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de la Hera O, Alonso ML, Alonso RM. Behaviour of Vespa velutina nigrithorax (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) under Controlled Environmental Conditions. INSECTS 2023; 14:59. [PMID: 36661987 PMCID: PMC9864241 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
From its introduction in Europe, Vespa velutina nigrithorax has become an invasive species, since it is a predator of native fruits and insects, most of the latter being honeybees. Despite the knowledge on the life cycle of this hornet, Asian hornet behaviour is not well understood, since in vivo studies on this species are quite difficult to perform. In this work, an observational study of the behaviour of this invasive species in captivity has been carried out. Two secondary and one embryo nests were caught and kept under controlled environmental conditions, up to 13 weeks for the secondary nest and 6 weeks for the embryo nest. Captivity adaptation, defence against perturbations, evolution of the colony and overwintering were the different behaviours studied. The study has shown the importance of avoiding disturbances to the nest from the beginning of the experiments, since they tend to destroy the colony. The aggressive behaviour observed in the embryo nest was lower than in the secondary nests. Results of this research will allow obtaining additional information on this species, which is crucial to develop effective control methods.
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Bulgarella M, Baty JW, McGruddy R, Lester PJ. Gene silencing for invasive paper wasp management: Synthesized dsRNA can modify gene expression but did not affect mortality. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279983. [PMID: 36595511 PMCID: PMC9810182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive paper wasps such as Polistes dominula are a major pest and problem for biodiversity around the globe. Safe and highly targeted methods for the control of these and other social wasp populations are needed. We attempted to identify potentially-lethal gene targets that could be used on adult paper wasps in a gene silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) approach. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was designed to target genes for which silencing has proven lethal in other insects. dsRNA was provided either orally to foragers or directly injected into the wasps. We also provided the dsRNA unprotected or protected from degradation by gut nucleases in two different forms (lipofectamine and carbon quantum dots). The effects of oral delivery of 22 different gene targets to forager wasps was evaluated. The expression of five different genes was successfully reduced following dsRNA ingestion or injection. These gene targets included the FACT complex subunit spt16 (DRE4) and RNA-binding protein fusilli (FUSILLI), both of which have been previously shown to have potential as lethal targets for pest control in other insects. However, we found no evidence of significant increases in adult wasp mortality following ingestion or injection of dsRNA for these genes when compared with control treatments in our experiments. The methods we used to protect the dsRNA from digestive degradation altered gene expression but similarly did not influence wasp mortality. Our results indicate that while many of the same gene targets can be silenced and induce mortality in other insects, dsRNA and RNAi approaches may not be useful for paper wasp control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Bulgarella
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - James W. Baty
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Rose McGruddy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Philip J. Lester
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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3
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Haroon, Li YX, Ye CX, Su J, Nabi G, Su XH, Xing LX. De Novo Transcriptome Assembly and Analysis of Longevity Genes Using Subterranean Termite ( Reticulitermes chinensis) Castes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13660. [PMID: 36362447 PMCID: PMC9657995 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113660] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The longevity phenomenon is entirely controlled by the insulin signaling pathway (IIS-pathway). Both vertebrates and invertebrates have IIS-pathways that are comparable to one another, though no one has previously described de novo transcriptome assembly of IIS-pathway-associated genes in termites. In this research, we analyzed the transcriptomes of both reproductive (primary kings “PK” and queens “PQ”, secondary worker reproductive kings “SWRK” and queens “SWRQ”) and non-reproductive (male “WM” and female “WF” workers) castes of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis. The goal was to identify the genes responsible for longevity in the reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Through transcriptome analysis, we annotated 103,589,264 sequence reads and 184,436 (7G) unigenes were assembled, GC performance was measured at 43.02%, and 64,046 sequences were reported as CDs sequences. Of which 35 IIS-pathway-associated genes were identified, among 35 genes, we focused on the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (Pdk1), protein kinase B2 (akt2-a), tuberous sclerosis-2 (Tsc2), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (EIF4E) and ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) genes. Previously these genes (Pdk1, akt2-a, mTOR, EIF4E, and RPS6) were investigated in various organisms, that regulate physiological effects, growth factors, protein translation, cell survival, proliferation, protein synthesis, cell metabolism and survival, autophagy, fecundity rate, egg size, and follicle number, although the critical reason for longevity is still unclear in the termite castes. However, based on transcriptome profiling, the IIS-pathway-associated genes could prolong the reproductive caste lifespan and health span. Therefore, the transcriptomic shreds of evidence related to IIS-pathway genes provide new insights into the maintenance and relationships between biomolecular homeostasis and remarkable longevity. Finally, we propose a strategy for future research to decrypt the hidden costs associated with termite aging in reproductive and non-reproductive castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haroon
