1
|
VanValkenburg E, Gonçalves Souza T, Sanders NJ, CaraDonna P. Sodium-enriched nectar shapes plant-pollinator interactions in a subalpine meadow. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70026. [PMID: 39015879 PMCID: PMC11251754 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Many plants have evolved nutrient rewards to attract pollinators to flowers, but most research has focused on the sugar content of floral nectar resources. Concentrations of sodium in floral nectar (a micronutrient in low concentrations in nectar) can vary substantially both among and within co-occurring species. It is hypothesized that sodium concentrations in floral nectar might play an important and underappreciated role in plant-pollinator interactions, especially because many animals, including pollinators, are sodium limited in nature. Yet, the consequences of variation in sodium concentrations in floral nectar remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate whether enriching floral nectar with sodium influences the composition, diversity, and frequency of plant-pollinator interactions. We experimentally enriched sodium concentrations in four plant species in a subalpine meadow in Colorado, USA. We found that flowers with sodium-enriched nectar received more visits from a greater diversity of pollinators throughout the season. Different pollinator species foraged more frequently on flowers enriched with sodium and showed evidence of other changes to foraging behavior, including greater dietary evenness. These findings are consistent with the "salty nectar hypothesis," providing evidence for the importance of sodium limitation in pollinators and suggesting that even small nectar constituents can shape plant-pollinator interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan VanValkenburg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryGothicColoradoUSA
| | | | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Paul CaraDonna
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryGothicColoradoUSA
- Chicago Botanic GardenGlencoeIllinoisUSA
- Program in Plant Biology and ConservationNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dukas R, Bailey NW. Evolutionary biology of social expertise. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38946116 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that competent handling of social interactions among conspecifics has positive effects on individual fitness. While individual variation in social competence has been appreciated, the role of long-term experience in the acquisition of superior social skills has received less attention. With the goal of promoting further research, we integrate knowledge across disciplines to assess social expertise, defined as the characteristics, skills and knowledge allowing individuals with extensive social experience to perform significantly better than novices on a given social task. We focus on three categories of social behaviour. First, animals can gain from adjusting social behaviour towards individually recognised conspecifics that they interact with on a regular basis. For example, there is evidence that some territorial animals individually recognise their neighbours and modify their social interactions based on experience with each neighbour. Similarly, individuals in group-living species learn to associate with specific group members based on their expected benefits from such social connections. Individuals have also been found to devote considerable time and effort to learning about the spatial location and timing of sexual receptivity of opposite-sex neighbours to optimise reproduction. Second, signallers can enhance their signals, and receivers can refine their response to signals with experience. In many birds and insects, individuals can produce more consistent signals with experience, and females across a wide taxonomic range can adaptively adjust mating preferences after perceiving distinct male signals. Third, in many species, individuals that succeed in reproducing encounter the novel, complex task of caring for vulnerable offspring. Evidence from a few species of mammals indicates that mothers improve in providing for and protecting their young over successive broods. Finally, for social expertise to evolve, heritable variation in social expertise has to be positively associated with fitness. Heritable variation has been shown in traits contributing to social expertise including social attention, empathy, individual recognition and maternal care. There are currently limited data associating social expertise with fitness, most likely owing to sparse research effort. Exceptions include maternal care, signal refinement, and familiarity with neighbours and group members. Overall, there is evidence that individuals in many species keep refining their social skills with experience throughout life. Hence we propose promising lines of research that can quantify more thoroughly the development of social expertise and its effects on fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reuven Dukas
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nathan W Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Moore D, Liebig J. Innate and learned components of egg recognition in the ant Camponotus floridanus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231837. [PMID: 39100179 PMCID: PMC11295788 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Insect societies discriminate against foreigners to avoid exploitation. In ants, helper workers only accept individuals with the familiar chemical cues of their colony. Similarly, unfamiliar eggs may get rejected at their first appearance in the nest. We investigated egg acceptance mechanisms by introducing different types of foreign eggs into worker groups of the ant Camponotus floridanus. Workers from established colonies familiar with queen-laid eggs always accepted eggs from highly fecund queens, but worker-laid eggs only after exposure for several weeks. Workers naive to eggs only rejected worker-laid eggs once they had prior exposure to eggs laid by highly fecund queens, suggesting that prior exposure to such eggs is necessary for discrimination. The general acceptance of eggs from highly fecund queens, irrespective of previous worker egg exposure, suggests an innate response to the queen pheromone these eggs carry. Workers learned to accept queen-laid eggs from different species, indicating high flexibility in learning egg-recognition cues. In incipient colonies with queen-laid eggs that carry a weak queen pheromone, worker-laid eggs were more likely to get accepted than queen-laid eggs from a different species, suggesting that the similarity of egg-recognition cues between the two types of C. floridanus eggs increases acceptance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dani Moore
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287, USA
| | - Juergen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ding YE, Li Z. Termites can learn. Behav Processes 2024; 217:105012. [PMID: 38493970 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
It is generally believed that termites can't learn and are not "intelligent". This study aimed to test whether termites could have any form of memory. A Y-shaped test device with one release chamber and two identical test chambers was designed and constructed by 3D printing. A colony of damp wood termites was harvested from the wild. Worker termites were randomly selected for experiment. Repellent odors that could mimic the alarm pheromone for termites were first identified. Among all substances tested, a tea tree oil and lemon juice were found to contain repellent odors for the tested termites, as they significantly reduced the time that termites spent in the chamber treated with these substances. As control, a trail pheromone was found to be attractive. Subsequently, a second cohort of termites were operant conditioned by punishment using both tea tree oil and lemon juice, and then tested for their ability to remember the path that could lead to the repellant odors. The test device was thoroughly cleaned between trials. It was found that conditioned termites displayed a reduced tendency to choose the path that led to expectant punishment as compared with naïve termites. Thus, it is concluded that damp wood termites are capable of learning and forming "fear memory", indicative of "intelligence" in termites. This result challenges established presumption about termites' intelligence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Evan Ding
- Boston Latin School, 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
| | - Zhenghui Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tian H, Xu R, Li H, Lin S, Chen Y, Chen Y, Yang G, Wei H. Prolonged Exposure to Plant Volatiles does not Significantly Affect Pban Expression and Mating Behavior in Diamondback Moth [Plutella Xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)]. J Chem Ecol 2024; 50:18-29. [PMID: 38051449 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01462-x] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Herbivorous insects use plant volatiles to locate hosts, find food, and identify oviposition sites to aid survival and reproduction. Plant volatiles not only regulate the synthesis and release of sex pheromones in insects, but also help them in the search and orientation of sources of sex pheromones. However, after prolonged exposure to plant volatiles, the changes mediating the mating behavior of diamondback moth (DBM) [Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)] are unclear. DBMs treated with allyl isothiocyanate, a volatile from cruciferous vegetables, did not show improved rates of mating with a limited effect on mating rhythm. This treatment inhibited mating behaviors in 3-day-old DBMs and decreased mating duration in 5-day-old DBMs. After prolonged exposure to allyl isothiocyanate, the total mating duration of DBM was not significantly different from that after prolonged exposure to n-hexane (control). The longest mating duration after emergence in DBM after prolonged exposure to allyl isothiocyanate was delayed by 1 day compared with exposure to n-hexane. Prolonged exposure to plant volatiles intensified the response behavior of DBM to sex pheromones. However, the amount of Z11-16: Ald, a major component of the sex pheromone blend exhibited no change in female pheromone glands. Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide gene (PBAN) was down-regulated in DBMs after prolonged exposure to plant volatiles. These findings suggest that prolonged exposure (6 h) to plant-derived volatiles have little effect on the mating behavior of DBM. This study provides practical guidance for applying phytochemicals in pest control by regulating insect behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Houjun Tian
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Ruibin Xu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Heng Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Shuo Lin
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Yong Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, 350003, China
| | - Hui Wei
- Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 247 Wusi Road, Fuzhou, 350013, China.
