1
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Henske J, Eltz T. Age-dependent perfume development in male orchid bees, Euglossa imperialis. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246995. [PMID: 38511547 PMCID: PMC11006377 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246995] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Male neotropical orchid bees concoct complex perfume blends by collecting exogenous volatiles from various sources, including orchids. These perfumes, stored in specialized hind-leg pouches and released during courtship, serve as inter-sexual signals. It has been hypothesized that male perfumes honestly indicate aspects of male fitness. If perfume traits such as quantity or complexity increase over individual lifetime, perfumes could reflect age (survival) and cumulative foraging success of males. We conducted a two-season mark-recapture study with Euglossa imperialis in Costa Rica, monitoring the balance of perfume uptake and expenditure over individual male lifetime. We sealed one hind-leg pouch upon initial capture, 'freezing' the perfume status on one side, and compared it with the other side at recapture to assess changes in perfume traits over time. Additionally, we used a novel method to estimate individual age by combining two parameters of wing degradation. Contrary to predictions, young to intermediate-aged bees had the highest quantities of perfume and the highest diversity of detected compounds. At the same time, the change in perfume between recaptures was positive (increase in amount and complexity) in young bees, whereas it was neutral to negative in older bees. Although these findings do not disprove an indicator function of male perfume, they shift the emphasis to non-cumulative fitness components such as sensory acuteness or cognitive capacity as likely targets of selection. Females preferring strong perfume signals in mates would maximize speed of foraging in offspring rather than their lifetime cumulative yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Henske
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Eltz
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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2
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Steurer M, Ruther J, Pokorny T. Behavioural consequences of intraspecific variability in a mate recognition signal. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232518. [PMID: 38444335 PMCID: PMC10915540 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2518] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Mate recognition is paramount for sexually reproducing animals, and many insects rely on cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for close-range sexual communication. To ensure reliable mate recognition, intraspecific sex pheromone variability should be low. However, CHCs can be influenced by several factors, with the resulting variability potentially impacting sexual communication. While intraspecific CHC variability is a common phenomenon, the consequences thereof for mate recognition remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of CHC variability on male responses in a parasitoid wasp showing a clear-cut within-population CHC polymorphism (three distinct female chemotypes, one thereof similar to male profiles). Males clearly discriminated between female and male CHCs, but not between female chemotypes in no-choice assays. When given a choice, a preference hierarchy emerged. Interestingly, the most attractive chemotype was the one most similar to male profiles. Mixtures of female CHCs were as attractive as chemotype-pure ones, while a female-male mixture negatively impacted male responses, indicating assessment of the entire, complex CHC profile composition. Our study reveals that the evaluation of CHC profiles can be strict towards 'undesirable' features, but simultaneously tolerant enough to cover a range of variants. This reconciles reliable mate recognition with naturally occurring variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Steurer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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3
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Goffinet AJ, Darragh K, Saleh N, Ostwald MM, Buchmann SL, Ramirez SR. Individual Variation in Male Pheromone Production in Xylocopa sonorina Correlates with size and Gland Color. J Chem Ecol 2024; 50:1-10. [PMID: 38110848 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01466-7] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex pheromones are species-specific chemical signals that facilitate the location, identification, and selection of mating partners. These pheromones can vary between individuals, and act as signals of mate quality. Here, we investigate the variation of male pheromones in the mesosomal glands of the large carpenter bee Xylocopa sonorina, within a Northern California population. We tested the hypothesis that morphological traits are correlated with the observed variation in chemical blend composition of these bees. We also conducted behavioral assays to test whether these male pheromones act as long-range attractants to conspecifics. We found that larger males with darker mesosomal glands have a higher pheromone amount in their glands. Our analysis also suggests that this pheromone blend functions as a long-range attractant to both males and females. We show that both male body size and sexual maturation are important factors influencing pheromone abundance, and that this pheromone blend acts as a long-range attractant. We hypothesize that this recorded variation in male pheromone could be important for female choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Goffinet
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Kathy Darragh
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Nicholas Saleh
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA, 93702, USA
| | - Madeleine M Ostwald
- Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Stephen L Buchmann
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Santiago R Ramirez
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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4
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Groot AT, Blankers T, Halfwerk W, Burdfield Steel E. The Evolutionary Importance of Intraspecific Variation in Sexual Communication Across Sensory Modalities. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:21-40. [PMID: 37562048 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-030223-111608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of sexual communication is critically important in the diversity of arthropods, which are declining at a fast pace worldwide. Their environments are rapidly changing, with increasing chemical, acoustic, and light pollution. To predict how arthropod species will respond to changing climates, habitats, and communities, we need to understand how sexual communication systems can evolve. In the past decades, intraspecific variation in sexual signals and responses across different modalities has been identified, but never in a comparative way. In this review, we identify and compare the level and extent of intraspecific variation in sexual signals and responses across three different modalities, chemical, acoustic, and visual, focusing mostly on insects. By comparing causes and possible consequences of intraspecific variation in sexual communication among these modalities, we identify shared and unique patterns, as well as knowledge needed to predict the evolution of sexual communication systems in arthropods in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid T Groot