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
| | - Yu-Xin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
| | - Chen-Xu Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
| | - Jian Su
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
| | - Ghulam Nabi
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Xiao-Hong Su
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
| | - Lian-Xi Xing
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229, North Taibai Rd., Xi’an 710069, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
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Patalano S, Alsina A, Gregorio-Rodríguez C, Bachman M, Dreier S, Hernando-Herraez I, Nana P, Balasubramanian S, Sumner S, Reik W, Rulands S. Self-organization of plasticity and specialization in a primitively social insect. Cell Syst 2022; 13:768-779.e4. [PMID: 36044898 PMCID: PMC9512265 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems have the capacity to not only build and robustly maintain complex structures but also to rapidly break up and rebuild such structures. Here, using primitive societies of Polistes wasps, we show that both robust specialization and rapid plasticity are emergent properties of multi-scale dynamics. We combine theory with experiments that, after perturbing the social structure by removing the queen, correlate time-resolved multi-omics with video recordings. We show that the queen-worker dimorphism relies on the balance between the development of a molecular queen phenotype in all insects and colony-scale inhibition of this phenotype via asymmetric interactions. This allows Polistes to be stable against intrinsic perturbations of molecular states while reacting plastically to extrinsic cues affecting the whole society. Long-term stability of the social structure is reinforced by dynamic DNA methylation. Our study provides a general principle of how both specialization and plasticity can be achieved in biological systems. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solenn Patalano
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.
| | - Adolfo Alsina
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Carlos Gregorio-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Sistemas Informáticos y Computación, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ciencias, 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Martin Bachman
- Discovery Science and Technology, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderley Park, Cheshire SK10 4GT, UK; Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge CB2 ORE, UK; Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Stephanie Dreier
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | | | - Paulin Nana
- Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, School of Wood, Water and Natural Resources, University of Dschang, Ebolowa Campus, P.O. Box 786, Ebolowa, Cameroon
| | - Shankar Balasubramanian
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge CB2 ORE, UK; Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SP, Cambridge, UK
| | - Seirian Sumner
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Wolf Reik
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.
| | - Steffen Rulands
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauer Str. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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Coping with the ‘Indian summer’: unique nesting cycle and nest architecture of the paper wasp, Polistes wattii. Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:31. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01801-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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6
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Heinze J, Giehr J. The plasticity of lifespan in social insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190734. [PMID: 33678025 PMCID: PMC7938164 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the central questions of ageing research is why lifespans of organisms differ so tremendously among related taxa and, even more surprising, among members of the same species. Social insects provide a particularly pronounced example for this. Here, we review previously published information on lifespan plasticity in social insects and provide new data on worker lifespan in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, which because of its relatively short lifespan is a convenient model to study ageing. We show that individual lifespan may vary within species with several reproductive and social traits, such as egg-laying rate, queen number, task, colony size and colony composition. For example, in Cardiocondyla, highly fecund queens live longer than reproductively less active queens, and workers tend to live longer when transferred into a novel social environment or, as we show with new data, into small colonies. We hypothesize that this plasticity of lifespan serves to maximize the reproductive output of the colony as a whole and thus the inclusive fitness of all individuals. The underlying mechanisms that link the social environment or reproductive status with lifespan are currently unresolved. Several studies in honeybees and ants indicate an involvement of nutrient-sensing pathways, but the details appear to differ among species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
| | - Julia Giehr
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
