1
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Strauß J, Stritih-Peljhan N, Nishino H. Vibration receptor organs in the insect leg: neuroanatomical diversity and functional principles. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 61:101153. [PMID: 38128778 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Detecting substrate vibrations is essential for insects in different behavioural contexts. These vibrational behaviours are mediated by mechanoreceptor organs detecting and processing vibrational stimuli transmitted in the environment. We discuss recently gained insights about the functional principles of insect vibration receptors, mainly leg chordotonal organs highly sensitive to vibrational stimuli, and the mechanisms of their diversification in neuroanatomy and functional morphology, in relation to the attachment structures and mechanical coupling. The two main input pathways for vibration stimuli transferred by the insect legs to vibrosensory organs via the cuticle and via the hemolymph are fundamental for explaining sensory specialisations. The vibroreceptor organs can diversify in their neuroanatomy and morphology in several key aspects. This provides the structural basis for complex adaptations in sensory evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Strauß
- Institute for Animal Physiology, AG Integrative Sensory Physiology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Gießen, Germany.
| | - Nataša Stritih-Peljhan
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Hiroshi Nishino
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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2
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Sarria-S FA, Montealegre-Z F, Gonzalez-Rodriguez J. The chemistry of an insect ear: ionic composition of a liquid-filled ear and haemolymphs of Neotropical katydids. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230154. [PMID: 37464801 PMCID: PMC10354488 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine and to compare the ionic composition of the haemolymph and the ear fluid of seven species of katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) with the aim of providing from a biochemical perspective a preliminary assessment for an insect liquid contained in the auditory organ of katydids with a hearing mechanism reminiscent of that found in vertebrates. A multi-element trace analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical-emission spectrometry was run for 16 elements for the ear liquid of seven species and the haemolymph of six of them. Based on the obtained results, it can be recognized that the ionic composition is variable among the studied insects, but sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are the most prominent of the dissolved inorganic cations. However, the ion concentrations between the two fluids are considerably different and the absence or low concentration of Ca2+ is a noticeable feature in the inner ear liquid. A potential relationship between the male courtship song peak frequency and the total ion (Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) concentration of the inner ear liquid is also reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio A. Sarria-S
- School of Life Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Fernando Montealegre-Z
- School of Life Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
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3
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Herhold HW, Davis SR, DeGrey SP, Grimaldi DA. Comparative Anatomy of the Insect Tracheal System Part 1: Introduction, Apterygotes, Paleoptera, Polyneoptera. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2023. [DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.459.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hollister W. Herhold
- Richard Gilder Graduate School and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Steven R. Davis
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History; Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Samuel P. DeGrey
- Kimberly Research and Extension Center, University of Idaho, Kimberly
| | - David A. Grimaldi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
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4
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Celiker E, Woodrow C, Mhatre N, Montealegre-Z F. A numerical approach to investigating the mechanisms behind tonotopy in the bush-cricket inner-ear. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:957385. [PMID: 38468802 PMCID: PMC10926389 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.957385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Bush-crickets (or katydids) have sophisticated and ultrasonic ears located in the tibia of their forelegs, with a working mechanism analogous to the mammalian auditory system. Their inner-ears are endowed with an easily accessible hearing organ, the crista acustica (CA), possessing a spatial organisation that allows for different frequencies to be processed at specific graded locations within the structure. Similar to the basilar membrane in the mammalian ear, the CA contains mechanosensory receptors which are activated through the frequency dependent displacement of the CA. While this tonotopical arrangement is generally attributed to the gradual stiffness and mass changes along the hearing organ, the mechanisms behind it have not been analysed in detail. In this study, we take a numerical approach to investigate this mechanism in the Copiphora gorgonensis ear. In addition, we propose and test the effect of the different vibration transmission mechanisms on the displacement of the CA. The investigation was carried out by conducting finite-element analysis on a three-dimensional, idealised geometry of the C. gorgonensis inner-ear, which was based on precise measurements. The numerical results suggested that (i) even the mildest assumptions about stiffness and mass gradients allow for tonotopy to emerge, and (ii) the loading area and location for the transmission of the acoustic vibrations play a major role in the formation of tonotopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emine Celiker
- University of Lincoln, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Charlie Woodrow
- University of Lincoln, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Mhatre
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Montealegre-Z
- University of Lincoln, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln, United Kingdom
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5
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Bai L, Liu L, Esquivel M, Tardy BL, Huan S, Niu X, Liu S, Yang G, Fan Y, Rojas OJ. Nanochitin: Chemistry, Structure, Assembly, and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11604-11674. [PMID: 35653785 PMCID: PMC9284562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Chitin, a fascinating biopolymer found in living organisms, fulfills current demands of availability, sustainability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, functionality, and renewability. A feature of chitin is its ability to structure into hierarchical assemblies, spanning the nano- and macroscales, imparting toughness and resistance (chemical, biological, among others) to multicomponent materials as well as adding adaptability, tunability, and versatility. Retaining the inherent structural characteristics of chitin and its colloidal features in dispersed media has been central to its use, considering it as a building block for the construction of emerging materials. Top-down chitin designs have been reported and differentiate from the traditional molecular-level, bottom-up synthesis and assembly for material development. Such topics are the focus of this Review, which also covers the origins and biological characteristics of chitin and their influence on the morphological and physical-chemical properties. We discuss recent achievements in the isolation, deconstruction, and fractionation of chitin nanostructures of varying axial aspects (nanofibrils and nanorods) along with methods for their modification and assembly into functional materials. We highlight the role of nanochitin in its native architecture and as a component of materials subjected to multiscale interactions, leading to highly dynamic and functional structures. We introduce the most recent advances in the applications of nanochitin-derived materials and industrialization efforts, following green manufacturing principles. Finally, we offer a critical perspective about the adoption of nanochitin in the context of advanced, sustainable materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Bai
- Key
Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry
of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P.R. China
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Liang Liu
- Jiangsu
Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest
Resources, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals,
College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing
Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, P.R. China
| | - Marianelly Esquivel
- Polymer
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National University of Costa Rica, Heredia 3000, Costa Rica
| | - Blaise L. Tardy
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Siqi Huan
- Key
Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry
of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P.R. China
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Xun Niu
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Shouxin Liu
- Key
Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry
of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P.R. China
| | - Guihua Yang
- State
Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of
Sciences, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Yimin Fan
- Jiangsu
Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest
