chemical communication in each ant species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1371-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patamarerk Engsontia
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand. .,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
| | - Unitsa Sangket
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Science, The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics Research, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Chutamas Satasook
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, 90112, Thailand.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Helanterä H, d'Ettorre P. A comparative study of egg recognition signature mixtures in Formica ants. Evolution 2015; 69:520-9. [PMID: 25545864 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Processing of information from the environment, such as assessing group membership in social contexts, is a major determinant of inclusive fitness. For social insects, recognizing brood origin is crucial for inclusive fitness in many contexts, such as social parasitism and kin conflicts within colonies. Whether a recognition signature is informative in kin conflicts depends on the extent of a genetic contribution into the cues. We investigated colony- and matriline-specific variation in egg surface hydrocarbons in seven species of Formica ants. We show that chemical variance is distributed similarly to genetic variation, suggesting a significant genetic contribution to eggs odors in the genus. Significant among matriline components, and significant correlations between chemical and genetic similarity among individuals also indicate kin informative egg odors in several species. We suggest that egg odor surface variation could play a large role in within colony conflicts, and that a comparative method can reveal novel insight into communication of identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Bioscience, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
|
44
|
Population Diversity in Cuticular Hydrocarbons and mtDNA in a Mountain Social Wasp. J Chem Ecol 2014; 41:22-31. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-014-0531-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
45
|
Chemical composition of the intramandibular glands of the ant Neoponera villosa (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-014-0172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
46
|
Araujo DP, Tuan MJM, Yew JY, Meier R. Analysing small insect glands with UV-LDI MS: high-resolution spatial analysis reveals the chemical composition and use of the osmeterium secretion in Themira superba (Sepsidae: Diptera). J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1744-50. [PMID: 24848999 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
For many insect species, pheromones are important communication tools, but chemical analysis and experimental study can be technically challenging because they require the detection and handling of complex chemicals in small quantities. One drawback of traditional mass spectrometry methods such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry is that whole-body extractions from one to several hundred individuals are required, with the consequence that intra- and interindividual differences cannot be detected. Here, we used the recently introduced UV-LDI MS (ultraviolet laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry) to profile the 'osmeterium' of the sepsid fly Themira superba that is located on the edge of the hind tibia of males. Based on analyses of individual legs, we established that the gland produced a secretion that consisted of oxygenated hydrocarbons and putative isoprenoids. The secretion was first detected 24 h after eclosion, and its transfer to the wings of females during mating was demonstrated using UV-LDI MS. We then tested whether the secretion had an anti-aphrodisiac function, but experimental transfer of the secretion to virgin females did not affect mating success or copulation duration. Throughout the study, UV-LDI MS proved invaluable, because it allowed tracking the natural and experimental transfer of small quantities of pheromones to specific body parts of small flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D P Araujo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Hojo MK, Yamamoto A, Akino T, Tsuji K, Yamaoka R. Ants use partner specific odors to learn to recognize a mutualistic partner. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86054. [PMID: 24489690 PMCID: PMC3906017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation via interspecific communication is an important for the maintenance of many mutualisms. However, mechanisms underlying the evolution of partner communication are poorly understood for many mutualisms. Here we show, in an ant-lycaenid butterfly mutualism, that attendant ants selectively learn to recognize and interact cooperatively with a partner. Workers of the ant Pristomyrmex punctatus learn to associate cuticular hydrocarbons of mutualistic Narathura japonica caterpillars with food rewards and, as a result, are more likely to tend the caterpillars. However, the workers do not learn to associate the cuticular hydrocarbons of caterpillars of a non-ant-associated lycaenid, Lycaena phlaeas, with artificial food rewards. Chemical analysis revealed cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of the mutualistic caterpillars were complex compared with those of non-ant-associated caterpillars. Our results suggest that partner-recognition based on partner-specific chemical signals and cognitive abilities of workers are important mechanisms underlying the evolution and maintenance of mutualism with ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masaru K. Hojo
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ari Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Akino
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tsuji
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Ryohei Yamaoka
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Gill KP, van Wilgenburg E, Macmillan DL, Elgar MA. Density of Antennal Sensilla Influences Efficacy of Communication in a Social Insect. Am Nat 2013; 182:834-40. [DOI: 10.1086/673712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
49
|
Tsutsui ND. Dissecting ant recognition systems in the age of genomics. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130416. [PMID: 24132093 PMCID: PMC3871338 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hamilton is probably best known for his seminal work demonstrating the role of kin selection in social evolution. His work made it clear that, for individuals to direct their altruistic behaviours towards appropriate recipients (kin), mechanisms must exist for kin recognition. In the social insects, colonies are typically comprised of kin, and colony recognition cues are used as proxies for kinship cues. Recent years have brought rapid advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that are used for this process. Here, I review some of the most notable advances, particularly the contributions from recent ant genome sequences and molecular biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil D. Tsutsui
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Tsuji K. Kin selection, species richness and community. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130491. [PMID: 24132096 PMCID: PMC3871341 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Can evolutionary and ecological dynamics operating at one level of the biological hierarchy affect the dynamics and structure at other levels? In social insects, strong hostility towards unrelated individuals can evolve as a kin-selected counter-adaptation to intraspecific social parasitism. This aggression in turn might cause intraspecific competition to predominate over interspecific competition, permitting coexistence with other social insect species. In other words, kin selection-a form of intra-population dynamics-might enhance the species richness of the community, a higher-level structure. The converse effect, from higher to lower levels, might also operate, whereby strong interspecific competition may limit the evolution of selfish individual traits. If the latter effect were to prove more important, it would challenge the common view that intra-population dynamics (via individual or gene selection) is the main driver of evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Tsuji
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus (The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University), Nishihara, Okinawa 9030213, Japan
| |
Collapse
|