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Integrated Management of Crop Pests, Fuzhou, 350013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kozielska M, Weissing FJ. A neural network model for the evolution of learning in changing environments. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011840. [PMID: 38289971 PMCID: PMC10857588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Learning from past experience is an important adaptation and theoretical models may help to understand its evolution. Many of the existing models study simple phenotypes and do not consider the mechanisms underlying learning while the more complex neural network models often make biologically unrealistic assumptions and rarely consider evolutionary questions. Here, we present a novel way of modelling learning using small neural networks and a simple, biology-inspired learning algorithm. Learning affects only part of the network, and it is governed by the difference between expectations and reality. We use this model to study the evolution of learning under various environmental conditions and different scenarios for the trade-off between exploration (learning) and exploitation (foraging). Efficient learning readily evolves in our individual-based simulations. However, in line with previous studies, the evolution of learning is less likely in relatively constant environments, where genetic adaptation alone can lead to efficient foraging, or in short-lived organisms that cannot afford to spend much of their lifetime on exploration. Once learning does evolve, the characteristics of the learning strategy (i.e. the duration of the learning period and the learning rate) and the average performance after learning are surprisingly little affected by the frequency and/or magnitude of environmental change. In contrast, an organism's lifespan and the distribution of resources in the environment have a clear effect on the evolved learning strategy: a shorter lifespan or a broader resource distribution lead to fewer learning episodes and larger learning rates. Interestingly, a longer learning period does not always lead to better performance, indicating that the evolved neural networks differ in the effectiveness of learning. Overall, however, we show that a biologically inspired, yet relatively simple, learning mechanism can evolve to lead to an efficient adaptation in a changing environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Kozielska
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Franz J. Weissing
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gowri V, Monteiro A. Acquired preferences for a novel food odor do not become stronger or stable after multiple generations of odor feeding in Bicyclus anynana butterfly larvae. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1531:84-94. [PMID: 38113288 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Many herbivorous insects have specific host-plant preferences, and it is unclear how these preferences evolved. Previously, we found that Bicyclus anynana larvae can learn to prefer novel food odors from eating leaves with those odors and transmit those learned preferences to the next generation. It is uncertain whether such acquired odor preferences can increase across generations of repeated odor feeding and be maintained even in the absence of odor. In this study, we fed larvae with novel banana odor-coated leaves (odor-fed larvae) for five consecutive generations, without selection on behavioral choices, and measured how larval innate preferences changed over time. Then, we removed the odor stimulus from a larval subgroup, while the other group continued to be odor-fed. Our results show that larvae learned to prefer the novel odor within a generation of odor feeding and transmitted the learned preference to the next generation, as previously found. Odor-fed larvae preferred odor significantly more compared to control larvae across five generations of repeated odor or control feeding. However, this led neither to increased odor preference, nor its stabilization. This suggests that when butterfly larvae feed on a new host, a preference for that novel food plant may develop and be transmitted to the next generation, but this preference lasts for a single generation and disappears once the odor stimulus is removed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Gowri
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pírez N, Klappenbach M, Locatelli FF. Experience-dependent tuning of the olfactory system. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 60:101117. [PMID: 37741614 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Insects rely on their sense of smell to navigate complex environments and make decisions regarding food and reproduction. However, in natural settings, the odors that convey this information may come mixed with environmental odors that can obscure their perception. Therefore, recognizing the presence of informative odors involves generalization and discrimination processes, which can be facilitated when there is a high contrast between stimuli, or the internal representation of the odors of interest outcompetes that of concurrent ones. The first two layers of the olfactory system, which involve the detection of odorants by olfactory receptor neurons and their encoding by the first postsynaptic partners in the antennal lobe, are critical for achieving such optimal representation. In this review, we summarize evidence indicating that experience-dependent changes adjust these two levels of the olfactory system. These changes are discussed in the context of the advantages they provide for detection of informative odors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Pírez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Klappenbach
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando F Locatelli
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Xiong YZ, Kappel C, Hagemann L, Jantzen F, Wozniak N, Sicard A, Huang SQ, Lenhard M. Testing the effect of individual scent compounds on pollinator attraction in nature using quasi-isogenic Capsella lines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16237. [PMID: 37661924 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16237] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Floral scent, usually consisting of multiple compounds, is a complex trait, and its role in pollinator attraction has received increasing attention. However, disentangling the effect of individual floral scent compounds is difficult due to the complexity of isolating the effect of single compounds by traditional methods. METHODS Using available quasi-isogenic lines (qILs) that were generated as part of the original mapping of the floral scent volatile-related loci CNL1 (benzaldehyde) and TPS2 (β-ocimene) in Capsella, we generated four genotypes that should only differ in these two compounds. Plants of the four genotypes were introduced into a common garden outside the natural range of C. rubella or C. grandiflora, with individuals of a self-compatible C. grandiflora line as pollen donors, whose different genetic background facilitates the detection of outcrossing events. Visitors to flowers of all five genotypes were compared, and the seeds set during the common-garden period were collected for high-throughput amplicon-based sequencing to estimate their outcrossing rates. RESULTS Benzaldehyde and β-ocimene emissions were detected in the floral scent of corresponding genotypes. While some pollinator groups showed specific visitation preferences depending on scent compounds, the outcrossing rates in seeds did not vary among the four scent-manipulated genotypes. CONCLUSIONS The scent-manipulated Capsella materials constructed using qILs provide a powerful system to study the ecological effects of individual floral scent compounds under largely natural environments. In Capsella, individual benzaldehyde and β-ocimene emission may act as attractants for different types of pollinators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Ze Xiong
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Luoyu Avenue 152, 430079, Wuhan, China
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Christian Kappel
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Laura Hagemann
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friederike Jantzen
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Wozniak
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Adrien Sicard
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala Biocenter, BOX 7080, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Luoyu Avenue 152, 430079, Wuhan, China
| | - Michael Lenhard
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Masagué S, Fernández PC, Devescovi F, Segura DF, De La Vega GJ, Corley JC, Villacide JM, Martínez AS. Oviposition substrate location by the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio: the combined effect of chemical cues emitted by its obligate symbiont Amylostereum areolatum and different host-tree species. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:3959-3969. [PMID: 37273195 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sirex noctilio is an invasive forest wasp that affects pines and can result in severe economic losses. The use of semiochemicals offers an opportunity to develop sensitive and specific capturing systems to mitigatenegative impacts. Previous research showed that female S. noctilio would use volatiles emitted by its fungal symbiont, Amylostereum areolatum, but little is known about how these modulate behaviour when combined with pine-wood emissions. Our aim was to understand the relevance of fungal volatiles grown on artificial media and wood from two hosts trees, Pinus contorta and Pinus ponderosa, on behavioural and electroantennographic responses of wasp females. Because background odours can modify an insect's response towards resource-indicating semiochemicals, we propose that the behaviour towards the symbiont (resource) will be modulated by host pine emissions (background odours). RESULTS Olfactometric assays showed that both host species with fungus were attractive when contrasted against air (P. contorta versus Air, χ2 = 12.19, P < 0.001; P. ponderosa versus Air, χ2 = 20.60, P < 0.001) and suggest a clear hierarchy in terms of female preferences towards the tested stimuli, with response highest towards the fungus grown on P. contorta (olfactory preference index: 5.5). Electrophysiological analyses indicate that females detect 62 volatile compounds from the tested sources. CONCLUSION Results indicate a strong synergy between symbiont and host semiochemicals, suggesting that the pine species could play a fundamental role in the interaction. Further understanding of the chemical basis of this, could guide the development of specific and attractive lures, in order to maximize attraction of wasps in surveillance programmes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Masagué
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Bariloche (INTA-CONICET), Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Patricia C Fernández
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Devescovi
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' (INTA) - Grupo Vinculado al Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego F Segura
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' (INTA) - Grupo Vinculado al Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gerardo J De La Vega
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Bariloche (INTA-CONICET), Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Juan C Corley
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Bariloche (INTA-CONICET), Río Negro, Argentina
| | - José M Villacide
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Bariloche (INTA-CONICET), Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Andrés S Martínez