Resources, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals,
College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing
Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, P.R. China
| | - Orlando J. Rojas
- Bioproducts
Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department
of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Byrne B, de Kort SR, Pedley SM. Leafcutter ants adjust foraging behaviours when exposed to noise disturbance. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269517. [PMID: 35675369 PMCID: PMC9176835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the impact of anthropogenic noise on the foraging efficiency of leafcutter ants (Acromyrmex octospinosus) in a controlled laboratory experiment. Anthropogenic noise is a widespread, pervasive and increasing environmental pollutant and its negative impacts on animal fitness and behaviour have been well documented. Much of this evidence has come from studies concerning vertebrate species with very little evidence for terrestrial invertebrates, especially social living invertebrates. We compare movement speed, forage fragment size, and colony activity levels of ants exposed to intermittent elevated noise and in ambient noise conditions. We use intermittent and temporally unpredictable bursts of white noise produced from a vibration speaker to create the elevated noise profile. Ant movement speed increased under elevated noise conditions when travelling to collect forage material and when returning to the colony nest. The size of individually measured foraged material was significantly reduced under elevated noise conditions. Colony activity, the number of ants moving along the forage route, was not affected by elevated noise and was consistent throughout the foraging events. Increased foraging speed and smaller forage fragments suggests that the ants had to make more foraging trips over an extended period, which is likely to affect energy expenditure and increases exposure to predators. This is likely to have significant fitness impacts for the colony over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briony Byrne
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Selvino R. de Kort
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Scott M. Pedley
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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7
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Agah-Manesh H, Rajabpour A, Yarahmadi F, Farsi A. Potential of Ultrasound to Control Sesamia cretica (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:1393-1399. [PMID: 34595525 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The pink stalk borer, Sesamia cretica Led. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most important sugarcane pests in many regions of the world, causing severe damage to sugarcane every year. This insect has a specialized form of the auditory organ called the tympanal organ, and ultrasound can be employed as a potential tactic employed in physical control strategy against the pest. The present study evaluates the efficacy of ultrasound in controlling the pest in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, the repellent properties of various ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 21 to 100 kHz with 0.5 kHz intervals and wave shapes, including Sin(x), Cos(x) square, and sawtooth, were studied in choice experiments on the moths. The repellent effects of ultrasonic waves at frequencies 39.5 and 37.5 kHz were more significant than other frequencies in male and female moths, respectively. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the repellent properties of different wave shapes. In non-choice experiments, the effects of the most repellent ultrasonic treatment, at frequency 37.5 kHz, on biological characteristics of various life stages and distribution patterns of the moths were investigated. The results showed that the ultrasonic treatment causes substantial reductions in many biological parameters of the immature life stages of pests, including longevity, weight, survival rate, and fecundity. Moreover, the pattern indicated that the moths tended to escape from the ultrasound. The findings of this study can be employed for manufacturing the ultrasonic repeller to be used in sugarcane fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamzeh Agah-Manesh
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ali Rajabpour
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Yarahmadi
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Afrooz Farsi
- Division of Plant Protraction, Khuzestan Sugarcane & By-products Research & Training Institute, Ahvaz, Iran
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8
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Bullington LS, Seidensticker MT, Schwab N, Ramsey PW, Stone K. Do the evolutionary interactions between moths and bats promote niche partitioning between bats and birds? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17160-17178. [PMID: 34938500 PMCID: PMC8668740 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological theory suggests that the coexistence of species is promoted by the partitioning of available resources, as in dietary niche partitioning where predators partition prey. Yet, the mechanisms underlying dietary niche partitioning are not always clear. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to investigate the diets of seven nocturnal insectivorous bird and bat species. Low diet overlap (2%-22%) supported resource partitioning among all species. Differences in diet corresponded with species identity, prey detection method, and foraging behavior of predators. Insects with ultrasonic hearing capabilities were consumed significantly more often by birds than bats, consistent with an evolved avoidance of echolocating strategies. In turn, bats consumed a greater proportion of noneared insects such as spruce budworms. Overall, our results suggest that evolutionary interactions among bats and moths translate to dietary niche partitioning and coexistence among bats and nocturnal birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorinda S. Bullington
- MPG Ranch MissoulaMissoulaMontanaUSA
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Mathew T. Seidensticker
- MPG Ranch MissoulaMissoulaMontanaUSA
- Northern Rockies Research & Educational ServicesLoloMontanaUSA
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9
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Gomes DGE, Toth CA, Bateman CC, Francis CD, Kawahara AY, Barber JR. Experimental river noise alters arthropod abundance. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G. E. Gomes
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Boise State Univ. Boise ID USA
- Cooperative Inst. for Marine Resources Studies – Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State Univ. Newport OR USA
| | - Cory A. Toth
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Boise State Univ. Boise ID USA
| | - Craig C. Bateman
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Univ. of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Dept of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State Univ. San Luis Obispo CA USA
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Univ. of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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French AS, Warren B. Gene transcription changes in a locust model of noise-induced deafness. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2264-2278. [PMID: 33949886 PMCID: PMC8285658 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00119.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Locusts have auditory structures called Müller’s organs attached to tympanic membranes on either side of the abdomen. We measured the normalized abundances of 500 different mRNA transcripts in 320 Müller’s organs obtained from 160 locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) that had been subjected to a loud continuous 3-kHz tone for 24 h. Abundance ratios were then measured relative to transcripts from 360 control organs. A histogram of the number of observed transcripts versus their abundance ratios (noise exposed/control) was well fitted by a Cauchy distribution with median value near one. Transcripts below 5% and above 95% of the cumulative distribution function of the fitted Cauchy distribution were selected as putatively different from the expected values of an untreated preparation. This yielded eight transcripts with ratios increased by noise exposure (ratios 1.689–3.038) and 18 transcripts with reduced ratios (0.069–0.457). Most of the transcripts with increased abundance represented genes responsible for cuticular construction, suggesting extensive remodeling of some or all the cuticular components of the auditory structure, whereas the reduced abundance transcripts were mostly involved in lipid and protein storage and metabolism, suggesting a profound reduction in metabolic activity in response to the overstimulation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Locust ears have functional and genetic similarities to human ears, including loss of hearing from age or noise exposure. We measured transcript abundances in transcriptomes of noise-exposed and control locust ears. The data indicate remodeling of the ear tympanum and profound reductions in metabolism that may explain reduced sound transduction. These findings advance our understanding of this useful model and suggest further experiments to elucidate mechanisms that ears use to cope with excessive stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S French
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ben Warren
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavior, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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11
