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de Souza AR, Polo JLL, Santos EF, Nascimento FSD, Rantala MJ. Small-bodied males invest in larger testes when highly ornamented. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:548-554. [PMID: 38596874 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae044] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Sperm competition and male mating rate are two non-mutually exclusive key evolutionary pressures selecting for larger testes within and across animal taxa. A few studies have tried to test the role of mating rate in the absence of sperm competition. Under the mating rate hypothesis, particular phenotypes of a given population that are expected to gain more mates (e.g., more ornamented males) are expected to make higher investments in testes size (a proxy for sperm production). We test this prediction in Polistes simillimus, a neotropical paper wasp in which females are single mated (no sperm competition) and males can mate with multiple partners. Testes size was predicted by body size (positive association), sexual ornamentation (negative association), and their interaction (among small males, testes size was positively related to ornamentation, but the opposite pattern was observed among large males). We propose that small-bodied well-ornamented males may face the highest risk of sperm depletion. Small-bodied males make relatively higher investment in testes size when highly ornamented. This strategy might be less profitable to large males, as they have overall larger testes. Our results provide strong evidence for the mating rate hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - João Lucas Lapria Polo
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho," São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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2
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Abstract
Numerous examples of different phenotypic outcomes in response to varying environmental conditions have been described across phyla, from plants to mammals. Here, we examine the impact of the environment on different developmental traits, focusing in particular on one key environmental variable, nutrient availability. We present advances in our understanding of developmental plasticity in response to food variation using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which provides a near-isogenic context while permitting lab-controlled environments and analysis of wild isolates. We discuss how this model has allowed investigators not only to describe developmental plasticity events at the organismal level but also to zoom in on the tissues involved in translating changes in the environment into a plastic response, as well as the underlying molecular pathways, and sometimes associated changes in behaviour. Lastly, we also discuss how early life starvation experiences can be logged to later impact adult physiological traits, and how such memory could be wired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Jarriault
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Christelle Gally
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Development and Stem Cells Department, UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
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3
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de Souza AR, Franca W, Prato A, do Nascimento FS. Sex recognition does not modulate aggression toward nest intruders in a paper wasp. Curr Zool 2023; 69:324-331. [PMID: 37351293 PMCID: PMC10284108 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During social interactions, the behavior of an individual often depends on the sex of its social partner. Many animal societies have males and females that play very different behavioral roles, although they coexist and interact non-sexually. At specific phases of the colony cycle, social wasp females and males are contemporaries within a nest, they often interact, although mating occurs mostly off the nest, therefore providing an opportunity to test sex discrimination in contexts other than classical sexual ones. We performed a lure presentation experiment to test if Mischocyttarus metathoracicus discriminate between conspecifics of the 2 sexes during on-nest social interactions. Female wasps discriminated conspecific sex during experimentally simulated nest intrusions. Visual and chemical cues may account for this sex discrimination. Despite sex discrimination (evidenced by differential inspective behavior from the nest females toward the female and the male lures), female wasps were as aggressive toward lures of both sexes. In the female-dominated hymenopteran societies, males are often subordinate and not aggressive on nest, resulting in females directing less aggression to them compared to other females. Instead, M. metathoracicus males and females are both aggressive toward nestmates, so they might be perceived as similar threat during on-nest social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Franca
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Prato
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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4
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de Souza AR, Santos EF, Baptista CF, Dias G, Nascimento FS, Lino-Neto J. Sperm length variation is linked to sexual ornamentation in male paper wasps. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2022.2120083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André R. de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Eduardo F. Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, Brasil
| | - Camila F. Baptista
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Glenda Dias
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Fábio S. Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil
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5
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da Silva RC, Van Meerbeeck L, do Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T, Oi CA. Close-range cues used by males of Polistes dominula in sex discrimination. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:15. [PMID: 33864527 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01730-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sexual pheromones are chemical molecules responsible for mediating sex recognition and mating events. Long- and close-range sexual pheromones act differently. The first type is released to attract potential partners, whereas the second coordinates the interactions after potential mating partners encounter each other. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have been suggested to be important cues in the mating systems of several Hymenoptera species, although empirical data are still lacking for many species. Here, we evaluated whether males of the model species Polistes dominula can differentiate the sex of individuals based on their CHC composition. In August 2019, several post-worker emergent nests (n = 19) were collected in the vicinity of Leuven (Belgium) and taken to the lab (KU Leuven), where newly emerged females and males were sampled, marked individually, and kept in plastic boxes for at least a week before being used in the mating trials. Focal males were paired with females and males from different nests and subjected to five different conditions: (I) alive, (II) dead, (III) CHCs washed, (IV) CHCs partially returned, and (V) CHCs from the opposite sex. We videotaped the interactions for 10 min and analysed the duration and different behavioural interactions of the focal male. Our results indicate that CHCs may be used by males as cues to recognise a potential mating partner in P. dominula, since the focal males displayed specific courtship behaviours exclusively toward females. Although we cannot exclude that visual cues could also be used in combination with the chemical ones, we empirically demonstrate that CHCs may be important to convey sexual information at close range in mating systems, allowing fast decisions toward potential sexual partners or rivals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-900, Brazil.
