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Yoshimura H, Yamada YY, Sasaki K. Identification of biogenic amines involved in photoperiod-dependent caste-fate determination during the adult stage in a temperate paper wasp. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 131:104223. [PMID: 33711330 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104223] [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: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the temperate paper wasp Polistes jokahamae, caste is influenced by photoperiod during the adult stage, but the mechanisms underlying the caste-fate determination system have been unclear. We measured the brain levels of monoamines and related substances in females kept isolated for two weeks under different photoperiods. Except for in the first-emerging group, the females developed ovaries under long-day conditions, whereas they stored lipids under short-day conditions. The levels of tyramine in the brain were significantly higher under long-day than under short-day conditions and positively correlated with maximum oocyte lengths. These results suggest that tyramine was produced in response to long daylength during the adult stage and associated with ovarian development, which is the principal characteristic of reproductive workers. There was also a significant positive correlation between dopamine levels in the brain and maximum oocyte length, independent of photoperiod, suggesting that dopamine is involved in reproductive function with tyramine resulting in the induction of reproductive workers. Meanwhile, higher levels of tryptophan in the brain were found in short-day conditions and positively correlated with lipid stores. However, serotonin synthesized from tryptophan and N-acetylserotonin were not associated with lipid stores without photoperiodic responses, suggesting that tryptophan is involved in the physiological changes toward gyne under short daylength, independently of serotonin signaling. In conclusion, tyramine and tryptophan are candidates for mediating photoperiod-dependent caste-fate determination in P. jokahamae: the former is involved in generating the worker caste while the latter is involved in generating the gyne caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideto Yoshimura
- Insect Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Y Yamada
- Insect Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Ken Sasaki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan.
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Friedman DA, Johnson BR, Linksvayer TA. Distributed physiology and the molecular basis of social life in eusocial insects. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104757. [PMID: 32305342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The traditional focus of physiological and functional genomic research is on molecular processes that play out within a single multicellular organism. In the colonial (eusocial) insects such as ants, bees, and termites, molecular and behavioral responses of interacting nestmates are tightly linked, and key physiological processes are regulated at the scale of the colony. Such colony-level physiological processes regulate nestmate physiology in a distributed fashion, through various social communication mechanisms. As a result of physiological decentralization over evolutionary time, organismal mechanisms, for example related to pheromone detection, hormone signaling, and neural signaling pathways, are deployed in novel contexts to influence nestmate and colony traits. Here we explore how functional genomic, physiological, and behavioral studies can benefit from considering the traits of eusocial insects in this light. We highlight functional genomic work exploring how nestmate-level and colony-level traits arise and are influenced by interactions among physiologically-specialized nestmates of various developmental stages. We also consider similarities and differences between nestmate-level (organismal) and colony-level (superorganismal) physiological processes, and make specific hypotheses regarding the physiology of eusocial taxa. Integrating theoretical models of distributed systems with empirical functional genomics approaches will be useful in addressing fundamental questions related to the evolution of eusociality and collective behavior in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Friedman
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - B R Johnson
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - T A Linksvayer
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania, PA 19104, United States of America
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Chole H, Woodard SH, Bloch G. Body size variation in bees: regulation, mechanisms, and relationship to social organization. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:77-87. [PMID: 31426016 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Size polymorphism is common in bees, and is determined by environmental factors such as temperature, brood cell size, and the diet provided to developing larvae. In social bees, these factors are further influenced by intricate interactions between the queen, workers, and the developing brood which eventually determine the final size and caste of developing larvae. Environmental and social factors act in part on juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids, which are key hormonal regulators of body size and caste determination. In some social bees, body size variation is central for social organization because it structures reproductive division of labor, task allocation among workers, or both. At ecological scales, body size also impacts bee-mediated pollination services in solitary and social species by influencing floral visitation and pollination efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Chole
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Sarah Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Cappa F, Cini A, Pepiciello I, Petrocelli I, Cervo R. Female body size, weight and fat storage rather than nestmateship determine male attraction in the invasive yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1501437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Cappa
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence),
| | - Alessandro Cini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence),
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Irene Pepiciello
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence),
| | - Iacopo Petrocelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence),
| | - Rita Cervo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence),
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5
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Dani FR, Turillazzi S. Chemical Communication and Reproduction Partitioning in Social Wasps. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:796-804. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0968-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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6
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Schultner E, Oettler J, Helanterä H. The Role of Brood in Eusocial Hymenoptera. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2018; 92:39-78. [PMID: 29558609 DOI: 10.1086/690840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Study of social traits in offspring traditionally reflects on interactions in simple family groups, with famous examples including parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry in birds and mammals. In contrast, studies of complex social groups such as the societies of ants, bees, and wasps focus mainly on adults and, in particular, on traits and interests of queens and workers. The social role of developing individuals in complex societies remains poorly understood. We attempt to fill this gap by illustrating that development in social Hymenoptera constitutes a crucial life stage with important consequences for the individual as well as the colony. We begin by describing the complex social regulatory network that modulates development in Hymenoptera societies. By highlighting the inclusive fitness interests of developing individuals, we show that they may differ from those of other colony members. We then demonstrate that offspring have evolved specialized traits that allow them to play a functional, cooperative role within colonies and give them the potential power to act toward increasing their inclusive fitness. We conclude by providing testable predictions for investigating the role of brood in colony interactions and giving a general outlook on what can be learned from studying offspring traits in hymenopteran societies.
