1
|
Zeni V, Romano D, Kavallieratos NG, Stefanini C, Lucchi A, Canale A, Benelli G. Tapping for love: courtship, mating, and behavioral asymmetry in two aphid parasitoids, Aphidius ervi and Aphidius matricariae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidinae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024:toae142. [PMID: 38956824 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the biology and ecology of parasitoids can have direct implications for their evaluation as biological control agents, as well as for the development and implementation of mass-rearing techniques. Nonetheless, our current knowledge of the possible influence of lateralized displays (i.e., the asymmetric expression of cognitive functions) on their reproductive behavior is scarce. Herein, we characterized the behavioral elements involved in courtship, and quantified the durations of 2 important aphid parasitoids, Aphidius ervi Haliday and Aphidius matricariae Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). We quantified the main indicators of copulation and examined the occurrence of lateralized traits at population level. Results indicated that A. matricariae exhibited longer durations of wing fanning, antennal tapping, pre-copula and copula phases compared to A. ervi. Postcopulatory behavior was observed only in A. matricariae. Unlike other parasitoid species, the duration of wing fanning, chasing, and antennal tapping did not affect the success of the mating of male A. ervi and A. matricariae. Both species exhibited a right-biased female kicking behavior at the population level during the pre-copula. Our study provides insights into the fundamental biology of aphidiine parasitoids and reports the presence of population-level lateralized mating displays, which can serve as useful benchmarks to evaluate the quality of mass-rearing systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Zeni
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & A.I., Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nickolas G Kavallieratos
- Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Attica, Greece
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pontedera, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & A.I., Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Lucchi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Talley J, Pusdekar S, Feltenberger A, Ketner N, Evers J, Liu M, Gosh A, Palmer SE, Wardill TJ, Gonzalez-Bellido PT. Predictive saccades and decision making in the beetle-predating saffron robber fly. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00770-4. [PMID: 37379842 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Internal predictions about the sensory consequences of self-motion, encoded by corollary discharge, are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, including for fruit flies, dragonflies, and humans. In contrast, predicting the future location of an independently moving external target requires an internal model. With the use of internal models for predictive gaze control, vertebrate predatory species compensate for their sluggish visual systems and long sensorimotor latencies. This ability is crucial for the timely and accurate decisions that underpin a successful attack. Here, we directly demonstrate that the robber fly Laphria saffrana, a specialized beetle predator, also uses predictive gaze control when head tracking potential prey. Laphria uses this predictive ability to perform the difficult categorization and perceptual decision task of differentiating a beetle from other flying insects with a low spatial resolution retina. Specifically, we show that (1) this predictive behavior is part of a saccade-and-fixate strategy, (2) the relative target angular position and velocity, acquired during fixation, inform the subsequent predictive saccade, and (3) the predictive saccade provides Laphria with additional fixation time to sample the frequency of the prey's specular wing reflections. We also demonstrate that Laphria uses such wing reflections as a proxy for the wingbeat frequency of the potential prey and that consecutively flashing LEDs to produce apparent motion elicits attacks when the LED flicker frequency matches that of the beetle's wingbeat cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Talley
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA.
| | - Siddhant Pusdekar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Aaron Feltenberger
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Natalie Ketner
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Johnny Evers
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Molly Liu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Atishya Gosh
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stephanie E Palmer
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Trevor J Wardill
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paloma T Gonzalez-Bellido
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rao D, Long SM, Tapia-McClung H, Salgado-Espinosa K, Narendra A, Aguilar-Arguello S, Robledo-Ospina L, Rodriguez-Morales D, Jakob EM. Visual signals in the wing display of a tephritid fly deter jumping spider attacks. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286139. [PMID: 36478243 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Visual animal communication, whether to the same or to other species, is largely conducted through dynamic and colourful signals. For a signal to be effective, the signaller must capture and retain the attention of the receiver. Signal efficacy is also dependent on the sensory limitations of the receiver. However, most signalling studies consider movement and colour separately, resulting in a partial understanding of the signal in question. We explored the structure and function of predator-prey signalling in the jumping spider-tephritid fly system, where the prey performs a wing waving display that deters an attack from the predator. Using a custom-built spider retinal tracker combined with visual modelling, as well as behavioural assays, we studied the effect of fly wing movement and colour on the jumping spider's visual system. We show that jumping spiders track their prey less effectively during wing display and this can be attributed to a series of fluctuations in chromatic and achromatic contrasts arising from the wing movements. These results suggest that displaying flies deter spider attacks by manipulating the movement biases of the spider's visual system. Our results emphasise the importance of receiver attention on the evolution of interspecific communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Rao