| | - Lize Van Meerbeeck
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Badejo O, Skaldina O, Gilev A, Sorvari J. Benefits of insect colours: a review from social insect studies. Oecologia 2020; 194:27-40. [PMID: 32876763 PMCID: PMC7561587 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04738-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Insect colours assist in body protection, signalling, and physiological adaptations. Colours also convey multiple channels of information. These channels are valuable for species identification, distinguishing individual quality, and revealing ecological or evolutionary aspects of animals' life. During recent years, the emerging interest in colour research has been raised in social hymenopterans such as ants, wasps, and bees. These insects provide important ecosystem services and many of those are model research organisms. Here we review benefits that various colour types give to social insects, summarize practical applications, and highlight further directions. Ants might use colours principally for camouflage, however the evolutionary function of colour in ants needs more attention; in case of melanin colouration there is evidence for its interrelation with thermoregulation and pathogen resistance. Colours in wasps and bees have confirmed linkages to thermoregulation, which is increasingly important in face of global climate change. Besides wasps use colours for various types of signalling. Colour variations of well chemically defended social insects are the mimetic model for unprotected organisms. Despite recent progress in molecular identification of species, colour variations are still widely in use for species identification. Therefore, further studies on variability is encouraged. Being closely interconnected with physiological and biochemical processes, insect colouration is a great source for finding new ecological indicators and biomarkers. Due to novel digital imaging techniques, software, and artificial intelligence there are emerging possibilities for new advances in this topic. Further colour research in social insects should consider specific features of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatobi Badejo
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Oksana Skaldina
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Aleksei Gilev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (IPAE), Ural Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Marta Street, 202, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia.,Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ural Federal University, Mira Street, 19, 620002, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Jouni Sorvari
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
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Dominance Hierarchy, Ovarian Activity and Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Primitively Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus (Vespidae, Polistinae, Mischocyttarini). J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:835-844. [PMID: 32789711 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The dominance hierarchy in primitively eusocial insect societies has been shown to be mainly regulated through aggressive interactions. Females that are generally more dominant stand out and occupy the queen position, meaning that they monopolize reproduction while others perform other tasks. Chemical communication is important for maintaining social cohesion. Cuticular hydrocarbons are recognized as the main molecules responsible for mediating social interactions, especially nestmate recognition and queen signalling. Many highly eusocial groups have been studied in recent years, but primitively eusocial groups, which are key to understanding the evolution of social behavior, remain unexplored. In this study, we investigated the connection between cuticular hydrocarbons in females expressed in different social contexts in the primitively eusocial wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus. Colonies in two different ontogenetic phases, pre- and post-worker emergence, were used. We observed and categorized behavioral interactions between individual females and collected all individuals in a nest to obtain information on size, ovary activation and chemical composition. Furthermore, we conducted experiments in which the alpha (dominant) females were removed from nests to produce a new dominance hierarchy. We found that females in different hierarchical positions had small chemical difference corresponding with ovary activity. Our results support the hypothesis that cuticular hydrocarbons are associated with social context in this primitively eusocial species, with some compounds being associated with hierarchical position and ovarian activity.