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias, Bariloche (INTA-CONICET), Río Negro, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Géron C, Cuthbert RN, Hotte H, Renault D. Density-dependent predatory impacts of an invasive beetle across a subantarctic archipelago. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14456. [PMID: 37660144 PMCID: PMC10475102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41089-2] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions represent a major threat to biodiversity, especially in cold insular environments characterized by high levels of endemism and low species diversity which are heavily impacted by global warming. Terrestrial invertebrates are very responsive to environmental changes, and native terrestrial invertebrates from cold islands tend to be naive to novel predators. Therefore, understanding the relationships between predators and prey in the context of global changes is essential for the management of these areas, particularly in the case of non-native predators. Merizodus soledadinus (Guérin-Méneville, 1830) is an invasive non-native insect species present on two subantarctic archipelagos, where it has extensive distribution and increasing impacts. While the biology of M. soledadinus has recently received attention, its trophic interactions have been less examined. We investigated how characteristics of M. soledadinus, its density, as well as prey density influence its predation rate on the Kerguelen Islands where the temporal evolution of its geographic distribution is precisely known. Our results show that M. soledadinus can have high ecological impacts on insect communities when present in high densities regardless of its residence time, consistent with the observed decline of the native fauna of the Kerguelen Islands in other studies. Special attention should be paid to limiting factors enhancing its dispersal and improving biosecurity for invasive insect species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charly Géron
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19, Chlorine Gardens, BT9 5DL, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Hoël Hotte
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes, France
- Nematology Unit, Plant Health Laboratory, ANSES, Domaine de la Motte au Vicomte - BP 35327, 35650, Le Rheu, France
| | - David Renault
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes, France.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Playing to the crowd: Using Drosophila to dissect mechanisms underlying plastic male strategies in sperm competition games. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
|
13
|
Amiri A, Bandani AR. Callosobruchus
larval competition and its consequences for male and female adults. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Azam Amiri
- College of Geography and Environmental Planning University of Sistan and Baluchestan Zahedan Iran
| | - Ali R. Bandani
- Department of Plant Protection College of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Tehran Karaj Iran
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Albers J, Reichert MS. Personality affects individual variation in olfactory learning and reversal learning in the house cricket, Acheta domesticus. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
|
15
|
Tanaka Y, Hojo MK, Shimoji H. Individual experience influences reconstruction of division of labour under colony disturbance in a queenless ant species. Front Zool 2022; 19:20. [PMID: 35706054 PMCID: PMC9202139 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00466-9] [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: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Division of labour (DOL) is ubiquitous across biological hierarchies. In eusocial insects, DOL is often characterized by age-related task allocation, but workers can flexibly change their tasks, allowing for DOL reconstruction in fluctuating environments. Behavioural change driven by individual experience is regarded as a key to understanding this task flexibility. However, experimental evidence for the influence of individual experience is remains sparse. Here we tested the effect of individual experience on task choice in the queenless ponerine ant, Diacamma cf. indicum from Japan. RESULTS We confirmed that both nurses and foragers shifted to vacant tasks when the colony composition was biased to one or the other. We also found that nurses which are induced to forage readily revert to nursing when reintroduced into balanced colonies. In contrast, foragers which are induced to revert to nursing very rarely return to a foraging role, even 19 days post reintroduction to their original colony. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that individual experience decreases the response threshold of original foragers, as they continue to be specialist nurses in a disturbed colony. However, original nurses do not appear strongly affected by having forager experience and revert to being nurses. Therefore, while individual experience does have an effect, other factors, such as reproductive ability, are clearly required to understand DOL maintenance in fluctuating environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasunari Tanaka
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1330, Japan
| | - Masaru K Hojo
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1330, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Shimoji
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1330, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Adam E, Hansson BS, Knaden M. Fast Learners: One Trial Olfactory Learning in Insects. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.876596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their comparatively small brains, insects are able to survive and thrive in their environment. In the past, it was thought that insects are driven mainly by their instincts. However, today it is well established that they possess unique abilities to learn and use their experience in future decisions. Like many higher animals insects are able to acquire and retain information on when and where to forage, which mate to choose, where to lay their eggs and how to navigate in complex habitats. Learning can be surprisingly fast with only one single encounter with a suitable food source or oviposition site shaping an insect's preference for up to a lifetime. In this review, we discuss the scope and limits of insect learning, focusing in specific on olfactory learning, and we raise the question whether currently used learning paradigms in artificial lab set-ups are able to answer all ecologically relevant questions.
Collapse
|
17
|
Honda T. Optogenetic and thermogenetic manipulation of defined neural circuits and behaviors in Drosophila. Learn Mem 2022; 29:100-109. [PMID: 35332066 PMCID: PMC8973390 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053556.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neural network dynamics underlying flexible animal behaviors remain elusive. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is considered an excellent model in behavioral neuroscience because of its simple neuroanatomical architecture and the availability of various genetic methods. Moreover, Drosophila larvae's transparent body allows investigators to use optical methods on freely moving animals, broadening research directions. Activating or inhibiting well-defined events in excitable cells with a fine temporal resolution using optogenetics and thermogenetics led to the association of functions of defined neural populations with specific behavioral outputs such as the induction of associative memory. Furthermore, combining optogenetics and thermogenetics with state-of-the-art approaches, including connectome mapping and machine learning-based behavioral quantification, might provide a complete view of the experience- and time-dependent variations of behavioral responses. These methodologies allow further understanding of the functional connections between neural circuits and behaviors such as chemosensory, motivational, courtship, and feeding behaviors and sleep, learning, and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Okada K, Kumano N. Reproduction-related interactions and loads induce continuous turn alternation leading to linearity in a terrestrial isopod. Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:23. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01795-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
19
|
Avila L, Dunne E, Hofmann D, Brosi BJ. Upper-limit agricultural dietary exposure to streptomycin in the laboratory reduces learning and foraging in bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212514. [PMID: 35135346 PMCID: PMC8826297 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, the broadcast-spray application of antibiotics in US crops has increased exponentially in response to bacterial crop pathogens, but little is known about the sublethal impacts on beneficial organisms in agroecosystems. This is concerning given the key roles that microbes play in modulating insect fitness. A growing body of evidence suggests that insect gut microbiomes may play a role in learning and behaviour, which are key for the survival of pollinators and for their pollination efficacy, and which in turn could be disrupted by dietary antibiotic exposure. In the laboratory, we tested the effects of an upper-limit dietary exposure to streptomycin (200 ppm)-an antibiotic widely used to treat bacterial pathogens in crops-on bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) associative learning, foraging and stimulus avoidance behaviour. We used two operant conditioning assays: a free movement proboscis extension reflex protocol focused on short-term memory formation, and an automated radio-frequency identification tracking system focused on foraging. We show that upper-limit dietary streptomycin exposure slowed training, decreased foraging choice accuracy, increased avoidance behaviour and was associated with reduced foraging on sucrose-rewarding artificial flowers flowers. This work underscores the need to further study the impacts of antibiotic use on beneficial insects in agricultural systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Avila
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Elizabeth Dunne
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - David Hofmann
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Initiative in Theory and Modeling of Living Systems, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Berry J. Brosi
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rather PA, Herzog AE, Ernst DA, Westerman EL. Effect of experience on mating behaviour in male Heliconius melpomene butterflies. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
21
|