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; , ,
| | - Thomas Blankers
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; , ,
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), VU Amsterdam, Netherlands;
| | - Emily Burdfield Steel
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; , ,
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5
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Keppner EM, Laubenthal M, Prang MA, Conrad T, Steiger S. Harsh nutritional environment has positive and negative consequences for family living in a burying beetle. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9699. [PMID: 36620421 PMCID: PMC9817192 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Harsh environmental conditions in form of low food availability for both offspring and parents alike can affect breeding behavior and success. There has been evidence that food scarce environments can induce competition between family members, and this might be intensified when parents are caring as a pair and not alone. On the other hand, it is possible that a harsh, food-poor environment could also promote cooperative behaviors within a family, leading, for example, to a higher breeding success of pairs than of single parents. We studied the influence of a harsh nutritional environment on the fitness outcome of family living in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. These beetles use vertebrate carcasses for reproduction. We manipulated food availability on two levels: before and during breeding. We then compared the effect of these manipulations in broods with either single females or biparentally breeding males and females. We show that pairs of beetles that experienced a food-poor environment before breeding consumed a higher quantity of the carcass than well-fed pairs or single females. Nevertheless, they were more successful in raising a brood with higher larval survival compared to pairs that did not experience a food shortage before breeding. We also show that food availability during breeding and social condition had independent effects on the mass of the broods raised, with lighter broods in biparental families than in uniparental ones and on smaller carcasses. Our study thus indicates that a harsh nutritional environment can increase both cooperative as well as competitive interactions between family members. Moreover, our results suggest that it can either hamper or drive the formation of a family because parents choose to restrain reproductive investment in a current brood or are encouraged to breed in a food-poor environment, depending on former experiences and their own nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Keppner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Melina Laubenthal
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Madlen A. Prang
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Taina Conrad
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
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6
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Calla-Quispe E, Martel C, Ibáñez AJ. Chemical Signals Associated With Gender and Sexual Experience Affect Mating and the Attractiveness of the Poultry Pest, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 115:1156-1163. [PMID: 35796144 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alphitobius diaperinus is one of the most significant pests in the poultry industry. Identifying the role of self-produced chemical signals can help control it. Here, we exposed adults to the olfactory signals of other adults of similar and different genders (either males or females) and sexual experiences (i.e., virgin and experienced) to assess their long-range attractiveness and, at short-range, their mating behavior responses (i.e., touching, mounting, and copulation). In olfactometric experiments, our results indicate that adults are attracted to the olfactory signals of other male adults, independently of gender, or sexual condition, indicating the presence of generalized long-range attractive signals, in contrast to female signals, can be both factor-dependent. However, in mating experiments, virgin males developed more robust mating responses (i.e., they mount and copulate longer with females) compared to sexually experienced males, even though they both have similar precopulatory behavioral responses (i.e., time of antennal and leg touching). These results address the importance of short-range chemical signals in eliciting copulation. Furthermore, when virgins of both genders were tested, their mating responses were significantly longer than any other pair combination, indicating that sexual experience also affects mating behavior. Chemical analyses of adult extracts showed that sexual experience, but not gender, is linked to differences in chemical profiles of adults, primarily involved in short-range signaling. These findings provide new insights into the attractiveness and mating responses of A. diaperinus and the role of sexual experience in shaping the behavior and chemical profile of insects that mate multiple times during their lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Calla-Quispe
- Instituto de Ciencias Ómicas y Biotecnología Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
| | - Carlos Martel
- Instituto de Ciencias Ómicas y Biotecnología Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
- Trait Diversity and Function, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Alfredo J Ibáñez
- Instituto de Ciencias Ómicas y Biotecnología Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
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7
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Godoy R, Mutis A, Carabajal Paladino L, Venthur H. Genome-Wide Identification of Aldehyde Oxidase Genes in Moths and Butterflies Suggests New Insights Into Their Function as Odorant-Degrading Enzymes. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.823119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aldehyde oxidases (AOXs) are common detoxifying enzymes in several organisms. In insects, AOXs act in xenobiotic metabolism and as odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs). These last appear as crucial enzymes in the life cycle of insects, helping to reset their olfactory system, particularly in lepidopterans, which fulfill important ecological roles (e.g., pollination or destructive life cycles). A comprehensive understanding of their olfactory system has provided opportunities to study key chemosensory proteins. However, no significant advance has been made around lepidopteran AOXs research, and even less around butterflies, a recently evolved lineage. In this study we have identified novel AOX gene families in moths and butterflies in order to understand their role as ODEs. Eighteen genomes from both moths and butterflies were used for phylogenetics, molecular evolution and sequence analyses. We identified 164 AOXs, from which 91 are new. Their phylogeny showed two main clades that are potentially related to odorant-degrading function, where both moths and butterflies have AOXs. A first ODE-related clade seems to have a non-ditrysian origin, likely related to plant volatiles. A second ODE-related clade could be more pheromone-biased. Molecular evolution analysis suggests a slight purifying selection process, though a number of sites appeared under positive selection. ODE-related AOXs have changed a phenylalanine residue by proline in the active site. Finally, this study could serve as a reference for further evolutionary and functional studies around Lepidopteran AOXs.