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de Souza AR, Santos EF, Nascimento FSD, Stanyon R, Lino-Neto J, Beani L. Sexually dimorphic traits and male fertility in a paper wasp. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Females of many social Hymenoptera commit their reproductive potential to a single male; they mate once and never re-mate. Sexual selection theory predicts that under this regimen female precopulatory mate choice is crucial. The targets of female choice, male secondary sexual traits, should convey information about the functional fertility of the male. Here, we evaluated semen quality and its correlates in the paper wasp Polistes dominula, a monandric species with a lek-based mating system. The main goal of the study was to test whether sperm viability and the total number of sperm covaried with sexually dimorphic abdominal spots, body size and parasitic infection by Xenos vesparum. Surprisingly, superior male fertility was not predicted by attractive sexual traits, such as little round spots and large body size. We also found no effect of the parasite on male fertility, sexual ornamentation or body size. We found only that sperm viability was positively associated with the number of sperm. Moreover, there was evidence of a counterintuitive relationship between (sexually unattractive) large irregular spots and large body size of dominant successful males. Overall, our results suggest a condition-dependent trade-off between body size and costly sexual signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos Do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roscoe Stanyon
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Laura Beani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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9
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Walton A, Tumulty JP, Toth AL, Sheehan MJ. Hormonal modulation of reproduction in Polistes fuscatus social wasps: Dual functions in both ovary development and sexual receptivity. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 120:103972. [PMID: 31705844 PMCID: PMC7558460 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hormones are often major regulators of complex behaviors, such as mating and reproduction. In insects, juvenile hormone (JH) is integral to many components of reproductive physiology and behavior, but its role in female sexual receptivity is not well understood. To investigate the influence of JH on receptivity, we utilized the social wasp Polistes fuscatus. In Polistes, mating behavior is temporally separated from other components of reproduction, which allows for examination of the physiology and behavior of mating, disentangled from fertilization and egg-laying. We reared virgin gynes (reproductive females) in the lab and divided them into four groups, in which gynes received multiple topical treatments of either 20 μg, 10 μg, 5 μg, or 0 μg of the JH analog methoprene. Gynes were then placed in petri dishes with 2 unrelated males and we recorded attempted and successful mating. Additionally, we measured gyne ovarian development and survival in each group. We found that methoprene increased both sexual receptivity and ovarian development, but was associated with a decrease in long-term survival. Receptivity increased linearly as methoprene treatment increased, but the effect of methoprene on ovarian development was independent of dose. These results demonstrate the importance of JH in sexual receptivity and mating behavior. We argue that the relatively understudied Polistes gyne has potential as a model for mating and reproduction, and for the internal and external regulation of this complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Walton
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, United States.
| | - James P Tumulty
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, United States
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, United States
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10
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Miller SE, Legan AW, Flores ZA, Ng HY, Sheehan MJ. Strong, but incomplete, mate choice discrimination between two closely related species of paper wasp. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018; 126:614-622. [PMID: 30853716 DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Paper wasps (genus Polistes) are one of the most species-rich genera of social insect. Prior studies have found that male coloration, male colour pattern, territory choice and female caste are potential drivers of intraspecific mate choice in paper wasps. However, there has been no formal assessment of interspecific mate choice in this group; therefore, the mechanism driving diversification in paper wasps remains an open question. In this study, we measured interspecific and intraspecific mating behaviour between two closely related species of paper wasps, Polistes fuscatus and Polistes metricus. These two species have ample opportunity to interbreed because P. fuscatus and P. metricus forage, nest and mate in the same habitats. We tested the strength of reproductive isolation between these species using no-choice and choice mating trials. Our results show strong, symmetric, prezygotic isolation between P. fuscatus and P. metricus. Males discriminated between conspecifics and heterospecifics but attempted to mate with females of the other species in ~10% of heterospecific mating trials. Female wasps were more discriminating than males and probably evaluated species identity and male quality through visual or olfactory cues. We additionally report sexual dimorphism in P. metricus body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Miller
- Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Andrew W Legan
- Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Zoe A Flores
- Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Hong Yu Ng
- Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Ithaca, NY, USA
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de Souza AR, Guimarães Simões T, Rantala MJ, Fernando Santos E, Lino-Netto J, do Nascimento FS. Sexual ornaments reveal the strength of melanization immune response and longevity of male paper wasps. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 109:163-168. [PMID: 29870690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been recently suggested that female mate choice, based on sexually selected ornaments, is an important component of social wasps' reproductive biology. The correlates of male ornaments that could be of a female's interest, however, remain to be investigated. Males of the Neotropical paper wasp Polistes simillimus have sexually dimorphic melanin-based black spots on their faces. In this species, male spots work like sexual ornaments, as it has been experimentally demonstrated that females prefer sexual partners with a higher proportion of black pigment on their faces. We have shown that, under laboratory conditions, male sexual ornamentation positively predicts the strength of the melanization immune response and longevity. Therefore, in P. simillimus, melanin-based facial patterns (ornaments) seem to be honest indicators of male quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | | | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - José Lino-Netto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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de Souza AR, Teixeira GVM, do Nascimento FS. Individually distinctive facial patterning without a signal value: a case of ‘missing’ social knowledge