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7
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Pharaoh ant colonies dynamically regulate reproductive allocation based on colony demography. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2430-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Yoshimura H, Yamada YY. Caste-fate determination primarily occurs after adult emergence in a primitively eusocial paper wasp: significance of the photoperiod during the adult stage. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:15. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1541-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Emergence of cooperation and division of labor in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:756-761. [PMID: 29311307 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714006115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most primitively eusocial wasps new nests are initiated by a single female or by small groups of females. To study the emergence of division of labor (DOL) among the nest foundresses and to determine its possible effect on nest productivity we maintained newly eclosed females of Ropalidia marginata in small boxes with one, two, or three nestmate wasps of the same age per box. Only one wasp developed her ovaries and laid eggs in each box, while the other wasp(s) built the nest, brought food, and fed larvae, demonstrating the spontaneous emergence of reproductive DOL in the presence of more than one wasp. In nests with three wasps there was also a strong negative correlation between intranidal and extranidal work performed by the two nonreproductive workers, suggesting the spontaneous emergence of nonreproductive DOL; such nonreproductive DOL was absent in nests with two wasps. Both reproductive and nonreproductive DOL were modulated by dominance behavior (DB). In nests with two wasps the egg layer showed significantly more DB than the non-egg layer before nest initiation; in nests with three wasps queens showed significantly more DB than intranidal workers, which in turn showed significantly more DB than extranidal workers. Productivities of nests (as measured by total brood on the day of eclosion of the first adult) initiated by one or two wasps were not different from each other but were significantly lower than that of three wasps. Thus, nonreproductive DOL, and not merely reproductive DOL, is necessary for increase in productivity.
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Caste differences in the mushroom bodies of swarm-founding paper wasps: implications for brain plasticity and brain evolution (Vespidae, Epiponini). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2344-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Jandt JM, Suryanarayanan S, Hermanson JC, Jeanne RL, Toth AL. Maternal and nourishment factors interact to influence offspring developmental trajectories in social wasps. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170651. [PMID: 28637858 PMCID: PMC5489728 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The social and nutritional environments during early development have the potential to affect offspring traits, but the mechanisms and molecular underpinnings of these effects remain elusive. We used Polistes fuscatus paper wasps to dissect how maternally controlled factors (vibrational signals and nourishment) interact to induce different caste developmental trajectories in female offspring, leading to worker or reproductive (gyne) traits. We established a set of caste phenotype biomarkers in P. fuscatus females, finding that gyne-destined individuals had high expression of three caste-related genes hypothesized to have roles in diapause and mitochondrial metabolism. We then experimentally manipulated maternal vibrational signals (via artificial 'antennal drumming') and nourishment levels (via restricted foraging). We found that these caste-related biomarker genes were responsive to drumming, nourishment level or their interaction. Our results provide a striking example of the potent influence of maternal and nutritional effects in influencing transcriptional activity and developmental outcomes in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Jandt
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - John C Hermanson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Robert L Jeanne
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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12
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Corona M, Libbrecht R, Wheeler DE. Molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity in social insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 13:55-60. [PMID: 27436553 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Polyphenism in insects, whereby a single genome expresses different phenotypes in response to environmental cues, is a fascinating biological phenomenon. Social insects are especially intriguing examples of phenotypic plasticity because division of labor results in the development of extreme morphological phenotypes, such as the queen and worker castes. Although sociality evolved independently in ants, bees, wasps and termites, similar genetic pathways regulate phenotypic plasticity in these different groups of social insects. The insulin/insulin-like growth signaling (IIS) plays a key role in this process. Recent research reveals that IIS interacts with other pathways including target of rapamycin (TOR), epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr), juvenile hormone (JH) and vitellogenin (Vg) to regulate caste differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Corona