Muñoz-Galicia D, Castillo-Guevara C, Lara C. Innate and learnt color preferences in the common green-eyed white butterfly ( Leptophobia aripa): experimental evidence. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12567. [PMID: 34909282 PMCID: PMC8638565 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12567] [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: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Learning abilities help animals modify their behaviors based on experience and innate sensory biases to confront environmental unpredictability. In a food acquisition context, the ability to detect, learn, and switch is fundamental in a wide range of insect species facing the ever-changing availability of their floral rewards. Here, we used an experimental approach to address the innate color preferences and learning abilities of the common green-eyed white butterfly (Leptophobia aripa). Methods In Experiment 1, we conducted innate preference choice-tests to determine whether butterflies had a strong innate color preference and to evaluate whether color preferences differed depending on the array of colors offered. We faced naïve butterflies to artificial flowers of four colors (quadruple choice-test): yellow, pink, white, and red; their choices were assessed. In Experiment 2, we examined the ability of this butterfly species to associate colors with rewards while exploring if the spectral reflectance value of a flower color can slow or accelerate this behavioral response. Butterflies were first trained to be fed from artificial yellow flowers inserted in a feeder. These were later replaced by artificial flowers with a similar (blue) or very different (white) spectral reflectance range. Each preference test comprised a dual-choice test (yellow vs blue, yellow vs white). Results Butterflies showed an innate strong preference for red flowers. Both the number of visits and the time spent probing these flowers were much greater than the pink, white, and yellow color flowers. Butterflies learn to associate colors with sugar rewards. They then learned the newly rewarded colors as quickly and proficiently as if the previously rewarded color was similar in spectral reflectance value; the opposite occurs if the newly rewarded color is very different than the previously rewarded color. Conclusions Our findings suggest that common green-eyed white butterflies have good learning abilities. These capabilities may allow them to respond rapidly to different color stimulus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deysi Muñoz-Galicia
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Citlalli Castillo-Guevara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Carlos Lara
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, San Felipe, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Jeavons E, Chevrie O, Le Lann C, Renault D, Floch M, Bourgeois T, Bodiguel R, Fontaine‐Breton T, van Baaren J. Exploitative competition for floral resources reduces sugar intake but differently impacts the foraging behaviour of two non‐bee flower visitors. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Jeavons
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
- Laboratoire de Biologie Végétale Yves Rocher, La Croix des Archers La Gacilly France
| | - Ondine Chevrie
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Cécile Le Lann
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - David Renault
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
- Inst. Univ. de France Paris France
| | - Maëva Floch
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Thomas Bourgeois
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Rémi Bodiguel
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Thierry Fontaine‐Breton
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| | - Joan van Baaren
- Univ. of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution) – UMR 6553 Rennes France
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Borstel KJ, Stevenson PA. Individual Scores for Associative Learning in a Differential Appetitive Olfactory Paradigm Using Binary Logistic Regression Analysis. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:741439. [PMID: 34650412 PMCID: PMC8505765 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.741439] [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] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous invertebrates have contributed to our understanding of the biology of learning and memory. In most cases, learning performance is documented for groups of individuals, and nearly always based on a single, typically binary, behavioural metric for a conditioned response. This is unfortunate for several reasons. Foremost, it has become increasingly apparent that invertebrates exhibit inter-individual differences in many aspects of their behaviour, and also that the conditioned response probability for an animal group does not adequately represent the behaviour of individuals in classical conditioning. Furthermore, a binary response character cannot yield a graded score for each individual. We also hypothesise that due to the complexity of a conditioned response, a single metric need not reveal an individual's full learning potential. In this paper, we report individual learning scores for freely moving adult male crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) based on a multi-factorial analysis of a conditioned response. First, in an absolute conditioning paradigm, we video-tracked the odour responses of animals that, in previous training, received either odour plus reward (sugar water), reward alone, or odour alone to identify behavioural predictors of a conditioned response. Measures of these predictors were then analysed using binary regression analysis to construct a variety of mathematical models that give a probability for each individual that it exhibited a conditioned response (Presp). Using standard procedures to compare model accuracy, we identified the strongest model which could reliably discriminate between the different odour responses. Finally, in a differential appetitive olfactory paradigm, we employed the model after training to calculate the Presp of animals to a conditioned, and to an unconditioned odour, and from the difference a learning index for each animal. Comparing the results from our multi-factor model with a single metric analysis (head bobbing in response to a conditioned odour), revealed advantageous aspects of the model. A broad distribution of model-learning scores, with modes at low and high values, support the notion of a high degree of variation in learning capacity, which we discuss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim J Borstel
- Department of Physiology of Animals and Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paul A Stevenson
- Department of Physiology of Animals and Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Backus EA, Shugart HJ, Gutierrez J, Ebert TA, Walker MA. Field-Collected Glassy-Winged Sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Perform More Xylella fastidiosa-Inoculating Behaviors on Susceptible Vitis vinifera cv. 'Chardonnay' Than on Resistant Vitis champinii Grapevines. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:1991-2008. [PMID: 34494096 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae), is an introduced vector of the xylem-dwelling bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae) in California. Once acquired, X. fastidiosa colonizes the functional foregut of the vector. Bacteria can be inoculated directly into grapevine xylem during the xylem cell acceptance process in sharpshooter stylet probing, represented by the X wave using electropenetrography (EPG). Since 2001, an effort has been underway to develop PD-resistant grapevines, Vitis vinifera L., through classical breeding of various species of resistant wild grapevines with more susceptible V. vinifera. The present study used EPG to compare H. vitripennis stylet probing behaviors in a factorial experiment between V. champinii (a V. candicans/V. rupestris natural hybrid with moderate trichomes) and V. vinifera cv. 'Chardonnay' (which lacks trichomes) that had been gently scraped to remove trichomes or was not scraped. Results showed that sharpshooters performed significantly more X waves/X. fastidiosa inoculation behaviors of overall longer duration on Chardonnay than on V. champinii, regardless of shaving or not-shaving to remove trichomes. In addition, trichomes caused more frequent standing/walking/test-probing behaviors on V. champinii, whose xylem was rapidly accepted for sharpshooter ingestion once probing began. Thus, EPG can detect a novel type of grapevine resistance to X. fastidiosa-to the vector's probing process and inoculation of bacteria-in addition to the bacterial infection and symptom development processes that are the basis for most resistance breeding today. Future research could use EPG to screen grapevines for this novel type of resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine A Backus
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Parlier, CA, USA
| | - Holly J Shugart
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Parlier, CA, USA
- Present Address: Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jose Gutierrez
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA, USA
- Present Address: Nichino America, Inc., Fresno, CA, USA
| | - Timothy A Ebert
- Department of Entomology, University of Florida, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL, USA
| | - M Andrew Walker
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, One Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Nieberding CM, Marcantonio M, Voda R, Enriquez T, Visser B. The Evolutionary Relevance of Social Learning and Transmission in Non-Social Arthropods with a Focus on Oviposition-Related Behaviors. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101466. [PMID: 34680861 PMCID: PMC8536077 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on social learning has centered around vertebrates, but evidence is accumulating that small-brained, non-social arthropods also learn from others. Social learning can lead to social inheritance when socially acquired behaviors are transmitted to subsequent generations. Using oviposition site selection, a critical behavior for most arthropods, as an example, we first highlight the complementarities between social and classical genetic inheritance. We then discuss the relevance of studying social learning and transmission in non-social arthropods and document known cases in the literature, including examples of social learning from con- and hetero-specifics. We further highlight under which conditions social learning can be adaptive or not. We conclude that non-social arthropods and the study of oviposition behavior offer unparalleled opportunities to unravel the importance of social learning and inheritance for animal evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Matteo Marcantonio
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Raluca Voda
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kashetsky T, Avgar T, Dukas R. The Cognitive Ecology of Animal Movement: Evidence From Birds and Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.724887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition, defined as the processes concerned with the acquisition, retention and use of information, underlies animals’ abilities to navigate their local surroundings, embark on long-distance seasonal migrations, and socially learn information relevant to movement. Hence, in order to fully understand and predict animal movement, researchers must know the cognitive mechanisms that generate such movement. Work on a few model systems indicates that most animals possess excellent spatial learning and memory abilities, meaning that they can acquire and later recall information about distances and directions among relevant objects. Similarly, field work on several species has revealed some of the mechanisms that enable them to navigate over distances of up to several thousand kilometers. Key behaviors related to movement such as the choice of nest location, home range location and migration route are often affected by parents and other conspecifics. In some species, such social influence leads to the formation of aggregations, which in turn may lead to further social learning about food locations or other resources. Throughout the review, we note a variety of topics at the interface of cognition and movement that invite further investigation. These include the use of social information embedded in trails, the likely important roles of soundscapes and smellscapes, the mechanisms that large mammals rely on for long-distance migration, and the effects of expertise acquired over extended periods.