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Skye M Long
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Horacio Tapia-McClung
- Instituto de Investigacion en Inteligencia Artificial, Universidad Veracruzana, 91097 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Kevin Salgado-Espinosa
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Ajay Narendra
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | - Luis Robledo-Ospina
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Dulce Rodriguez-Morales
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.,Instituo de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pinto J, Magni PA, O’Brien RC, Dadour IR. Chasing Flies: The Use of Wingbeat Frequency as a Communication Cue in Calyptrate Flies (Diptera: Calyptratae). INSECTS 2022; 13:822. [PMID: 36135523 PMCID: PMC9504876 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The incidental sound produced by the oscillation of insect wings during flight provides an opportunity for species identification. Calyptrate flies include some of the fastest and most agile flying insects, capable of rapid changes in direction and the fast pursuit of conspecifics. This flight pattern makes the continuous and close recording of their wingbeat frequency difficult and limited to confined specimens. Advances in sound editor and analysis software, however, have made it possible to isolate low amplitude sounds using noise reduction and pitch detection algorithms. To explore differences in wingbeat frequency between genera and sex, 40 specimens of three-day old Sarcophaga crassipalpis, Lucilia sericata, Calliphora dubia, and Musca vetustissima were individually recorded in free flight in a temperature-controlled room. Results showed significant differences in wingbeat frequency between the four species and intersexual differences for each species. Discriminant analysis classifying the three carrion flies resulted in 77.5% classified correctly overall, with the correct classification of 82.5% of S. crassipalpis, 60% of C. dubia, and 90% of L. sericata, when both mean wingbeat frequency and sex were included. Intersexual differences were further demonstrated by male flies showing significantly higher variability than females in three of the species. These observed intergeneric and intersexual differences in wingbeat frequency start the discussion on the use of the metric as a communication signal by this taxon. The success of the methodology demonstrated differences at the genus level and encourages the recording of additional species and the use of wingbeat frequency as an identification tool for these flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Pinto
- Discipline of Medical, Molecular & Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Paola A. Magni
- Discipline of Medical, Molecular & Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
- King’s Centre, Murdoch University Singapore, Singapore 169662, Singapore
| | - R. Christopher O’Brien
- Forensic Sciences Department, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Ian R. Dadour
- Discipline of Medical, Molecular & Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
- Source Certain, Wangara DC, WA 6947, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
White TE, Locke A, Latty T. Heightened condition dependent expression of structural coloration in the faces, but not wings, of male and female flies. Curr Zool 2021; 68:600-607. [PMID: 36324536 PMCID: PMC9616059 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Structurally colored sexual signals are a conspicuous and widespread class of ornament used in mate choice, though the extent to which they encode information on the quality of their bearers is not fully resolved. Theory predicts that signaling traits under strong sexual selection as honest indicators should evolve to be more developmentally integrated and exaggerated than nonsexual traits, thereby leading to heightened condition dependence. Here, we test this prediction through examination of the sexually dimorphic faces and wings of the cursorial fly Lispe cana. Males and females possess structural UV-white and golden faces, respectively, and males present their faces and wings to females during close-range, ground-based courtship displays, thereby creating the opportunity for mutual inspection. Across a field-collected sample of individuals, we found that the appearance of the faces of both sexes scaled positively with individual condition, though along separate axes. Males in better condition expressed brighter faces as modeled according to conspecific flies, whereas condition scaled with facial saturation in females. We found no such relationships for their wing interference pattern nor abdomens, with the latter included as a nonsexual control. Our results suggest that the structurally colored faces, but not the iridescent wings, of male and female L. cana are reliable guides to individual quality and support the broader potential for structural colors as honest signals. They also highlight the potential for mutual mate choice in this system, while arguing for 1 of several alternate signaling roles for wing interferences patterns among the myriad taxa which bear them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Amy Locke
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hansen JN, Gong A, Wachten D, Pascal R, Turpin A, Jikeli JF, Kaupp UB, Alvarez L. Multifocal imaging for precise, label-free tracking of fast biological processes in 3D. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4574. [PMID: 34321468 PMCID: PMC8319204 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24768-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological processes happen on a nano- to millimeter scale and within milliseconds. Established methods such as confocal microscopy are suitable for precise 3D recordings but lack the temporal or spatial resolution to resolve fast 3D processes and require labeled samples. Multifocal imaging (MFI) allows high-speed 3D imaging but is limited by the compromise between high spatial resolution and large field-of-view (FOV), and the requirement for bright fluorescent labels. Here, we provide an open-source 3D reconstruction algorithm for multi-focal images that allows using MFI for fast, precise, label-free tracking spherical and filamentous structures in a large FOV and across a high depth. We characterize fluid flow and flagellar beating of human and sea urchin sperm with a z-precision of 0.15 µm, in a volume of 240 × 260 × 21 µm, and at high speed (500 Hz). The sampling volume allowed to follow sperm trajectories while simultaneously recording their flagellar beat. Our MFI concept is cost-effective, can be easily implemented, and does not rely on object labeling, which renders it broadly applicable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - An Gong