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Elmer LK, Madliger CL, Blumstein DT, Elvidge CK, Fernández-Juricic E, Horodysky AZ, Johnson NS, McGuire LP, Swaisgood RR, Cooke SJ. Exploiting common senses: sensory ecology meets wildlife conservation and management. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab002. [PMID: 33815799 PMCID: PMC8009554 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Multidisciplinary approaches to conservation and wildlife management are often effective in addressing complex, multi-factor problems. Emerging fields such as conservation physiology and conservation behaviour can provide innovative solutions and management strategies for target species and systems. Sensory ecology combines the study of 'how animals acquire' and process sensory stimuli from their environments, and the ecological and evolutionary significance of 'how animals respond' to this information. We review the benefits that sensory ecology can bring to wildlife conservation and management by discussing case studies across major taxa and sensory modalities. Conservation practices informed by a sensory ecology approach include the amelioration of sensory traps, control of invasive species, reduction of human-wildlife conflicts and relocation and establishment of new populations of endangered species. We illustrate that sensory ecology can facilitate the understanding of mechanistic ecological and physiological explanations underlying particular conservation issues and also can help develop innovative solutions to ameliorate conservation problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K Elmer
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Christine L Madliger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Chris K Elvidge
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Andrij Z Horodysky
- Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, USA
| | - Nicholas S Johnson
- USGS, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI 49759, USA
| | - Liam P McGuire
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA 92027-7000, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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12
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Lunichkin AM, Zhukovskaya MI. Morpho-Functional Characterization
of Cercal Organs in Crickets. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s002209302101004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Song H, Béthoux O, Shin S, Donath A, Letsch H, Liu S, McKenna DD, Meng G, Misof B, Podsiadlowski L, Zhou X, Wipfler B, Simon S. Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4939. [PMID: 33009390 PMCID: PMC7532154 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18739-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication is enabled by the evolution of specialised hearing and sound producing organs. In this study, we performed a large-scale macroevolutionary study to understand how both hearing and sound production evolved and affected diversification in the insect order Orthoptera, which includes many familiar singing insects, such as crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers. Using phylogenomic data, we firmly establish phylogenetic relationships among the major lineages and divergence time estimates within Orthoptera, as well as the lineage-specific and dynamic patterns of evolution for hearing and sound producing organs. In the suborder Ensifera, we infer that forewing-based stridulation and tibial tympanal ears co-evolved, but in the suborder Caelifera, abdominal tympanal ears first evolved in a non-sexual context, and later co-opted for sexual signalling when sound producing organs evolved. However, we find little evidence that the evolution of hearing and sound producing organs increased diversification rates in those lineages with known acoustic communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojun Song
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA.
| | - Olivier Béthoux
- CR2P (Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris), MNHN - CNRS - Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Seunggwan Shin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Biodiversity Research, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Alexander Donath
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research (ZMB), Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Harald Letsch
- Department für Botanik und Biodiversitätsforschung, Universität Wien, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shanlin Liu
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, 518083, Guangdong, China
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Duane D McKenna
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Biodiversity Research, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA
| | - Guanliang Meng
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, 518083, Guangdong, China
| | - Bernhard Misof
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research (ZMB), Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Podsiadlowski
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research (ZMB), Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Benjamin Wipfler
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Center of Taxonomy and Evolutionary Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sabrina Simon
- Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, Netherlands.
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14
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Römer H. Directional hearing in insects: biophysical, physiological and ecological challenges. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/14/jeb203224. [PMID: 32737067 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Sound localisation is a fundamental attribute of the way that animals perceive their external world. It enables them to locate mates or prey, determine the direction from which a predator is approaching and initiate adaptive behaviours. Evidence from different biological disciplines that has accumulated over the last two decades indicates how small insects with body sizes much smaller than the wavelength of the sound of interest achieve a localisation performance that is similar to that of mammals. This Review starts by describing the distinction between tympanal ears (as in grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas, moths or mantids) and flagellar ears (specifically antennae in mosquitoes and fruit flies). The challenges faced by insects when receiving directional cues differ depending on whether they have tympanal or flagellar years, because the latter respond to the particle velocity component (a vector quantity) of the sound field, whereas the former respond to the pressure component (a scalar quantity). Insects have evolved sophisticated biophysical solutions to meet these challenges, which provide binaural cues for directional hearing. The physiological challenge is to reliably encode these cues in the neuronal activity of the afferent auditory system, a non-trivial problem in particular for those insect systems composed of only few nerve cells which exhibit a considerable amount of intrinsic and extrinsic response variability. To provide an integrative view of directional hearing, I complement the description of these biophysical and physiological solutions by presenting findings on localisation in real-world situations, including evidence for localisation in the vertical plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Römer
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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15
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Römer H, Holderied M. Decision making in the face of a deadly predator: high-amplitude behavioural thresholds can be adaptive for rainforest crickets under high background noise levels. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190471. [PMID: 32420855 PMCID: PMC7331017 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insect families have evolved ears that are adapted to detect ultrasonic calls of bats. The acoustic sensory cues indicating the presence of a bat are then used to initiate bat avoidance behaviours. Background noise, in particular at ultrasonic frequencies, complicates these decisions, since a response to the background may result in costly false alarms. Here, we quantify bat avoidance responses of small rainforest crickets (Gryllidae, Trigoniinae), which live under conditions of high levels of ultrasonic background noise. Their bat avoidance behaviour exhibits markedly higher thresholds than most other studied eared insects. Their responses do not qualitatively differ at suprathreshold amplitudes up to sound pressure levels of 105 dB. Moreover, they also exhibit evasive responses to single, high-frequency events and do not require the repetitive sequence of ultrasonic calls typical for the search phase of bat echolocation calls. Analysis of bat and katydid sound amplitudes and peak frequencies in the crickets' rainforest habitat revealed that the cricket's behavioural threshold would successfully reject the katydid background noise. Using measurements of the crickets' echo target strength for bat predators, we calculated the detection distances for both predators and prey. Despite their high behavioural threshold, the cricket prey still has a significant detection advantage at frequencies between 20 and 40 kHz. The low-amplitude bat calls they ignore are no predation threat because even much louder calls would be detected before the bat would hear the cricket echo. This leaves ample time for evasive actions. Thus, a simple decision criterion based on a high-amplitude behavioural threshold can be adaptive under the high background noise levels in nocturnal rainforests, in avoiding false alarms and only missing detection for bat calls too far away to pose a risk. This article is part of the theme issue 'Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Römer
