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Ceballos-González AV, da Silva RC, Lima LD, Kaminski LA, Turatti ICC, Lopes NP, do Nascimento FS. Influence of Host Plants and Tending Ants on the Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profile of a Generalist Myrmecophilous Caterpillar. J Chem Ecol 2024; 50:222-236. [PMID: 38748380 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01477-y] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
In myrmecophilous organisms, which live in symbiosis with ants, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play a pivotal role in interspecific communication and defense against chemical-oriented predators. Although these interactions form complex information webs, little is known about the influence of biotic environmental factors on the CHC profiles of myrmecophiles. Here, we analyzed the effect of different host plants and tending ants on the larval CHC profile of Synargis calyce (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), a polyphagous species with facultative myrmecophily. Groups of caterpillars were fed individually with three host plant species (without tending ants), and with two tending ant species. Through gas chromatography analysis, we compared the cuticular profiles of treatments and found a high similarity between plants and caterpillars (65-82%), but a low similarity between caterpillars and their tending ants (30 - 25%). Cluster analysis showed that caterpillars, ants, and plants form distinct groups, indicating that S. calyce caterpillars have their own chemical profile. These results are similar to those observed for Lycaenidae caterpillars indicating that there is functional convergence in the chemical strategies used by myrmecophilous caterpillar species with similar ecology. Also, the results suggest that the cuticular compounds of S. calyce are primarily influenced by their host plants rather than their tending ants. Thus, we propose that these caterpillars present a trade-off between camouflage and directly informing their presence to ants, maintaining their unique chemical profile, though slightly affected by biotic environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Victoria Ceballos-González
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-901, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Luan Dias Lima
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-901, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Augusto Kaminski
- Núcleo de Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Ciências Básicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Maceió, 57072-900, AL, Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul- UFRGS, Porto Alegre, 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Izabel Cristina Casanova Turatti
- NPPNS, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Ciências BioMoleculares, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Norberto Peporine Lopes
- NPPNS, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Ciências BioMoleculares, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-901, SP, Brazil
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Chen WT, Li M, Hu SY, Wang SH, Yuan ML. Comparative mitogenomic and evolutionary analysis of Lycaenidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera): Potential association with high-altitude adaptation. Front Genet 2023; 14:1137588. [PMID: 37144132 PMCID: PMC10151513 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1137588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Harsh environments (e.g., hypoxia and cold temperatures) of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have a substantial influence on adaptive evolution in various species. Some species in Lycaenidae, a large and widely distributed family of butterflies, are adapted to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Here, we sequenced four mitogenomes of two lycaenid species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and performed a detailed comparative mitogenomic analysis including nine other lycaenid mitogenomes (nine species) to explore the molecular basis of high-altitude adaptation. Based on mitogenomic data, Bayesian inference, and maximum likelihood methods, we recovered a lycaenid phylogeny of [Curetinae + (Aphnaeinae + (Lycaeninae + (Theclinae + Polyommatinae)))]. The gene content, gene arrangement, base composition, codon usage, and transfer RNA genes (sequence and structure) were highly conserved within Lycaenidae. TrnS1 not only lacked the dihydrouridine arm but also showed anticodon and copy number diversity. The ratios of non-synonymous substitutions to synonymous substitutions of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were less than 1.0, indicating that all PCGs evolved under purifying selection. However, signals of positive selection were detected in cox1 in the two Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lycaenid species, indicating that this gene may be associated with high-altitude adaptation. Three large non-coding regions, i.e., rrnS-trnM (control region), trnQ-nad2, and trnS2-nad1, were found in the mitogenomes of all lycaenid species. Conserved motifs in three non-coding regions (trnE-trnF, trnS1-trnE, and trnP-nad6) and long sequences in two non-coding regions (nad6-cob and cob-trnS2) were detected in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lycaenid species, suggesting that these non-coding regions were involved in high-altitude adaptation. In addition to the characterization of Lycaenidae mitogenomes, this study highlights the importance of both PCGs and non-coding regions in high-altitude adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Shi-Yun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Grassland Science Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Su-Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Ming-Long Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Grassland Science Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- *Correspondence: Ming-Long Yuan,