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - René Pascal
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alex Turpin
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jan F Jikeli
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sound vs. light: wing-based communication in Carboniferous insects. Commun Biol 2021; 4:794. [PMID: 34239029 PMCID: PMC8266802 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication is well-known in insects since the Mesozoic, but earlier evidence of this behavior is rare. Titanoptera, an ‘orthopteroid’ Permian-Triassic order, is one of the few candidates for Paleozoic intersex calling interactions: some specimens had highly specialized broadened zones on the forewings, which are currently considered—despite inconclusive evidence—as ‘resonators’ of a stridulatory apparatus. Here we argue that the stridulatory apparatus hypothesis is unlikely because the Titanoptera lack a stridulatory file on their bodies, legs or wings. Instead, comparing these broadened zones with similar structures in extant locusts, flies, and fossil damselflies, we find evidence that the Titanoptera used their wings to produce flashes of light and/or crepitated sounds. Moreover, we describe the first Carboniferous (~310 Mya) Titanoptera, which exhibits such specialized zones, thus corresponding to the oldest record of wing communication in insects. Whether these communication systems were used to attract sexual partners and/or escape predators remain to be demonstrated. Schubnel, Nel and colleagues present the first Carboniferous representative of Titanoptera, Theiatitan azari. Specially modified wing zones suggest that Titanoptera were capable of wing-based communication using light or sound, as seen in modern species.
Collapse
|
8
|
Sawyer SJ, Rusch TW, Tarone AM, Tomberlin JK. Wing buzzing as a potential antipredator defense against an invasive predator. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
9
|
Abstract
Amanda M. Franklin and Laura Ospina-Rozo introduce the biology and physics of gloss in nature.
Collapse
|
10
|
Butterworth NJ, White TE, Byrne PG, Wallman JF. Love at first flight: wing interference patterns are species-specific and sexually dimorphic in blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae). J Evol Biol 2021; 34:558-570. [PMID: 33483961 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Wing interference patterns (WIPs) are stable structural colours displayed on insect wings which are only visible at specific viewing geometries and against certain backgrounds. These patterns are widespread among flies and wasps, and growing evidence suggests that they may function as species- and sex-specific mating cues in a range of taxa. As such, it is expected that WIPs should differ between species and show clear sexual dimorphisms. However, the true extent to which WIPs vary between species, sexes and individuals is currently unclear, as previous studies have only taken a qualitative approach, without considering how WIPs might be perceived by the insect. Here, we perform the first quantitative analysis of inter- and intra-specific variation in WIPs across seven Australian species of the blowfly genus Chrysomya. Using multispectral digital imaging and a tentative model of blowfly colour vision, we provide quantitative evidence that WIPs are species-specific, highlight that the extent of divergence is greater in males than in females and demonstrate sexual dimorphisms in several species. These data suggest that WIPs have diversified substantially in blowflies as a result of either sexual or ecological selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Butterworth
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillip G Byrne
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - James F Wallman
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mating success of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), under four artificial light sources. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2020; 205:111815. [PMID: 32092662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.111815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) are promising organisms to be used for organic waste bioconversion. Breeding BSF indoors has been suggested as a cost-effective approach for countries with long winters or low sunlight levels through the year. As the BSF mating is visually mediated, artificial illumination conditions are critical to a successful indoor breeding system. In this study, we tested four different types of artificial light sources for their effects on BSF mating success. They included: (1) a halogen lamp; (2) a combination of a white light-emitting diode (LED) lamp and a fluorescent ultra violet lamp; (3) a metal halide lamp, and (4) a specially designed light-emitting diode (BSFLED) lamp, whose design was based on the specific BSF adult visual spectral sensitivity. We determined the spectra of four artificial light sources, compared their spectral composition in relation to the BSF-visible spectrum, and compared their effects on the mating success of two different BSF colonies. BSFLED was the most energy efficient light source in spectral composition and led to the highest mating success in terms of the percentage of inseminated females and fertile clutches. Thus, BSFLED is the most suitable light source tested in our experiment for breeding BSF indoors. The colony effect and possible light flickering effect on BSF mating success were also detected. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Collapse
|
12
|
Butterworth NJ, Byrne PG, Keller PA, Wallman JF. Body Odor and Sex: Do Cuticular Hydrocarbons Facilitate Sexual Attraction in the Small Hairy Maggot Blowfly? J Chem Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0943-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|