Collapse
|
27
|
Wada-Katsumata A, Schal C. Olfactory Learning Supports an Adaptive Sugar-Aversion Gustatory Phenotype in the German Cockroach. INSECTS 2021; 12:724. [PMID: 34442290 PMCID: PMC8397102 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
An association of food sources with odors prominently guides foraging behavior in animals. To understand the interaction of olfactory memory and food preferences, we used glucose-averse (GA) German cockroaches. Multiple populations of cockroaches evolved a gustatory polymorphism where glucose is perceived as a deterrent and enables GA cockroaches to avoid eating glucose-containing toxic baits. Comparative behavioral analysis using an operant conditioning paradigm revealed that learning and memory guide foraging decisions. Cockroaches learned to associate specific food odors with fructose (phagostimulant, reward) within only a 1 h conditioning session, and with caffeine (deterrent, punishment) after only three 1 h conditioning sessions. Glucose acted as reward in wild type (WT) cockroaches, but GA cockroaches learned to avoid an innately attractive odor that was associated with glucose. Olfactory memory was retained for at least 3 days after three 1 h conditioning sessions. Our results reveal that specific tastants can serve as potent reward or punishment in olfactory associative learning, which reinforces gustatory food preferences. Olfactory learning, therefore, reinforces behavioral resistance of GA cockroaches to sugar-containing toxic baits. Cockroaches may also generalize their olfactory learning to baits that contain the same or similar attractive odors even if they do not contain glucose.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Wada-Katsumata
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Muth F. Intra-specific differences in cognition: bumblebee queens learn better than workers. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210280. [PMID: 34376073 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species' cognitive traits are shaped by their ecology, and even within a species, cognition can reflect the behavioural requirements of individuals with different roles. Social insects have a number of discrete roles (castes) within a colony and thus offer a useful system to determine how ecological requirements shape cognition. Bumblebee queens are a critical point in the lifecycle of their colony, since its future success is reliant on a single individual's ability to learn about floral stimuli while finding a suitable nest site; thus, one might expect particularly adept learning capabilities at this stage. I compared wild Bombus vosnesenskii queens and workers on their ability to learn a colour association and found that queens performed better than workers. In addition, queens of another species, B. insularis, a cuckoo species with a different lifecycle but similar requirements at this stage, performed equally well as the non-parasitic queens. To control for differences in foraging experience, I then repeated this comparison with laboratory-based B. impatiens and found that unmated queens performed better than workers. These results add to the body of work on how ecology shapes cognition and opens the door to further research in comparative cognition using wild bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Muth
- Departmnet of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Toh YP, Dion E, Monteiro A. Dissections of Larval, Pupal and Adult Butterfly Brains for Immunostaining and Molecular Analysis. Methods Protoc 2021; 4:53. [PMID: 34449688 PMCID: PMC8395752 DOI: 10.3390/mps4030053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Butterflies possess impressive cognitive abilities, and investigations into the neural mechanisms underlying these abilities are increasingly being conducted. Exploring butterfly neurobiology may require the isolation of larval, pupal, and/or adult brains for further molecular and histological experiments. This procedure has been largely described in the fruit fly, but a detailed description of butterfly brain dissections is still lacking. Here, we provide a detailed written and video protocol for the removal of Bicyclus anynana adult, pupal, and larval brains. This species is gradually becoming a popular model because it uses a large set of sensory modalities, displays plastic and hormonally controlled courtship behaviour, and learns visual mate preference and olfactory preferences that can be passed on to its offspring. The extracted brain can be used for downstream analyses, such as immunostaining, DNA or RNA extraction, and the procedure can be easily adapted to other lepidopteran species and life stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Peng Toh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Emilie Dion
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
- Yale-NUS College, 10 College Avenue West, Singapore 138609, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Evans LJ, Smith KE, Raine NE. Odour Learning Bees Have Longer Foraging Careers Than Non-learners in a Natural Environment. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual animals allowed the opportunity to learn generally outperform those prevented from learning, yet, within a species the capacity for learning varies markedly. The evolutionary processes that maintain this variation in learning ability are not yet well understood. Several studies demonstrate links between fitness traits and visual learning, but the selection pressures operating on cognitive traits are likely influenced by multiple sensory modalities. In addition to vision, most animals will use a combination of hearing, olfaction (smell), gustation (taste), and touch to gain information about their environment. Some animals demonstrate individual preference for, or enhanced learning performance using certain senses in relation to particular aspects of their behaviour (e.g., foraging), whereas conspecific individuals may show different preferences. By assessing fitness traits in relation to different sensory modalities we will strengthen our understanding of factors driving observed variation in learning ability. We assessed the relationship between the olfactory learning ability of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) and their foraging performance in their natural environment. We found that bees which failed to learn this odour-reward association had shorter foraging careers; foraging for fewer days and thus provisioning their colonies with fewer resources. This was not due to a reduced propensity to forage, but may have been due to a reduced ability to return to their colony. When comparing among only individuals that did learn, we found that the rate at which floral resources were collected was similar, regardless of how they performed in the olfactory learning task. Our results demonstrate that an ability to learn olfactory cues can have a positive impact of the foraging performance of B. terrestris in a natural environment, but echo findings of earlier studies on visual learning, which suggest that enhanced learning is not necessarily beneficial for bee foragers provisioning their colony.
Collapse
|
31
|
Kandori I, Fukada S, Kurosaki T, Yokoi T, Papaj DR. Comparison of color‐learning rates among eight species of three insect orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera). Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo Kandori
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukada
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kurosaki
- Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Kindai University Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba Japan
| | - Daniel R. Papaj
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Cordero-Rivera A, Roucourt Cezário R, Guillermo–Ferreira R, Marques Lopez V, Sanmartín–Villar I. Can scientific laws be discussed on philosophical grounds? a reply to naïve arguments on ‘predators’ proposed by Bramble (2021). ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.32800/abc.2021.44.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A recent paper by Bramble (2021) argues that given that predators inflict pain and fear on their prey we have the moral right to act to minimize these effects. The author proposes two alternatives. The first is to transform predators by ‘genetically modifying them so that their offspring gradually evolve into herbivores’. The second is simply ‘painlessly killing predators’, which is the title of Bramble’s essay. We address the misconceptions that Bramble uses as central in his arguments and present scientific reasoning to discuss the ethical implications of disregarding scientific knowledge when addressing animal welfare and animal rights. We conclude that both Bramble’s alternatives are nonsensical, not only from a scientific point of view, but also, and more importantly, from ethical grounds.
Collapse
|
33
|
Silva R, Clarke AR. Aversive responses of Queensland fruit flies towards larval-infested fruits are modified by fruit quality and prior experience. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 131:104231. [PMID: 33798503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For frugivorous fruit flies, the decision whether to accept or reject a host fruit for oviposition is influenced by a variety of fruit quality factors. Additionally, ovipositing flies may be influenced by the presence of eggs or larvae already within the host fruit. Species of the genus Bactrocera have been shown to avoid ovipositing into larval-infested fruits. However, the observed oviposition aversion in Bactrocera is variable, with some studies showing that deterrence to infested fruits may not always occur, but what may influence such variation is unknown. Using the polyphagous fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), we tested if the quality of host fruit for offspring survival was a factor in influencing a female fly's decision whether to oviposit or not into larval-infested fruits. In both small cages and field cages, ovipositing B. tryoni did not discriminate between infested and non-infested high-quality fruits. However, when given a choice between poor-quality infested and non-infested fruits, significantly more flies selected and oviposited in non-infested fruits. For example, B. tryoni did not discriminate between infested and non-infested guava (a fruit in which there is high offspring survival), but more flies selected and oviposited on non-infested than on infested green apples (a fruit in which there is poor offspring survival). Small cage experiments also showed that prior oviposition experience on a larval-infested host negated the previously observed aversive response for that particular infested host fruit. The results are discussed in the light of a long recognised, but often ignored fact that herbivore host choice is about the sum of both the positive and negative cues received from the host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rehan Silva
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane City, Queensland 4001, Australia.