- Department of Biology, Graz University, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Marc Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Cinel SD, Hahn DA, Kawahara AY. Predator-induced stress responses in insects: A review. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 122:104039. [PMID: 32113954 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Predators can induce extreme stress and profound physiological responses in prey. Insects are the most dominant animal group on Earth and serve as prey for many different predators. Although insects have an extraordinary diversity of anti-predator behavioral and physiological responses, predator-induced stress has not been studied extensively in insects, especially at the molecular level. Here, we review the existing literature on physiological predator-induced stress responses in insects and compare what is known about insect stress to vertebrate stress systems. We conclude that many unrelated insects share a baseline pathway of predator-induced stress responses that we refer to as the octopamine-adipokinetic hormone (OAH) axis. We also present best practices for studying predator-induced stress responses in prey insects. We encourage investigators to compare neurophysiological responses to predator-related stress at the organismal, neurohormonal, tissue, and cellular levels within and across taxonomic groups. Studying stress-response variation between ecological contexts and across taxonomic levels will enable the field to build a holistic understanding of, and distinction between, taxon- and stimulus-specific responses relative to universal stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Cinel
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Daniel A Hahn
- Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Reciprocal Matched Filtering in the Inner Ear of the African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2020; 21:33-42. [PMID: 31907715 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-019-00740-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Anurans (frogs and toads) are the most vocal amphibians. In most species, only males produce advertisement calls for defending territories and attracting mates. Female vocalizations are the exceptions among frogs, however in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) both males and females produce distinct vocalizations. The matched filter hypothesis predicts a correspondence between peripheral auditory tuning of receivers and properties of species-specific acoustic signals, but few studies have assessed this relationship between the sexes. Measuring hearing sensitivity with a binaural recording of distortion product otoacoustic emissions, we have found that the ears of the males of this species are tuned to the dominant frequency of the female's calls, whereas the ears of the females are tuned close to the dominant frequency of the male's calls. Our findings provide support for the matched filter hypothesis extended to include male-female calling. This unique example of reciprocal matched filtering ensures that males and females communicate effectively in high levels of background noise, each sex being most sensitive to the frequencies of the other sex's calls.
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Gallego-Abenza M, Mathevon N, Wheatcroft D. Experience modulates an insect's response to anthropogenic noise. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:90-96. [PMID: 32372854 PMCID: PMC7191250 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to anthropogenic noise, vertebrates express modified acoustic communication signals either through individual plasticity or local population adaptation. In contrast, how insects respond to this stressor is poorly studied. Field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus use acoustic signals to attract and locate mates and are commonly found in noisy roadside environments, offering a powerful system to study the effects of anthropogenic noise on insect communication. Rapid repetition of sexual calls (chirps) is essential to attract females, but calling incurs energetic costs and attracts predators. As a result, males are predicted to reduce calling rates when background noise is high. Here, we combine observations and experimental playbacks to show that the responses of field cricket males to anthropogenic noise also depend on their previous experience with passing cars. First, we show that males living on highway edges decrease their chirp rate in response to passing cars. To assess whether this behavioral response depends on previous exposure to car noise, we then broadcast recordings of car noise to males located at different distances from the road and, therefore, with different previous exposure to car noise. Although all tested individuals responded to broadcasted traffic noise, males closest to the road decreased their chirp rate less than individuals calling further from the road. These results suggest that regular exposure to anthropogenic noise may decrease individuals' sensitivity and behavioral responses to noise, allowing them to maintain effective signaling rates. Behavioral plasticity modulated by experience may thus allow some insect species to cope with human-induced environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Gallego-Abenza
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Austria
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Mathevon
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, ENES/Neuro-PSI CNRS UMR9197, University of Lyon, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - David Wheatcroft
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Römer H. Insect acoustic communication: The role of transmission channel and the sensory system and brain of receivers. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Nishino H, Domae M, Takanashi T, Okajima T. Cricket tympanal organ revisited: morphology, development and possible functions of the adult-specific chitin core beneath the anterior tympanal membrane. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 377:193-214. [PMID: 30828748 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrates and insects are phylogenetically separated by millions of years but have commonly developed tympanal membranes for efficiently converting airborne sound to mechanical oscillation in hearing. The tympanal organ of the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, spanning 200 μm, is one of the smallest auditory organs among animals. It indirectly links to two tympana in the prothoracic tibia via tracheal vesicles. The anterior tympanal membrane is smaller and thicker than the posterior tympanal membrane and it is thought to have minor function as a sound receiver. Using differential labeling of sensory neurons/surrounding structures and three-dimensional reconstructions, we revealed that a shell-shaped chitin mass and associated tissues are hidden behind the anterior tympanal membrane. The mass, termed the epithelial core, is progressively enlarged by discharge of cylindrical chitin from epithelial cells that start to aggregate immediately after the final molt and it reaches a plateau in size after 6 days. The core, bridging between the anterior tracheal vesicle and the fluid-filled chamber containing sensory neurons, is supported by a taut membrane, suggesting the possibility that anterior displacements of the anterior tracheal vesicle are converted into fluid motion via a lever action of the core. The epithelial core did not exist in tympanal organ homologs of meso- and metathoracic legs or of nymphal legs. Taken together, the findings suggest that the epithelial core, a potential functional homolog to mammalian ossicles, underlies fine sound frequency discrimination required for adult-specific sound communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Nishino
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Mana Domae
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Takuma Takanashi
- Department of Forest Entomology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsuno-sato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Takaharu Okajima
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0814, Japan
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Queiroz-Santos L, Casagrande MM, Specht A. Morphological Characterization of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothinae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:517-542. [PMID: 29450860 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-017-0581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a widespread lepidopteran pest found in various crops worldwide. This highly polyphagous species, commonly found both in the Old and New World, has caused significant economic damage as an invasive agricultural pest in Brazil since 2013. The goal of the present study is to provide a detailed morphological assessment of adults and immature stages of H. armigera, as this species is often confused with H. zea (Boddie), a congeneric species that is native to the New World. The biology data were acquired during four full life cycles, and observations on general behavior, nocturnal habits of larvae and adults, and sensitivity of larvae to humidity were recorded. Larval chaetotaxy differs between the first and the remaining instars, which bear L2 on the meso- and metathorax and L3 on A3 through A6, along with conspicuous chalazae and longitudinal bands. Important morphological characters of this species include the following: eggs with four micropylar openings, lined with 12 cells arranged in the shape of a rosette; pupa adecticous and obtect, with prominent spiracles; adults with the distal antennomere striate. Adults exhibit sexual dimorphism in the number of setae on the frenulum and spines on the prothoracic leg. Illustrations of the critical morphological features of this species are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Queiroz-Santos
- Lab de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Depto de Zoologia, Univ Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, P.O. Box 19020, Brasil.