- USDA Bee Research, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Building 306, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Romain Libbrecht
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Diana E Wheeler
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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13
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Lopez-Osorio F, Perrard A, Pickett KM, Carpenter JM, Agnarsson I. Phylogenetic tests reject Emery's rule in the evolution of social parasitism in yellowjackets and hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Vespinae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150159. [PMID: 26473041 PMCID: PMC4593675 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Social parasites exploit the brood-care behaviour and social structure of one or more host species. Within the social Hymenoptera there are different types of social parasitism. In its extreme form, species of obligate social parasites, or inquilines, do not have the worker caste and depend entirely on the workers of a host species to raise their reproductive offspring. The strict form of Emery's rule states that social parasites share immediate common ancestry with their hosts. Moreover, this rule has been linked with a sympatric origin of inquilines from their hosts. Here, we conduct phylogenetic analyses of yellowjackets and hornets based on 12 gene fragments and evaluate competing evolutionary scenarios to test Emery's rule. We find that inquilines, as well as facultative social parasites, are not the closest relatives of their hosts. Therefore, Emery's rule in its strict sense is rejected, suggesting that social parasites have not evolved sympatrically from their hosts in yellowjackets and hornets. However, the relaxed version of the rule is supported, as inquilines and their hosts belong to the same Dolichovespula clade. Furthermore, inquilinism has evolved only once in Dolichovespula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Lopez-Osorio
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Adrien Perrard
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10023, USA
| | - Kurt M. Pickett
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - James M. Carpenter
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10023, USA
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Room 120A Marsh Life Science Building, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20004, USA
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15
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Berens AJ, Hunt JH, Toth AL. Nourishment level affects caste-related gene expression in Polistes wasps. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:235. [PMID: 25880983 PMCID: PMC4381360 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1410-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social insects exhibit striking phenotypic plasticity in the form of distinct reproductive (queen) and non-reproductive (worker) castes, which are typically driven by differences in the environment during early development. Nutritional environment and nourishment during development has been shown to be broadly associated with caste determination across social insect taxa such as bees, wasps, and termites. In primitively social insects such as Polistes paper wasps, caste remains flexible throughout adulthood, but there is evidence that nourishment inequalities can bias caste development with workers receiving limited nourishment compared to queens. Dominance and vibrational signaling are behaviors that have also been linked to caste differences in paper wasps, suggesting that a combination of nourishment and social factors may drive caste determination. To better understand the molecular basis of nutritional effects on caste determination, we used RNA-sequencing to investigate the gene expression changes in response to proteinaceous nourishment deprivation in Polistes metricus larvae. Results We identified 285 nourishment-responsive transcripts, many of which are related to lipid metabolism and oxidation-reduction activity. Via comparisons to previously identified caste-related genes, we found that nourishment restriction only partially biased wasp gene expression patterns toward worker caste-like traits, which supports the notion that nourishment, in conjunction with social environment, is a determinant of developmental caste bias. In addition, we conducted cross-species comparisons of nourishment-responsive genes, and uncovered largely lineage-specific gene expression changes, suggesting few shared nourishment-responsive genes across taxa. Conclusion Overall, the results from this study highlight the complex and multifactorial nature of environmental effects on the gene expression patterns underlying plastic phenotypes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1410-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali J Berens
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
| | - James H Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. .,Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. .,W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - Amy L Toth
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. .,Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
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Shpigler H, Tamarkin M, Gruber Y, Poleg M, Siegel AJ, Bloch G. Social influences on body size and developmental time in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1571-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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