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8
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Sahm J, Prang MA, Steiger S. Parent-offspring conflict and its outcome under uni-and biparental care. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1999. [PMID: 35132107 PMCID: PMC8821718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05877-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflicts over parental investment are predicted to be common among family members, especially between parents and their offspring. Parent-offspring conflict has been studied in many brood-caring organisms, but whether its outcome is closer to the parental or offspring optimum is usually unknown, as is whether the presence of a second parent, a caring male partner, can affect the outcome. Here, we manipulated the initial brood size of single and paired female burying beetles to examine how many offspring are necessary to maintain parental care in the current brood. We found that mothers continued to invest in small broods even if their reproductive output would have been higher if they had discontinued their care and produced a second brood instead. Consequently, our data suggests that the offspring have the upper hand in the conflict. However, our results further show that paired females laid a second egg clutch more often and produced more offspring than single females, suggesting that the presence of a male partner shifts the conflict outcome towards the parental optimum. This latter result not only is a novel aspect of parent-offspring theory, but also represents an additional factor that might explain the evolution of biparental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Sahm
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Madlen A Prang
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
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9
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Wang Y, Sun W, Fleischmann S, Millar JG, Ruther J, Verhulst EC. Silencing Doublesex expression triggers three-level pheromonal feminization in Nasonia vitripennis males. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212002. [PMID: 35078369 PMCID: PMC8790373 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Doublesex (Dsx) has a conserved function in controlling sexual morphological differences in insects, but our knowledge of its role in regulating sexual behaviour is primarily limited to Drosophila. Here, we show with the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis that males whose Dsx gene had been silenced (NvDsx-i) underwent a three-level pheromonal feminization: (i) NvDsx-i males were no longer able to attract females from a distance, owing to drastically reduced titres of the long-range sex pheromone; (ii) NvDsx-i males were courted by wild-type males as though they were females, which correlated with a lower abundance of alkenes in their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Supplementation with realistic amounts of synthetic (Z)-9-hentriacontene (Z9C31), the most significantly reduced alkene in NvDsx-i males, to NvDsx-i males interrupted courtship by wild-type conspecific males. Supplementation of female CHC profiles with Z9C31 reduced courtship and mating attempts by wild-type males. These results prove that Z9C31 is crucial for sex discrimination in N. vitripennis; and (iii) Nvdsx-i males were hampered in eliciting female receptivity and thus experienced severely reduced mating success, suggesting that they are unable to produce the to-date unidentified oral aphrodisiac pheromone reported in N. vitripennis males. We conclude that Dsx is a multi-level key regulator of pheromone-mediated sexual communication in N. vitripennis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Wang
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Weizhao Sun
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Jocelyn G. Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Eveline C. Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
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10
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Gourevitch EHZ, Shuker DM. Environmental Correlates of Sexual Signaling in the Heteroptera: A Prospective Study. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121079. [PMID: 34940167 PMCID: PMC8707444 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection is a major evolutionary process, shaping organisms in terms of success in competition for access to mates and their gametes. The study of sexual selection has provided rich empirical and theoretical literature addressing the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of competition for gametes. However, there remains a bias towards individual, species-specific studies, whilst broader, cross-species comparisons looking for wider-ranging patterns in sexual selection remain uncommon. For instance, we are still some ways from understanding why particular kinds of traits tend to evolve under sexual selection, and under what circumstances. Here we consider sexual selection in the Heteroptera, a sub-order of the Hemiptera, or true bugs. The latter is the largest of the hemimetabolous insect orders, whilst the Heteroptera itself comprises some 40,000-plus described species. We focus on four key sexual signaling modes found in the Heteroptera: chemical signals, acoustic signaling via stridulation, vibrational (substrate) signaling, and finally tactile signaling (antennation). We compare how these modes vary across broad habitat types and provide a review of each type of signal. We ask how we might move towards a more predictive theory of sexual selection, that links mechanisms and targets of sexual selection to various ecologies.