| | - Anthony R Clarke
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane City, Queensland 4001, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abrun P, Ashouri A, Duplouy A, Farahani HK. Wolbachia impairs post-eclosion host preference in a parasitoid wasp. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2021; 108:13. [PMID: 33760987 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01727-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Host preference behavior can result in adaptive advantages with important consequences for the fitness of individuals. Hopkin's host-selection principle (HHSP) suggests that organisms at higher trophic levels demonstrate a preference for the host species on which they developed during their own larval stage. Although investigated in many herbivorous and predatory insects, the HHSP has, to our knowledge, never been tested in the context of insects hosting selfish endosymbiotic passengers. Here, we investigated the effect of infection with the facultative bacterial symbiont Wolbachia on post-eclosion host preference in the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). We compared host preference in Wolbachia-infected individuals and uninfected adult female parasitoids after rearing them on two different Lepidopteran hosts, namely the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) or the grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in choice and no choice experimental design (n = 120 wasps per each choice/no choice experiments). We showed that in T. brassicae, Wolbachia affects the post-eclosion host preference of female wasps. Wolbachia-infected wasps did not show any host preference and more frequently switched hosts in the laboratory, while uninfected wasps significantly preferred to lay eggs on the host species they developed on. Additionally, Wolbachia significantly improved the emergence rate of infected wasps when reared on new hosts. Altogether, our results revealed that the wasp's infection with Wolbachia may lead to impairment of post-eclosion host preference and facilitates growing up on different host species. The impairment of host preference by Wolbachia may allow T. brassicae to shift between hosts, a behavior that might have important evolutionary consequences for the wasp and its symbiont.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pouria Abrun
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ashouri
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Anne Duplouy
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Bertoldi V, Rondoni G, Peri E, Conti E, Brodeur J. Learning can be detrimental for a parasitic wasp. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0238336. [PMID: 33755694 PMCID: PMC7987188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals have evolved the capacity to learn, and the conventional view is that learning allows individuals to improve foraging decisions. The parasitoid Telenomus podisi has been shown to parasitize eggs of the exotic stink bug Halyomorpha halys at the same rate as eggs of its coevolved host, Podisus maculiventris, but the parasitoid cannot complete its development in the exotic species. We hypothesized that T. podisi learns to exploit cues from this non-coevolved species, thereby increasing unsuccessful parasitism rates. We conducted bioassays to compare the responses of naïve vs. experienced parasitoids on chemical footprints left by one of the two host species. Both naïve and experienced females showed a higher response to footprints of P. maculiventris than of H. halys. Furthermore, parasitoids that gained an experience on H. halys significantly increased their residence time within the arena and the frequency of re-encounter with the area contaminated by chemical cues. Hence, our study describes detrimental learning where a parasitoid learns to associate chemical cues from an unsuitable host, potentially re-enforcing a reproductive cul-de-sac (evolutionary trap). Maladaptive learning in the T. podisi-H. halys association could have consequences for population dynamics of sympatric native and exotic host species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Bertoldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Rondoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Ezio Peri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Eric Conti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Jacques Brodeur
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mora-Castro R, Alfaro-Córdoba M, Hernández-Jiménez M, Fernández Otárola M, Méndez-Rivera M, Ramírez-Morales D, Rodríguez-Rodríguez CE, Durán-Rodríguez A, Hanson PE. First evidence for an aposematic function of a very common color pattern in small insects. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0237288. [PMID: 33571212 PMCID: PMC7877781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many small parasitoid wasps have a black head, an orange mesosoma and a black metasoma (BOB color pattern), which is usually present in both sexes. A likely function of this widespread pattern is aposematic (warning) coloration, but this has never been investigated. To test this hypothesis, we presented spider predators (Lyssomanes jemineus), both field-captured and bred in captivity from eggs, to four wasp genera (Baryconus, Chromoteleia, Macroteleia and Scelio), each genus being represented by a BOB morphospecies and black morphospecies. We also used false prey, consisting of lures made of painted rice grains. Behavioral responses were analyzed with respect to presence or absence of the BOB pattern. In order to better understand the results obtained, two additional studies were performed. First, the reflection spectrum of the cuticle of the wasp and a theoretical visual sensibility of the spider were used to calculate a parameter we called "absorption contrast" that allows comparing the perception contrast between black and orange in each wasp genus as viewed by the spider. Second, acute toxicity trials with the water flea, Daphnia magna, were performed to determine toxicity differences between BOB and non-BOB wasps. At least some of the results suggest that the BOB color pattern may possibly play an aposematic role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Mora-Castro
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Biología, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- * E-mail:
| | - Marcela Alfaro-Córdoba
- Centro de Investigación en Matemática Pura y Aplicada, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Estadística, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Marcela Hernández-Jiménez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Física, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mauricio Fernández Otárola
- Escuela de Biología, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (CIBET), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Michael Méndez-Rivera
- Centro de Investigación en Contaminación Ambiental (CICA), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Didier Ramírez-Morales
- Centro de Investigación en Contaminación Ambiental (CICA), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Paul E. Hanson
- Escuela de Biología, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Collado MÁ, Menzel R, Sol D, Bartomeus I. Innovation in solitary bees is driven by exploration, shyness and activity levels. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb232058. [PMID: 33443044 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural innovation and problem solving are widely considered to be important mechanisms by which animals respond to novel environmental challenges, including those induced by human activities. Despite their functional and ecological relevance, much of our current understanding of these processes comes from studies in vertebrates. Understanding of these processes in invertebrates has lagged behind partly because they are not perceived to have the cognitive machinery required. This perception is, however, challenged by recent evidence demonstrating sophisticated cognitive capabilities in insects despite their small brains. Here, we studied innovation, defined as the capacity to solve a new task, of a solitary bee (Osmia cornuta) in the laboratory by exposing naive individuals to an obstacle removal task. We also studied the underlying cognitive and non-cognitive mechanisms through a battery of experimental tests designed to measure associative learning, exploration, shyness and activity levels. We found that solitary bees can innovate, with 11 of 29 individuals (38%) being able to solve a new task consisting of lifting a lid to reach a reward. However, the propensity to innovate was uncorrelated with the measured learning capacity, but increased with exploration, boldness and activity. These results provide solid evidence that non-social insects can solve new tasks, and highlight the importance of interpreting innovation in the light of non-cognitive processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Collado
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
| | - Randolf Menzel
- Freire Universität Berlin, Institut für Biologie - Neurobiologie, Königin-Luise-Str. 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Sol
- CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
- CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ellis AG, Anderson B, Kemp JE. Geographic Mosaics of Fly Pollinators With Divergent Color Preferences Drive Landscape-Scale Structuring of Flower Color in Daisy Communities. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:617761. [PMID: 33597961 PMCID: PMC7882612 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.617761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The striking variation in flower color across and within Angiosperm species is often attributed to divergent selection resulting from geographic mosaics of pollinators with different color preferences. Despite the importance of pollinator mosaics in driving floral divergence, the distributions of pollinators and their color preferences are seldom quantified. The extensive mass-flowering displays of annual daisy species in Namaqualand, South Africa, are characterized by striking color convergence within communities, but also color turnover within species and genera across large geographic scales. We aimed to determine whether shifts between orange and white-flowered daisy communities are driven by the innate color preferences of different pollinators or by soil color, which can potentially affect the detectability of different colored flowers. Different bee-fly pollinators dominated in both community types so that largely non-overlapping pollinator distributions were strongly associated with different flower colors. Visual modeling demonstrated that orange and white-flowered species are distinguishable in fly vision, and choice experiments demonstrated strongly divergent color preferences. We found that the dominant pollinator in orange communities has a strong spontaneous preference for orange flowers, which was not altered by conditioning. Similarly, the dominant pollinator in white communities exhibited an innate preference for white flowers. Although detectability of white flowers varied across soil types, background contrast did not alter color preferences. These findings demonstrate that landscape-level flower color turnover across Namaqua daisy communities is likely shaped by a strong qualitative geographic mosaic of bee-fly pollinators with divergent color preferences. This is an unexpected result given the classically generalist pollination phenotype of daisies. However, because of the dominance of single fly pollinator species within communities, and the virtual absence of bees as pollinators, we suggest that Namaqua daisies function as pollination specialists despite their generalist phenotypes, thus facilitating differentiation of flower color by pollinator shifts across the fly pollinator mosaic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allan G. Ellis
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Jumping spiders: An exceptional group for comparative cognition studies. Learn Behav 2021; 49:276-291. [PMID: 33443650 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-020-00445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of cognition in animals. Broadly, these hypotheses fall under two categories: those that pertain to the selective pressures exerted either by sociality or by the ecological niche in which animals live. We review these ideas and then discuss why the highly visual jumping spiders (Salticidae) are excellent models for investigating how cognitive ability evolves. With few exceptions, these behaviorally complex spiders are non-social, making them ideal candidates to explore ideas pertaining to selection based on habitat complexity and selection based on predatory behavior (foraging niche hypotheses). With the exception of Antarctica, salticids are found in all habitats on Earth, ranging from very complex to barren and simple. While many species are generalist predators, a minority also have specialized predatory behavior and prey specialization on dangerous prey, which has been proposed as an explanation for advanced cognitive ability. As this large group has a diversity of habitats in which it lives, diverse predatory behavior, as well as some "social" species, we argue that salticids are ideal candidates for comparative studies to explore the myriad selection factors acting upon a group well known for their cognitive prowess, despite having miniature brains.