| | - M M Casagrande
- Lab de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Depto de Zoologia, Univ Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 81531-980, P.O. Box 19020, Brasil
| | - A Specht
- Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, Brasil
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Morley EL, Jonsson T, Robert D. Auditory sensitivity, spatial dynamics, and amplitude of courtship song in Drosophila melanogaster. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 144:734. [PMID: 30180716 DOI: 10.1121/1.5049791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic communication is an important component of courtship in Drosophila melanogaster. It takes the form of courtship song produced by males through the unilateral extension and vibration of a wing. Following the paradigm of sender-receiver matching, song content is assumed to match tuning in the auditory system, however, D. melanogaster audition is nonlinear and tuning dependent upon signal amplitude. At low stimulus amplitudes or in the absence of sound the antenna is tuned into song frequency, but as amplitude increases the antenna's resonance is shifted up by hundreds of Hertz. Accurate measurements of song amplitude have been elusive because of the strong dependency of amplitude upon the spatial geometry between sender and receiver. Here, D. melanogaster auditory directional sensitivity and the geometric position between the courting flies are quantified. It is shown that singing occurs primarily from positions resulting in direct stimulation of the female antenna. Using this information, it is established that the majority of song is louder than theoretically predicted and at these sound levels the female antenna should not amplify or be tuned into song. The study implies that Drosophila hearing, and, in particular, its active mechanisms, could function in a broader context than previously surmised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Morley
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Thorin Jonsson
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Robert
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
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Schroeder TBH, Houghtaling J, Wilts BD, Mayer M. It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2018; 30:e1705322. [PMID: 29517829 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201705322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Over the course of their wildly successful proliferation across the earth, the insects as a taxon have evolved enviable adaptations to their diverse habitats, which include adhesives, locomotor systems, hydrophobic surfaces, and sensors and actuators that transduce mechanical, acoustic, optical, thermal, and chemical signals. Insect-inspired designs currently appear in a range of contexts, including antireflective coatings, optical displays, and computing algorithms. However, as over one million distinct and highly specialized species of insects have colonized nearly all habitable regions on the planet, they still provide a largely untapped pool of unique problem-solving strategies. With the intent of providing materials scientists and engineers with a muse for the next generation of bioinspired materials, here, a selection of some of the most spectacular adaptations that insects have evolved is assembled and organized by function. The insects presented display dazzling optical properties as a result of natural photonic crystals, precise hierarchical patterns that span length scales from nanometers to millimeters, and formidable defense mechanisms that deploy an arsenal of chemical weaponry. Successful mimicry of these adaptations may facilitate technological solutions to as wide a range of problems as they solve in the insects that originated them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B H Schroeder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2300 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jared Houghtaling
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Bodo D Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Michael Mayer
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Lunichkin AM, Knyazev AN. Involvement of the mechanosensory complex structures of the cricket Phaeophilacris bredoides in triggering of motor responses to sound. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093017060059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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25
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Schneider ES, Römer H, Robillard T, Schmidt AKD. Hearing with exceptionally thin tympana: Ear morphology and tympanal membrane vibrations in eneopterine crickets. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15266. [PMID: 29127426 PMCID: PMC5681576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The receiver sensory system plays a crucial role in the evolution of new communication signals in insects. Among acoustic communicating crickets, the tribe Lebinthini (Eneopterinae) has evolved a unique communication system in that males produce exceptionally high-frequency calls and females respond with vibratory signals to guide males towards them. In this study, we describe nine species of Eneopterinae in which the sound receiving structures have undergone considerable morphological changes. We revealed that the anterior tympanal membrane (ATM) of the ear was extremely thin, as little as 0.35 µm thick, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the thinnest tympanal membrane found in crickets thus far. Measurements of tympanum vibrations obtained from Lebinthus bitaeniatus demonstrated a strong sensitivity towards higher frequencies. The finding also coincides with the neuronal tuning of ascending neurons and the behavioural response of the Lebinthini. The morphologically specialized ATM and its mechanical sensitivity for high frequencies, therefore, may have driven the sensory exploitation of an anti-predator behaviour that led to the evolution of a new communication system known for this group of crickets. The hypothetical phylogenetic origin of the investigated tympanal ears is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik S Schneider
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Heinrich Römer
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Tony Robillard
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205, CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 50 (Entomologie), 75231, Paris, Cedex 05, France
| | - Arne K D Schmidt
- Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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Leubner F, Bradler S, Wipfler B. The thoracic morphology of the wingless dune cricket Comicus calcaris (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae): Novel apomorphic characters for the group and adaptations to sand desert environments. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2017; 46:449-461. [PMID: 28365228 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizodactylidae, splay-footed or dune crickets, represents a distinct lineage among the highly diverse orthopteran subgroup Ensifera (crickets, katydids and allies). Only two extant genera belong to the Schizodactylidae: the winged Eurasian genus Schizodactylus, whose ecology and morphology is well documented, and the wingless South African Comicus, for which hardly any studies providing morphological descriptions have been conducted since its taxonomic description in 1888. Based on the first in-depth study of the skeletomuscular system of the thorax of Comicus calcaris Irish 1986, we provide information on some unique characteristics of this character complex in Schizodactylidae. They include a rigid connection of prospinasternite and mesosternum, a T-shaped mesospina, and a fused meso- and metasternum. Although Schizodactylidae is mainly characterized by group-specific anatomical traits of the thorax, its bifurcated profuca supports a closer relationship to the tettigonioid ensiferans, like katydids, wetas, and hump-winged crickets. Some specific features of the thoracic musculature of Comicus seem to be correlated to the skeletal morphology, e.g., due to the rigid connection of the tergites and pleurites in the pterothorax not a single direct flight muscle is developed. We show that many of the thoracic adaptations in these insects are directly related to their psammophilous way of life. These include a characteristic setation of thoracic sclerites that prevent sand grains from intrusion into vulnerable membranous areas, the striking decrease in size of the thoracic spiracles that reduces the respirational water loss, and a general trend towards a fusion of sclerites in the thorax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Leubner
- Department of Morphology, Systematics & Evolutionary Biology, J-F-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology & Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Sven Bradler
- Department of Morphology, Systematics & Evolutionary Biology, J-F-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology & Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Wipfler
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstr. 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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Sarria-S FA, Chivers BD, Soulsbury CD, Montealegre-Z F. Non-invasive biophysical measurement of travelling waves in the insect inner ear. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170171. [PMID: 28573026 PMCID: PMC5451827 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Frequency analysis in the mammalian cochlea depends on the propagation of frequency information in the form of a travelling wave (TW) across tonotopically arranged auditory sensilla. TWs have been directly observed in the basilar papilla of birds and the ears of bush-crickets (Insecta: Orthoptera) and have also been indirectly inferred in the hearing organs of some reptiles and frogs. Existing experimental approaches to measure TW function in tetrapods and bush-crickets are inherently invasive, compromising the fine-scale mechanics of each system. Located in the forelegs, the bush-cricket ear exhibits outer, middle and inner components; the inner ear containing tonotopically arranged auditory sensilla within a fluid-filled cavity, and externally protected by the leg cuticle. Here, we report bush-crickets with transparent ear cuticles as potential model species for direct, non-invasive measuring of TWs and tonotopy. Using laser Doppler vibrometry and spectroscopy, we show that increased transmittance of light through the ear cuticle allows for effective non-invasive measurements of TWs and frequency mapping. More transparent cuticles allow several properties of TWs to be precisely recovered and measured in vivo from intact specimens. Our approach provides an innovative, non-invasive alternative to measure the natural motion of the sensilla-bearing surface embedded in the intact inner ear fluid.
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Bunkley JP, McClure CJW, Kawahara AY, Francis CD, Barber JR. Anthropogenic noise changes arthropod abundances. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2977-2985. [PMID: 28479997 PMCID: PMC5415529 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a widespread and growing form of sensory pollution associated with the expansion of human infrastructure. One specific source of constant and intense noise is that produced by compressors used for the extraction and transportation of natural gas. Terrestrial arthropods play a central role in many ecosystems, and given that numerous species rely upon airborne sounds and substrate‐borne vibrations in their life histories, we predicted that increased background sound levels or the presence of compressor noise would influence their distributions. In the second largest natural gas field in the United States (San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA), we assessed differences in the abundances of terrestrial arthropod families and community structure as a function of compressor noise and background sound level. Using pitfall traps, we simultaneously sampled five sites adjacent to well pads that possessed operating compressors, and five alternate, quieter well pad sites that lacked compressors, but were otherwise similar. We found a negative association between sites with compressor noise or higher levels of background sound and the abundance of five arthropod families and one genus, a positive relationship between loud sites and the abundance of one family, and no relationship between noise level or compressor presence and abundance for six families and two genera. Despite these changes, we found no evidence of community turnover as a function of background sound level or site type (compressor and noncompressor). Our results indicate that anthropogenic noise differentially affects the abundances of some arthropod families. These preliminary findings point to a need to determine the direct and indirect mechanisms driving these observed responses. Given the diverse and important ecological functions provided by arthropods, changes in abundances could have ecological implications. Therefore, we recommend the consideration of arthropods in the environmental assessment of noise‐producing infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis ObispoCAUSA
| | - Jesse R. Barber
- Department of Biological SciencesBoise State UniversityBoiseIDUSA
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Salgado VL. Insect TRP channels as targets for insecticides and repellents. JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE SCIENCE 2017; 42:1-6. [PMID: 30363111 PMCID: PMC6140660 DOI: 10.1584/jpestics.d16-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This review provides a brief overview of ion channels, then focuses on TRP channels, describing the properties and functions of the seven TRP channel classes found in insects. Finally, recent work showing that a heteromeric channel composed of Nanchung and Inactive vanilloid TRP (TRPV) channel subunits is the target of the selective feeding blockers pymetrozine and pyrifluquinazon is described. The possible utility of other TRP channels as targets of insecticides and repellents is also considered.