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Alves-Silva E, Bächtold A, Del-Claro K. Florivorous myrmecophilous caterpillars exploit an ant-plant mutualism and distract ants from extrafloral nectaries. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Estevao Alves-Silva
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; Rua Prof. Dr. Renato Figueiro Varella, Caixa Postal 08 CEP: 78690-000 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brasil
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Uberlândia Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Alexandra Bächtold
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso; Rua Prof. Dr. Renato Figueiro Varella, Caixa Postal 08 CEP: 78690-000 Nova Xavantina Mato Grosso Brasil
- Universidade de São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto São Paulo Brasil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Uberlândia Minas Gerais Brazil
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Transience after disturbance: Obligate species recovery dynamics depend on disturbance duration. Theor Popul Biol 2017; 115:81-88. [PMID: 28479290 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
After a disturbance event, population recovery becomes an important species response that drives ecosystem dynamics. Yet, it is unclear how interspecific interactions impact species recovery from a disturbance and which role the disturbance duration (pulse or press) plays. Here, we analytically derive conditions that govern the transient recovery dynamics from disturbance of a host and its obligately dependent partner in a two-species metapopulation model. We find that, after disturbance, species recovery dynamics depend on the species' role (i.e. host or obligately dependent species) as well as the duration of disturbance. Host recovery starts immediately after the disturbance. In contrast, for obligate species, recovery depends on disturbance duration. After press disturbance, which allows dynamics to equilibrate during disturbance, obligate species immediately start to recover. Yet, after pulse disturbance, obligate species continue declining although their hosts have already begun to increase. Effectively, obligate species recovery is delayed until a necessary host threshold occupancy is reached. Obligates' delayed recovery arises solely from interspecific interactions independent of dispersal limitations, which contests previous explanations. Delayed recovery exerts a two-fold negative effect, because populations continue declining to even smaller population sizes and the phase of increased risk from demographic stochastic extinction in small populations is prolonged. We argue that delayed recovery and its determinants -species interactions and disturbance duration - have to be considered in biodiversity management.
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Kaminski LA, Mota LL, Freitas AVL, Moreira GRP. Two ways to be a myrmecophilous butterfly: natural history and comparative immature-stage morphology of two species ofTheope(Lepidoptera: Riodinidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A. Kaminski
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; CP 6109; 13083-970; Campinas; SP; Brazil
| | - Luísa L. Mota
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; CP 6109; 13083-970; Campinas; SP; Brazil
| | - André V. L. Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; CP 6109; 13083-970; Campinas; SP; Brazil
| | - Gilson R. P. Moreira
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Avenue Bento Gonçalves 9500; 91501-970; Porto Alegre; RS; Brazil
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Kaminski LA, Freitas AVL, Oliveira PS. Interaction between Mutualisms: Ant-tended butterflies exploit enemy-free space provided by ant-treehopper associations. Am Nat 2010; 176:322-34. [PMID: 20645858 DOI: 10.1086/655427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Although mutualisms have been intensively investigated, demonstration of indirect effects between co-occurring mutualistic systems is rare. For instance, the ecological consequences of co-occurrence of ant-tended insects on a plant have never been examined for survival effects on either trophobiont species. Here, we assess the selective pressures mediating co-occurrence of a facultative ant-tended butterfly (Parrhasius polibetes) with ant-tended treehoppers (Guayaquila xiphias) on Schefflera vinosa shrubs. We evaluated host plant selection and caterpillar survival in P. polibetes in the presence and absence of ant-treehopper associations. Paired trials revealed that butterflies preferably oviposit on branches hosting ant-tended treehoppers when they had a choice between those and branches without this interaction. Presence of ant-tended treehoppers on a branch reduced the abundance of P. polibetes' natural enemies and improved caterpillar survival in both premyrmecophylic and ant-tended phases. Thus ant-tended treehoppers create an enemy-free space on foliage that butterflies exploit to protect larval offspring. These findings connect two widely documented ant-trophobiont mutualisms and highlight the importance of considering multiple interactions for a proper understanding of ant-plant-herbivore systems. Detection of other ant-based mutualisms on oviposition to improve offspring survival may have represented an important evolutionary step in the process of host plant selection in facultative myrmecophilous butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Kaminski
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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