in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2388-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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O’Hanlon A, Feeney K, Dockery P, Gormally MJ. Quantifying phenotype-environment matching in the protected Kerry spotted slug (Mollusca: Gastropoda) using digital photography: exposure to UV radiation determines cryptic colour morphs. Front Zool 2017; 14:35. [PMID: 28702067 PMCID: PMC5504635 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0218-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal colours and patterns commonly play a role in reducing detection by predators, social signalling or increasing survival in response to some other environmental pressure. Different colour morphs can evolve within populations exposed to different levels of predation or environmental stress and in some cases can arise within the lifetime of an individual as the result of phenotypic plasticity. Skin pigmentation is variable for many terrestrial slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda), both between and within species. The Kerry spotted slug Geomalacus maculosus Allman, an EU protected species, exhibits two distinct phenotypes: brown individuals occur in forested habitats whereas black animals live in open habitats such as blanket bog. Both colour forms are spotted and each type strongly resembles the substrate of their habitat, suggesting that G. maculosus possesses camouflage. RESULTS Analysis of digital images of wild slugs demonstrated that each colour morph is strongly and positively correlated with the colour properties of the background in each habitat but not with the substrate of the alternative habitats, suggesting habitat-specific crypsis. Experiments were undertaken on laboratory-reared juvenile slugs to investigate whether ultraviolet (UV) radiation or diet could induce colour change. Exposure to UV radiation induced the black (bog) phenotype whereas slugs reared in darkness did not change colour. Diet had no effect on juvenile colouration. Examination of skin tissue from specimens exposed to either UV or dark treatments demonstrated that UV-exposed slugs had significantly higher concentrations of black pigment in their epithelium. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that colour dimorphism in G. maculosus is an example of phenotypic plasticity which is explained by differential exposure to UV radiation. Each resulting colour morph provides incidental camouflage against the different coloured substrate of each habitat. This, to our knowledge, is the first documented example of colour change in response to UV radiation in a terrestrial mollusc. Pigmentation appears to be correlated with a number of behavioural traits in G. maculosus, and we suggest that understanding melanisation in other terrestrial molluscs may be useful in the study of pestiferous and invasive species. The implications of colour change for G. maculosus conservation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan O’Hanlon
- Applied Ecology Unit, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Kristina Feeney
- Applied Ecology Unit, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Peter Dockery
- Centre for Microscopy and Imaging, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Michael J. Gormally
- Applied Ecology Unit, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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15
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Sheehan MJ, Choo J, Tibbetts EA. Heritable variation in colour patterns mediating individual recognition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:161008. [PMID: 28386452 PMCID: PMC5367277 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the developmental and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain variation in natural populations remains a major challenge for modern biology. Populations of Polistes fuscatus paper wasps have highly variable colour patterns that mediate individual recognition. Previous experimental and comparative studies have provided evidence that colour pattern diversity is the result of selection for individuals to advertise their identity. Distinctive identity-signalling phenotypes facilitate recognition, which reduces aggression between familiar individuals in P. fuscatus wasps. Selection for identity signals may increase phenotypic diversity via two distinct modes of selection that have different effects on genetic diversity. Directional selection for increased plasticity would greatly increase phenotypic diversity but decrease genetic diversity at associated loci. Alternatively, heritable identity signals under balancing selection would maintain genetic diversity at associated loci. Here, we assess whether there is heritable variation underlying colour pattern diversity used for facial recognition in a wild population of P. fuscatus wasps. We find that colour patterns are heritable and not Mendelian, suggesting that multiple loci are involved. Additionally, patterns of genetic correlations among traits indicated that many of the loci underlying colour pattern variation are unlinked and independently segregating. Our results support a model where the benefits of being recognizable maintain genetic variation at multiple unlinked loci that code for phenotypic diversity used for recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca 14853, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
| | - Juanita Choo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
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de Souza AR, Lino-Neto J, Tibbetts EA, Turillazzi S, Beani L. The leks of Polistes dominula paper wasps: tiny abdominal spots play a critical role in male attacks toward potential rivals. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1197970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André R. de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs s/n, Campus Universitário, 36570-900 Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1048 MI, USA
| | - Stefano Turillazzi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
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17
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Cappa F, Beani L, Cervo R. The importance of being yellow: visual over chemical cues in gender recognition in a social wasp. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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18
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Helft F, Monnin T, Doums C. First Evidence of Inclusive Sexual Selection in the Ant Cataglyphis cursor: Worker Aggressions Differentially Affect Male Access to Virgin Queens. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florence Helft
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris; Paris France
- École Pratique des Hautes Études; Paris France
- Département Systématique et Évolution; ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS UPMC Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Paris France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris; Paris France
| | - Claudie Doums
- École Pratique des Hautes Études; Paris France
- Département Systématique et Évolution; ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS UPMC Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Paris France
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The trap of sex in social insects: From the female to the male perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 4:519-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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