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Abstract
The ability of animals to flexibly navigate through complex environments depends on the integration of sensory information with motor commands. The sensory modality most tightly linked to motor control is mechanosensation. Adaptive motor control depends critically on an animal's ability to respond to mechanical forces generated both within and outside the body. The compact neural circuits of insects provide appealing systems to investigate how mechanical cues guide locomotion in rugged environments. Here, we review our current understanding of mechanosensation in insects and its role in adaptive motor control. We first examine the detection and encoding of mechanical forces by primary mechanoreceptor neurons. We then discuss how central circuits integrate and transform mechanosensory information to guide locomotion. Because most studies in this field have been performed in locusts, cockroaches, crickets, and stick insects, the examples we cite here are drawn mainly from these 'big insects'. However, we also pay particular attention to the tiny fruit fly, Drosophila, where new tools are creating new opportunities, particularly for understanding central circuits. Our aim is to show how studies of big insects have yielded fundamental insights relevant to mechanosensation in all animals, and also to point out how the Drosophila toolkit can contribute to future progress in understanding mechanosensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Tuthill
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, 1705 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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31
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Shamble PS, Menda G, Golden JR, Nitzany EI, Walden K, Beatus T, Elias DO, Cohen I, Miles RN, Hoy RR. Airborne Acoustic Perception by a Jumping Spider. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2913-2920. [PMID: 27746028 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are famous for their visually driven behaviors [1]. Here, however, we present behavioral and neurophysiological evidence that these animals also perceive and respond to airborne acoustic stimuli, even when the distance between the animal and the sound source is relatively large (∼3 m) and with stimulus amplitudes at the position of the spider of ∼65 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Behavioral experiments with the jumping spider Phidippus audax reveal that these animals respond to low-frequency sounds (80 Hz; 65 dB SPL) by freezing-a common anti-predatory behavior characteristic of an acoustic startle response. Neurophysiological recordings from auditory-sensitive neural units in the brains of these jumping spiders showed responses to low-frequency tones (80 Hz at ∼65 dB SPL)-recordings that also represent the first record of acoustically responsive neural units in the jumping spider brain. Responses persisted even when the distances between spider and stimulus source exceeded 3 m and under anechoic conditions. Thus, these spiders appear able to detect airborne sound at distances in the acoustic far-field region, beyond the near-field range often thought to bound acoustic perception in arthropods that lack tympanic ears (e.g., spiders) [2]. Furthermore, direct mechanical stimulation of hairs on the patella of the foreleg was sufficient to generate responses in neural units that also responded to airborne acoustic stimuli-evidence that these hairs likely play a role in the detection of acoustic cues. We suggest that these auditory responses enable the detection of predators and facilitate an acoustic startle response. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Shamble
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Gil Menda
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - James R Golden
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Eyal I Nitzany
- Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Katherine Walden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tsevi Beatus
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Itai Cohen
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ronald N Miles
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Ronald R Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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32
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Römer H, Schmidt AKD. Directional hearing in insects with internally coupled ears. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2016; 110:247-254. [PMID: 26696000 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-015-0672-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Compared to all other hearing animals, insects are the smallest ones, both in absolute terms and in relation to the wavelength of most biologically relevant sounds. The ears of insects can be located at almost any possible body part, such as wings, legs, mouthparts, thorax or abdomen. The interaural distances are generally so small that cues for directional hearing such as interaural time and intensity differences (IITs and IIDs) are also incredibly small, so that the small body size should be a strong constraint for directional hearing. Yet, when tested in behavioral essays for the precision of sound source localization, some species demonstrate hyperacuity in directional hearing and can track a sound source deviating from the midline by only [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]. They can do so by using internally coupled ears, where sound pressure can act on both sides of a tympanic membrane. Here we describe their varying anatomy and mode of operation for some insect groups, with a special focus on crickets, exhibiting probably one of the most sophisticated of all internally coupled ears in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Römer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, Graz, Austria.
| | - Arne K D Schmidt
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, Graz, Austria
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33
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Lee YF, Mccracken GF. Foraging activity and food resource use of Brazilian free-tailed bats,Tadarida brasiliensis(Molossidae). ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2002.11682717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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34
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35
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36
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37
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Abstract
Insect hearing has independently evolved multiple times in the context of intraspecific communication and predator detection by transforming proprioceptive organs into ears. Research over the past decade, ranging from the biophysics of sound reception to molecular aspects of auditory transduction to the neuronal mechanisms of auditory signal processing, has greatly advanced our understanding of how insects hear. Apart from evolutionary innovations that seem unique to insect hearing, parallels between insect and vertebrate auditory systems have been uncovered, and the auditory sensory cells of insects and vertebrates turned out to be evolutionarily related. This review summarizes our current understanding of insect hearing. It also discusses recent advances in insect auditory research, which have put forward insect auditory systems for studying biological aspects that extend beyond hearing, such as cilium function, neuronal signal computation, and sensory system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin C Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - R Matthias Hennig
- Department of Biology, Behavioral Physiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10115 Berlin, Germany;
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38
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Abstract
Nonlinear physics plays an essential role in hearing. We demonstrate on a mesoscopic description level that during the evolutionary perfection of the hearing sensor, nonlinear physics led to the unique design of the cochlea observed in mammals, and that this design requests as a consequence the perception of pitch. Our insight challenges the view that mostly genetics is responsible for the uniformity of the construction of the mammalian hearing sensor. Our analysis also suggests that scaleable and non-scaleable arrangements of nonlinear sound detectors may be at the origin of the differences between hearing sensors in amniotic lineages.