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Southon RJ, Fernandes OA, Nascimento FS, Sumner S. Social wasps are effective biocontrol agents of key lepidopteran crop pests. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191676. [PMID: 31690237 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biocontrol agents can help reduce pest populations as part of an integrated pest management scheme, with minimal environmental consequences. However, biocontrol agents are often non-native species and require significant infrastructure; overuse of single agents results in pest resistance. Native biocontrol agents are urgently required for more sustainable multi-faceted approaches to pest management. Social wasps are natural predators of lepidopteran pests, yet their viability as native biocontrol agents is largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the social paper wasp Polistes satan is a successful predator on the larvae of two economically important and resilient crop pests, the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (on sugarcane Saccharum spp.) and the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (on maize Zea mays); P. satan wasps significantly reduce crop pest damage. These results provide the much-needed baseline experimental evidence that social wasps have untapped potential as native biocontrol agents for sustainable crop production and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Southon
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Odair A Fernandes
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Seirian Sumner
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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8
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Blacher P, Huggins TJ, Bourke AFG. Evolution of ageing, costs of reproduction and the fecundity-longevity trade-off in eusocial insects. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0380. [PMID: 28701554 PMCID: PMC5524490 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Eusocial insects provide special opportunities to elucidate the evolution of ageing as queens have apparently evaded costs of reproduction and reversed the fecundity–longevity trade-off generally observed in non-social organisms. But how reproduction affects longevity in eusocial insects has rarely been tested experimentally. In this study, we took advantage of the reproductive plasticity of workers to test the causal role of reproduction in determining longevity in eusocial insects. Using the eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris, we found that, in whole colonies, in which workers could freely ‘choose’ whether to become reproductive, workers' level of ovarian activation was significantly positively associated with longevity and ovary-active workers significantly outlived ovary-inactive workers. By contrast, when reproductivity was experimentally induced in randomly selected workers, thereby decoupling it from other traits, workers' level of ovarian activation was significantly negatively associated with longevity and ovary-active workers were significantly less long-lived than ovary-inactive workers. These findings show that workers experience costs of reproduction and suggest that intrinsically high-quality individuals can overcome these costs. They also raise the possibility that eusocial insect queens exhibit condition-dependent longevity and hence call into question whether eusociality entails a truly reversed fecundity–longevity trade-off involving a fundamental remodelling of conserved genetic and endocrine networks underpinning ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Blacher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Timothy J Huggins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Andrew F G Bourke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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Toth AL, Sumner S, Jeanne RL. Patterns of longevity across a sociality gradient in vespid wasps. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 16:28-35. [PMID: 27720047 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The reversal of the fecundity/longevity tradeoff in social insects is striking, but we lack understanding of when and how this reversal evolved. Vespid wasps are excellent models for studying social evolution because species show different levels of sociality from solitary to primitively to advanced eusocial. We provide the first synthesis of existing, but scanty, data available on longevity in vespids. We explore whether the fecundity/longevity tradeoff reversal is exaggerated in species with more derived sociality. Although the reversal is evident in primitively social wasps, the available data suggest it may be stronger in large-colonied species, which show a trend toward shorter worker longevity. More data are needed on additional species and underlying mechanisms, but vespids hold promise for understanding the evolution of the fecundity/longevity tradeoff reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Toth
- Departments of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Entomology, Iowa State University, USA.
| | - Seirian Sumner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Robert L Jeanne
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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10
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Séguret A, Bernadou A, Paxton RJ. Facultative social insects can provide insights into the reversal of the longevity/fecundity trade-off across the eusocial insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 16:95-103. [PMID: 27720058 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In eusocial insects, reversal of the fecundity/longevity trade-off and extreme differences in life histories between castes of the same species garner scientific and public interest. Facultative social species at the threshold of sociality, in which individuals are socially plastic, provide an excellent opportunity to understand the causes and mechanisms underlying this reversal in life history trade-off associated with eusociality. We briefly present the ultimate factors favoring sociality and the association between fecundity and longevity in facultative eusocial insects, including kin selection and disposable soma, as well as proximate mechanisms observed in such species, such as differences in hormone titers and functions. Potential genetic underpinnings of lifespan and fecundity differences between castes are discussed and future research directions are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Séguret
- Institute for Biology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Abel Bernadou
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert J Paxton
- Institute for Biology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; iDiv, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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