Collapse
|
40
|
Schausberger P, Çekin D, Litin A. Learned predators enhance biological control via organizational upward and trophic top-down cascades. J Appl Ecol 2021; 58:158-166. [PMID: 33536685 PMCID: PMC7839590 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Learning is a behavioural change based on memory of previous experiences and a ubiquitous phenomenon in animals. Learning effects are commonly life-stage- and age-specific. In many animals, early life experiences lead to pervasive and persistent behavioural changes.There is broad consensus that learning has far-reaching implications to biological control. Proximate and ultimate factors of individual learning by parasitoids and true predators are relatively well understood, yet the consequences of learning to higher organizational levels, populations and communities, and top-down trophic cascades are unexplored.We addressed this issue using a tri-trophic system consisting of predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii, Western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and whole common bean plants, Phaseolus vulgaris. F. occidentalis are notorious horticultural pests that are difficult to control. Therefore, practitioners have much to gain by optimizing biological control of thrips.Previous studies have shown that early life experience of thrips by A. swirskii improves foraging on thrips later in life due to decreased prey recognition times and increased predation rates, together enhancing predator fecundity. Here, we hypothesized that early learning by A. swirskii enhances biological control of thrips via immediate and cascading effects. We predicted that release of thrips-experienced predators enhances predator population growth and thrips suppression and reduces plant damage as compared to release of thrips-naïve predators.The behavioural changes brought about by early learning cascaded up to the population and community levels. Thrips-experienced predators caused favourable immediate and cascading effects that could not be compensated for in populations founded by thrips-naïve predators. Populations founded by thrips-experienced predators grew faster, reached higher abundances, were more efficacious in suppressing an emerging thrips population and kept plant damage at lower levels than populations founded by thrips-naïve predators. Plant fecundity correlated negatively with thrips abundance and positively with predatory mite abundance. Improved biological control was mainly due to thrips-experienced founders providing for a head-start in predator population growth and thrips suppression. Synthesis and applications. Our study suggests that learned natural enemies have high potential to optimize augmentative biological control on a larger scale due to favourably modulating organizational upward and trophic top-down cascades.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schausberger
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Group of Arthropod Ecology and BehaviorDepartment of Crop SciencesUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Demet Çekin
- Group of Arthropod Ecology and BehaviorDepartment of Crop SciencesUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Alena Litin
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Matthey-Doret R, Draghi JA, Whitlock MC. Plasticity via feedback reduces the cost of developmental instability. Evol Lett 2020; 4:570-580. [PMID: 33312691 PMCID: PMC7719546 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Costs of plasticity are thought to have important physiological and evolutionary consequences. A commonly predicted cost to plasticity is that plastic genotypes are likely to suffer from developmental instability. Adaptive plasticity requires that the developing organism can in some way sense what environment it is in or how well it is performing in that environment. These two information pathways—an “environmental signal” or a “performance signal” that indicates how well a developing phenotype matches the optimum in the current environment—can differ in their consequences for the organism and its evolution. Here, we consider how developmental instability might emerge as a side‐effect of these two distinct mechanisms. Because a performance cue allows a regulatory feedback loop connecting a trait to a feedback signal, we hypothesized that plastic genotypes using a performance signal would be more developmentally robust compared to those using a purely environmental signal. Using a numerical model of a network of gene interactions, we show that plasticity comes at a cost of developmental instability when the plastic response is mediated via an environmental signal, but not when it is mediated via a performance signal. We also show that a performance signal mechanism can evolve even in a constant environment, leading to genotypes preadapted for plasticity to novel environments even in populations without a history of environmental heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Remi Matthey-Doret
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Universität Bern Bern 3012 Switzerland.,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061
| | - Jeremy A Draghi
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia 24061
| | - Michael C Whitlock
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Zambre AM, Khandekar A, Sanap R, O'Brien C, Snell-Rood EC, Thaker M. Asymmetric interspecific competition drives shifts in signalling traits in fan-throated lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202141. [PMID: 33290678 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition can occur when species are unable to distinguish between conspecific and heterospecific mates or competitors when they occur in sympatry. Selection in response to interspecific competition can lead to shifts in signalling traits-a process called agonistic character displacement. In two fan-throated lizard species-Sitana laticeps and Sarada darwini-females are morphologically indistinguishable and male agonistic signalling behaviour is similar. Consequently, in areas where these species overlap, males engage in interspecific aggressive interactions. To test whether interspecific male aggression between Si. laticeps and Sa. darwini results in agonistic character displacement, we quantified species recognition and signalling behaviour using staged encounter assays with both conspecifics and heterospecifics across sympatric and allopatric populations of both species. We found an asymmetric pattern, wherein males of Si. laticeps but not Sa. darwini showed differences in competitor recognition and agonistic signalling traits (morphology and behaviour) in sympatry compared with allopatry. This asymmetric shift in traits is probably due to differences in competitive abilities between species and can minimize competitive interactions in zones of sympatry. Overall, our results support agonistic character displacement, and highlight the role of asymmetric interspecific competition in driving shifts in social signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amod M Zambre
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Akshay Khandekar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rajesh Sanap
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Clairissa O'Brien
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Emilie C Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Anton S, Rössler W. Plasticity and modulation of olfactory circuits in insects. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 383:149-164. [PMID: 33275182 PMCID: PMC7873004 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory circuits change structurally and physiologically during development and adult life. This allows insects to respond to olfactory cues in an appropriate and adaptive way according to their physiological and behavioral state, and to adapt to their specific abiotic and biotic natural environment. We highlight here findings on olfactory plasticity and modulation in various model and non-model insects with an emphasis on moths and social Hymenoptera. Different categories of plasticity occur in the olfactory systems of insects. One type relates to the reproductive or feeding state, as well as to adult age. Another type of plasticity is context-dependent and includes influences of the immediate sensory and abiotic environment, but also environmental conditions during postembryonic development, periods of adult behavioral maturation, and short- and long-term sensory experience. Finally, plasticity in olfactory circuits is linked to associative learning and memory formation. The vast majority of the available literature summarized here deals with plasticity in primary and secondary olfactory brain centers, but also peripheral modulation is treated. The described molecular, physiological, and structural neuronal changes occur under the influence of neuromodulators such as biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and hormones, but the mechanisms through which they act are only beginning to be analyzed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Anton
- IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes, INRAE, 49045, Angers, France.