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39
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Alem S, Clanet C, Party V, Dixsaut A, Greenfield MD. What determines lek size? Cognitive constraints and per capita attraction of females limit male aggregation in an acoustic moth. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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40
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Insect hearing: from physics to ecology. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2015; 201:1-4. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0966-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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41
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Selective forces on origin, adaptation and reduction of tympanal ears in insects. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:155-69. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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42
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Neurobiology of acoustically mediated predator detection. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:99-109. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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43
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Römer H. Directional hearing: from biophysical binaural cues to directional hearing outdoors. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:87-97. [PMID: 25231204 PMCID: PMC4282874 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0939-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
When insects communicate by sound, or use acoustic cues to escape predators or detect prey or hosts they have to localize the sound in most cases, to perform adaptive behavioral responses. In the case of particle velocity receivers such as the antennae of mosquitoes, directionality is no problem because such receivers are inherently directional. Insects equipped with bilateral pairs of tympanate ears could principally make use of binaural cues for sound localization, like all other animals with two ears. However, their small size is a major problem to create sufficiently large binaural cues, with respect to both interaural time differences (ITDs, because interaural distances are so small), but also with respect to interaural intensity differences (IIDs), since the ratio of body size to the wavelength of sound is rather unfavorable for diffractive effects. In my review, I will only shortly cover these biophysical aspects of directional hearing. Instead, I will focus on aspects of directional hearing which received relatively little attention previously, the evolution of a pressure difference receiver, 3D-hearing, directional hearing outdoors, and directional hearing for auditory scene analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Römer
- Institute of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria,
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44
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Hager FA, Kirchner WH. Directional vibration sensing in the termite Macrotermes natalensis. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:2526-30. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.103184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Although several behavioural studies demonstrate the ability of insects to localise the source of vibrations, it is still unclear how insects are able to perceive directional information from vibratory signals on solid substrates, because time-of-arrival and amplitude difference between receptory structures are thought to be too small to be processed by insect nervous systems. The termite Macrotermes natalensis communicates using vibrational drumming signals transmitted along subterranean galleries. When soldiers are attacked by predators, they tend to drum with their heads against the substrate and create a pulsed vibration. Workers respond by a fast retreat into the nest. Soldiers in the vicinity start to drum themselves, leading to an amplification and propagation of the signal. Here we show that M. natalensis makes use of a directional vibration sensing in the context of colony defence. In the field, soldiers are recruited towards the source of the signal. In arena experiments on natural nest material, soldiers are able to localise the source of vibration. Using two movable platforms allowing us to vibrate the legs of the left and right sides of the body with a time delay, we show that the difference in time-of-arrival is the directional cue used for orientation. Delays as short as 0.2 ms are sufficient to be detected. Soldiers show a significant positive tropotaxis to the platform stimulated earlier, demonstrating for the first time perception of time-of-arrival delays and vibrotropotaxis on solid substrates in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix A. Hager
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Kirchner
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
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45
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Lakes-Harlan R, deVries T, Stölting H, Stumpner A. Useless hearing in male Emblemasoma auditrix (Diptera, Sarcophagidae)--a case of intralocus sexual conflict during evolution of a complex sense organ? PLoS One 2014; 9:e87211. [PMID: 24489872 PMCID: PMC3904991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory modalities typically are important for both sexes, although sex-specific functional adaptations may occur frequently. This is true for hearing as well. Consequently, distinct behavioural functions were identified for the different insect hearing systems. Here we describe a first case, where a trait of an evolutionary novelty and a highly specialized hearing organ is adaptive in only one sex. The main function of hearing of the parasitoid fly Emblemasoma auditrix is to locate the host, males of the cicada species Okanagana rimosa, by their calling song. This task is performed by female flies, which deposit larvae into the host. We show that male E. auditrix possess a hearing sense as well. The morphology of the tympanal organ of male E. auditrix is rather similar to the female ear, which is 8% broader than the male ear. In both sexes the physiological hearing threshold is tuned to 5 kHz. Behavioural tests show that males are able to orient towards the host calling song, although phonotaxis often is incomplete. However, despite extensive observations in the field and substantial knowledge of the biology of E. auditrix, no potentially adaptive function of the male auditory sense has been identified. This unique hearing system might represent an intralocus sexual conflict, as the complex sense organ and the behavioural relevant neuronal network is adaptive for only one sex. The correlated evolution of the sense organ in both sexes might impose substantial constraints on the sensory properties of the ear. Similar constraints, although hidden, might also apply to other sensory systems in which behavioural functions differ between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
- Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute for Animal Physiology, AG Integrative Sensory Physiology, Gießen, Germany
| | - Thomas deVries
- Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute for Animal Physiology, AG Integrative Sensory Physiology, Gießen, Germany
| | - Heiko Stölting
- Georg-August University Göttingen, Cellular Neurobiology, Schwann-Schleiden-Forschungszentrum, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Stumpner
- Georg-August University Göttingen, Cellular Neurobiology, Schwann-Schleiden-Forschungszentrum, Göttingen, Germany
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46
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Malkin R, McDonagh TR, Mhatre N, Scott TS, Robert D. Energy localization and frequency analysis in the locust ear. J R Soc Interface 2014; 11:20130857. [PMID: 24196693 PMCID: PMC3836324 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2013.0857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal ears are exquisitely adapted to capture sound energy and perform signal analysis. Studying the ear of the locust, we show how frequency signal analysis can be performed solely by using the structural features of the tympanum. Incident sound waves generate mechanical vibrational waves that travel across the tympanum. These waves shoal in a tsunami-like fashion, resulting in energy localization that focuses vibrations onto the mechanosensory neurons in a frequency-dependent manner. Using finite element analysis, we demonstrate that two mechanical properties of the locust tympanum, distributed thickness and tension, are necessary and sufficient to generate frequency-dependent energy localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Malkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK
| | | | - Natasha Mhatre
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK
| | - Thomas S. Scott
- Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, 121 St Michael's Hill, Bristol BS2 8BS, UK
| | - Daniel Robert
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK
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47
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Morley EL, Jones G, Radford AN. The importance of invertebrates when considering the impacts of anthropogenic noise. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 281:20132683. [PMID: 24335986 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is now recognized as a major global pollutant. Rapidly burgeoning research has identified impacts on individual behaviour and physiology through to community disruption. To date, however, there has been an almost exclusive focus on vertebrates. Not only does their central role in food webs and in fulfilling ecosystem services make imperative our understanding of how invertebrates are impacted by all aspects of environmental change, but also many of their inherent characteristics provide opportunities to overcome common issues with the current anthropogenic noise literature. Here, we begin by explaining why invertebrates are likely to be affected by anthropogenic noise, briefly reviewing their capacity for hearing and providing evidence that they are capable of evolutionary adaptation and behavioural plasticity in response to natural noise sources. We then discuss the importance of quantifying accurately and fully both auditory ability and noise content, emphasizing considerations of direct relevance to how invertebrates detect sounds. We showcase how studying invertebrates can help with the behavioural bias in the literature, the difficulties in drawing strong, ecologically valid conclusions and the need for studies on fitness impacts. Finally, we suggest avenues of future research using invertebrates that would advance our understanding of the impact of anthropogenic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Morley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, , Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, , 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada , M1C 1A4
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48
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Pfuhl G, Zhao XC, Ian E, Surlykke A, Berg BG. Sound-sensitive neurons innervate the ventro-lateral protocerebrum of the heliothine moth brain. Cell Tissue Res 2013; 355:289-302. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1749-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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49
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A century of paraphyly: A molecular phylogeny of katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) supports multiple origins of leaf-like wings. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 69:1120-34. [PMID: 23891949 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Geurten B, Spalthoff C, Göpfert M. Insect Hearing: Active Amplification in Tympanal Ears. Curr Biol 2013; 23:R950-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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