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Role of juvenile hormone in oogenesis, chemical profile, and behavior of the wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis (Vespidae: Polistinae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-022-00378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Colonial chemical signature of social wasps and their nesting substrates. CHEMOECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-021-00361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Chen G, Wang ZW, Wen P, Wei W, Chen Y, Ai H, Sun WB. Hydrocarbons mediate seed dispersal: a new mechanism of vespicochory. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:714-725. [PMID: 29677396 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Vespicochory, seed dispersal by hornets, is an uncommon seed dispersal pattern in angiosperms. To date, this phenomenon has been recorded in only four families. Because of its rarity, the causes and consequences of vespicochory remain unclear. Hence, this seed dispersal syndrome is often regarded as anecdotal. Through field investigations, chemical analyses, electrophysiological tests, identification of chemosensory proteins from the antennae of hornets, and behavioral assays, we investigated whether olfactory and/or visual cues of the diaspores of Stemona tuberosa mediate the behavior of the social hornets and maintain their mutualism. This study demonstrated that the elaiosome of S. tuberosa emits hydrocarbons, which are attractive to hornets. However, these compounds, which induce responses in the antennae of naive hornets, are ubiquitous substances on insect cuticle surfaces. Innate preference and experienced foraging behavior of hornets can increase their seed dispersal efficiency. This is the first example in which hydrocarbons have been identified as a diaspore odour involved in the attraction of hornets. Given that the ubiquity of hornets, and the communication function of hydrocarbons in insects, we predict that this rare seed dispersal mechanism may be an overlooked mechanism of insect-plant mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Integrative Conservation for Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, 650204, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Zheng-Wei Wang
- Chemical Ecology Group of Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Ping Wen
- Chemical Ecology Group of Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ya Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Hui Ai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Wei-Bang Sun
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Integrative Conservation for Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, 650204, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
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Pennell TM, Holman L, Morrow EH, Field J. Building a new research framework for social evolution: intralocus caste antagonism. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1251-1268. [PMID: 29341390 PMCID: PMC5896731 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The breeding and non‐breeding ‘castes’ of eusocial insects provide a striking example of role‐specific selection, where each caste maximises fitness through different morphological, behavioural and physiological trait values. Typically, queens are long‐lived egg‐layers, while workers are short‐lived, largely sterile foragers. Remarkably, the two castes are nevertheless produced by the same genome. The existence of inter‐caste genetic correlations is a neglected consequence of this shared genome, potentially hindering the evolution of caste dimorphism: alleles that increase the productivity of queens may decrease the productivity of workers and vice versa, such that each caste is prevented from reaching optimal trait values. A likely consequence of this ‘intralocus caste antagonism’ should be the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness and maladaptation within castes (termed ‘caste load’), analogous to the result of intralocus sexual antagonism. The aim of this review is to create a research framework for understanding caste antagonism, drawing in part upon conceptual similarities with sexual antagonism. By reviewing both the social insect and sexual antagonism literature, we highlight the current empirical evidence for caste antagonism, discuss social systems of interest, how antagonism might be resolved, and challenges for future research. We also introduce the idea that sexual and caste antagonism could interact, creating a three‐way antagonism over gene expression. This includes unpacking the implications of haplodiploidy for the outcome of this complex interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Pennell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Luke Holman
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Edward H Morrow
- Evolution Behaviour and Environment Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jeremy Field
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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Elia M, Blancato G, Picchi L, Lucas C, Bagnères AG, Lorenzi MC. Nest signature changes throughout colony cycle and after social parasite invasion in social wasps. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0190018. [PMID: 29261775 PMCID: PMC5736209 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insects recognize their nestmates by means of a cuticular hydrocarbon signature shared by colony members, but how nest signature changes across time has been rarely tested in longitudinal studies and in the field. In social wasps, the chemical signature is also deposited on the nest surface, where it is used by newly emerged wasps as a reference to learn their colony odor. Here, we investigate the temporal variations of the chemical signature that wasps have deposited on their nests. We followed the fate of the colonies of the social paper wasp Polistes biglumis in their natural environment from colony foundation to decline. Because some colonies were invaded by the social parasite Polistes atrimandibularis, we also tested the effects of social parasites on the nest signature. We observed that, as the season progresses, the nest signature changed; the overall abundance of hydrocarbons as well as the proportion of longer-chain and branched hydrocarbons increased. Where present, social parasites altered the host-nest signature qualitatively (adding parasite-specific alkenes) and quantitatively (by interfering with the increase in overall hydrocarbon abundance). Our results show that 1) colony odor is highly dynamic both in colonies controlled by legitimate foundresses and in those controlled by social parasites; 2) emerged offspring contribute little to colony signature, if at all, in comparison to foundresses; and 3) social parasites, that later mimic host signature, initially mark host nests with species-specific hydrocarbons. This study implies that important updating of the neural template used in nestmate recognition should occur in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Elia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- I.R.B.I. – UMR 7261 CNRS – Université de Tours, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Giuliano Blancato
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Laura Picchi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Christophe Lucas
- I.R.B.I. – UMR 7261 CNRS – Université de Tours, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Anne-Geneviève Bagnères
- I.R.B.I. – UMR 7261 CNRS – Université de Tours, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul Valéry Montpellier – EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Maria Cristina Lorenzi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- LEEC-Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
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Lorenzi MC, Azzani L, Bagnères AG. Divergence in Cuticular Chemical Signatures between Isolated Populations of an Intraspecific Social Parasite. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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di Mauro G, Perez M, Lorenzi MC, Guerrieri FJ, Millar JG, d'Ettorre P. Ants Discriminate Between Different Hydrocarbon Concentrations. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Signorotti L, Cappa F, d’Ettorre P, Cervo R. Novel insights into the ontogeny of nestmate recognition in Polistes social wasps. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97024. [PMID: 24806637 PMCID: PMC4013106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of early experience in animals' life is unquestionable, and imprinting-like phenomena may shape important aspects of behaviour. Early learning typically occurs during a sensitive period, which restricts crucial processes of information storage to a specific developmental phase. The characteristics of the sensitive period have been largely investigated in vertebrates, because of their complexity and plasticity, both in behaviour and neurophysiology, but early learning occurs also in invertebrates. In social insects, early learning appears to influence important social behaviours such as nestmate recognition. Yet, the mechanisms underlying recognition systems are not fully understood. It is currently believed that Polistes social wasps are able to discriminate nestmates from non-nestmates following the perception of olfactory cues present on the paper of their nest, which are learned during a strict sensitive period, immediately after emergence. Here, through differential odour experience experiments, we show that workers of Polistes dominula develop correct nestmate recognition abilities soon after emergence even in absence of what have been so far considered the necessary cues (the chemicals spread on nest paper). P. dominula workers were exposed for the first four days of adult life to paper fragments from their nest, or from a foreign conspecific nest or to a neutral condition. Wasps were then transferred to their original nests where recognition abilities were tested. Our results show that wasps do not alter their recognition ability if exposed only to nest material, or in absence of nest material, during the early phase of adult life. It thus appears that the nest paper is not used as a source of recognition cues to be learned in a specific time window, although we discuss possible alternative explanations. Our study provides a novel perspective for the study of the ontogeny of nestmate recognition in Polistes wasps and in other social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Signorotti
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), University of Paris 13- Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Patrizia d’Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology (LEEC), University of Paris 13- Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Rita Cervo
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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