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Dhar G, Bag J, Mishra M. Environmental cue affects the hearing-related behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster by targeting the redox pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:32899-32912. [PMID: 32524398 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09141-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Environmental cues like noise, pressure, and circadian rhythm can affect the hearing ability of human beings. Nevertheless, the complex physiology of the human being does not allow us to understand how these factors can affect hearing and hearing-related behaviors. Conversely, these effects can be easily checked using the hearing organ of Drosophila melanogaster, the Johnston organ. In the current study, the Drosophila was exposed to challenging environments like noise, low pressure, and altered circadian rhythm. The hearing organ of larvae, as well as adults, was analyzed for hearing-related defects. In the third instar larva, the cell deaths were detected in the antenna imaginal disc, the precursor of Johnston's organ. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes were also detected in the adult antennae of environmentally challenged flies. The ultrastructure of the antennae suggests the presence of abundant mitochondria in the scolopidia of control. Fewer amounts of mitochondria are found in the environmentally challenged adult antennae. In adults, various hearing-related behaviors were analyzed as a readout of functionality of the hearing organ. Analysis of climbing, aggressive, and courtship behaviors suggests abnormal behavior in environmentally challenged flies than the control. The current study suggests that the environmental cues can alter hearing-related behaviors in Drosophila. The methods used in this study can be used to monitor the environmental pollution or to study the effect of alteration of noise, pressure, and circadian rhythm on hearing-related behaviors taking Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Graphical abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gyanaseni Dhar
- Department of Life Science, Neural Developmental Biology Lab, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Janmejaya Bag
- Department of Life Science, Neural Developmental Biology Lab, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India
| | - Monalisa Mishra
- Department of Life Science, Neural Developmental Biology Lab, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
The Combined Effects of Varroa destructor Parasitism and Exposure to Neonicotinoids Affects Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera L.) Memory and Gene Expression. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9090237. [PMID: 32825259 PMCID: PMC7565275 DOI: 10.3390/biology9090237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are exposed biotic and abiotic stressors but little is known about their combined effect and impact on neural processes such as learning and memory, which could affect behaviours that are important for individual and colony survival. This study measured memory with the proboscis extension response (PER) assay as well as the expression of neural genes in bees chronically exposed to three different sublethal doses of the insecticide clothianidin and/or the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. The proportion of bees that positively responded to PER at 24 and 48 h post-training (hpt) was significantly reduced when exposed to clothianidin. V. destructor parasitism reduced the proportion of bees that responded to PER at 48 hpt. Combined effects between the lowest clothianidin dose and V. destructor for the proportion of bees that responded to PER were found at 24 hpt. Clothianidin, V. destructor and their combination differentially affected the expression of the neural-related genes, AmNrx-1 (neurexin), AmNlg-1 (neuroligin), and AmAChE-2 (acetylcholinesterase). Different doses of clothianidin down-regulated or up-regulated the genes, whereas V. destructor tended to have a down-regulatory effect. It appears that clothianidin and V. destructor affected neural processes in honey bees through different mechanisms.
Collapse
|
46
|
Saar M, Hershkovitz D, Amano O, Bega D, Subach A, Scharf I. The effect of food preference, landmarks, and maze shift on maze-solving time in desert ants. BEHAVIOUR 2020. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
We studied how food type and available landmarks affect spatial learning in the ant Cataglyphis niger while searching for food in a maze. We expected the ants to solve the maze faster with consecutive runs, when the preferred food type is offered, and in the presence of landmarks. Ants should also solve the maze more slowly following a mirror-route switch in the maze. As expected, maze-solving improved when searching for a preferred food type than a less preferred one, as determined in a separate food preference experiment. In contrast, adding landmarks to the maze had only little effect on maze-solving and the number of searching workers. Switching the route to a mirror-imaged route in the maze delayed maze-solving and required more workers to search for food. Our findings extend the knowledge on the ants’ learning abilities and demonstrate how foragers detect food faster when offered a high-ranking food item.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maya Saar
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dar Hershkovitz
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Orin Amano
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Darar Bega
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aziz Subach
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Dore AA, Bretman A, Chapman T. Fitness consequences of redundant cues of competition in male Drosophila melanogaster. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5517-5526. [PMID: 32607171 PMCID: PMC7319233 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can allow animals to adapt their behavior, such as their mating effort, to their social and sexual environment. However, this relies on the individual receiving accurate and reliable cues of the environmental conditions. This can be achieved via the receipt of multimodal cues, which may provide redundancy and robustness. Male Drosophila melanogaster detect presence of rivals via combinations of any two or more redundant cue components (sound, smell, and touch) and respond by extending their subsequent mating duration, which is associated with higher reproductive success. Although alternative combinations of cues of rival presence have previously been found to elicit equivalent increases in mating duration and offspring production, their redundancy in securing success under sperm competition has not previously been tested. Here, we explicitly test this by exposing male D. melanogaster to alternative combinations of rival cues, and examine reproductive success in both the presence and absence of sperm competition. The results supported previous findings of redundancy of cues in terms of behavioral responses. However, there was no evidence of reproductive benefits accrued by extending mating duration in response to rivals. The lack of identifiable fitness benefits of longer mating under these conditions, both in the presence and absence of sperm competition, contrasted with some previous results, but could be explained by (a) damage sustained from aggressive interactions with rivals leading to reduced ability to increase ejaculate investment, (b) presence of features of the social environment, such as male and female mating status, that obscured the fitness benefits of longer mating, and (c) decoupling of behavioral investment with fitness benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice A. Dore
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Yossen MB, Buteler M, Lozada M. Foraging experience modulates response to aversive odour cues in social wasps. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
|
49
|
Belenioti M, Chaniotakis N. Aggressive Behaviour of Drosophila suzukii in Relation to Environmental and Social Factors. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7898. [PMID: 32398716 PMCID: PMC7217943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64941-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression plays a crucial role in survival all across the animal kingdom. In this study, we investigate the aggressive behaviour of Drosophila suzukii, a known agricultural pest. Bioassays were performed between same sex pairs and the effect of environmental (food deprivation, sex, age and photophase) and social factors (non-social and social). Initially the inter-male and inter-female aggression was determined ethologically consisting of several behaviour patterns. Two hours starvation period increase locomotor activity of flies, promoting increased aggressive behaviour. Most of the behavioural patterns were common between males and females with a few sex-selective. Number of male encounters was higher in flies held in isolation than in those that had been reared with siblings whereas in case of females, only those that were isolated exhibited increased aggression. Females and males D. suzukii that were 4-day-old were more aggressive. In addition it is found that on the 3rd hour after the beginning of photophase, regardless of age, both males and females rise to high intensity aggression patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Belenioti
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Chaniotakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Bell K, Naranjo-Guevara N, dos Santos RC, Meadow R, Bento JMS. Predatory Earwigs are Attracted by Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles Linked with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria. INSECTS 2020; 11:E271. [PMID: 32365691 PMCID: PMC7290886 DOI: 10.3390/insects11050271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plant-associated microbes may induce plant defenses against herbivores. Plants, in turn, can attract natural enemies, such as predators, using herbivore-induced plant volatiles. Intricate communication occurs between microorganisms, plants, and insects. Given that many aspects related to mechanisms involved in this symbiotic system remain unknown, we evaluated how beneficial soil-borne microorganisms can affect the interactions between plants, herbivores, and natural enemies. For this study, we established a multitrophic system composed of the predatory earwig Doru luteipes (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), arugula (Eruca sativa, Brassicaceae) as the host plant, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) larvae as a specialist herbivore, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae as a generalist herbivore, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), in a series of nocturnal olfactometry experiments. By assessing earwig preference towards herbivore-induced and PGPR-inoculated plants in different combinations, we showed that the interaction between rhizobacteria, plants, and herbivores can affect the predatory earwig's behavior. Furthermore, we observed a synergistic effect in which earwigs were attracted by plants that presented as PGPR inoculated and herbivore damaged, for both specialist and generalist herbivores. Our findings help fill the important knowledge gap regarding multitrophic interactions and should provide useful guidelines for their application to agricultural fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Bell
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway; (K.B.); (R.M.)
| | - Natalia Naranjo-Guevara
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo State 13418-900, Brazil; (N.N.-G.); (R.C.d.S.)
- Fontys International Business School Venlo, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, 5912 Venlo, The Netherlands
| | - Rafaela C. dos Santos
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo State 13418-900, Brazil; (N.N.-G.); (R.C.d.S.)
| | - Richard Meadow
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway; (K.B.); (R.M.)
| | - José M. S. Bento
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo State 13418-900, Brazil; (N.N.-G.); (R.C.d.S.)
| |
Collapse
|