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11
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Blankers T, Lievers R, Plata C, van Wijk M, van Veldhuizen D, Groot AT. Sex pheromone signal and stability covary with fitness. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210180. [PMID: 34234954 PMCID: PMC8242834 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
If sexual signals are costly, covariance between signal expression and fitness is expected. Signal-fitness covariance is important, because it can contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation in signals that are under natural or sexual selection. Chemical signals, such as female sex pheromones in moths, have traditionally been assumed to be species-recognition signals, but their relationship with fitness is unclear. Here, we test whether chemical, conspecific mate finding signals covary with fitness in the moth Heliothis subflexa. Additionally, as moth signals are synthesized de novo every night, the maintenance of the signal can be costly. Therefore, we also hypothesized that fitness covaries with signal stability (i.e. lack of temporal intra-individual variation). We measured among- and within-individual variation in pheromone characteristics as well as fecundity, fertility and lifespan in two independent groups that differed in the time in between two pheromone samples. In both groups, we found fitness to be correlated with pheromone amount, composition and stability, supporting both our hypotheses. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to report a correlation between fitness and sex pheromone composition in moths, supporting evidence of condition-dependence and highlighting how signal-fitness covariance may contribute to heritable variation in chemical signals both among and within individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Blankers
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rik Lievers
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Camila Plata
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel van Wijk
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis van Veldhuizen
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid T. Groot
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, Jena, Germany
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12
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Dougherty LR. Meta-analysis reveals that animal sexual signalling behaviour is honest and resource based. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:688-699. [PMID: 33723423 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Animals often need to signal to attract mates and behavioural signalling may impose substantial energetic and fitness costs to signallers. Consequently, individuals often strategically adjust signalling effort to maximize the fitness payoffs of signalling. An important determinant of these payoffs is individual state, which can influence the resources available to signallers, their likelihood of mating and their motivation to mate. However, empirical studies often find contradictory patterns of state-based signalling behaviour. For example, individuals in poor condition may signal less than those in good condition to conserve resources (ability-based signalling) or signal more to maximize short-term reproductive success (needs-based signalling). To clarify this relationship, I systematically searched for published studies examining animal sexual signalling behaviour in relation to six aspects of individual state: age, mated status, attractiveness, body size, condition and parasite load. Across 228 studies and 147 species, individuals (who were predominantly male) invested more into behavioural signalling when in good condition. Overall, this suggests that animal sexual signalling behaviour is generally honest and ability-based. However, the magnitude of state-dependent plasticity was small and there was a large amount of between-study heterogeneity that remains unexplained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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13
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Schrempf SD, Burke KW, Wettlaufer JD, Martin PR. Behavioral dominance interactions between Nicrophorus orbicollis and N. tomentosus burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e10797. [PMID: 33665013 PMCID: PMC7912668 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric interference competition, where one species is behaviorally dominant over another, appears widespread in nature with the potential to structure ecological communities through trade-offs between competitive dominance and environmental tolerance. The details of how species interact and the factors that contribute to behavioral dominance, however, are poorly known for most species, yet such details are important for understanding when and why trade-offs occur. Here, we examine behavioral interactions between two species of burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) that compete for limited breeding resources (i.e., small vertebrate carcasses) in nature, to identify behaviors involved in interference competition and to test if large body size, species identity, or time of arrival best predict behavioral dominance among species. To test these ideas, we placed same-sex individuals of Nicrophorus orbicollis (early to mid-summer breeder) and N. tomentosus (late summer to fall breeder) into an enclosure together with a 25–30 g mouse carcass (Mus musculus). We then video-recorded all behaviors, including neutral and aggressive interactions, for 13 h per trial (N = 14 trials). For each interaction, we assigned a winner based on which beetle retained its position instead of fleeing or retained possession of the carcass; the overall behavioral dominant was determined as the individual that won the most interactions over the length of the trial. We found that large body size was the best predictor of behavioral dominance. In most interactions, N. orbicollis was larger and dominant over N. tomentosus; however, when N. tomentosus was larger they outcompeted smaller N. orbicollis, illustrating the importance of body size in aggressive contests. The order of arrival to the carcass (priority effects) did not predict behavioral dominance. The larger size and abundance of N. orbicollis in nature suggest a competitive asymmetry between the species, supporting the idea that N. orbicollis constrains the ability of N. tomentosus to breed earlier in the summer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin W Burke
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Paul R Martin
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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14
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Sepil I, Hopkins BR, Dean R, Bath E, Friedman S, Swanson B, Ostridge HJ, Harper L, Buehner NA, Wolfner MF, Konietzny R, Thézénas ML, Sandham E, Charles PD, Fischer R, Steinhauer J, Kessler BM, Wigby S. Male reproductive aging arises via multifaceted mating-dependent sperm and seminal proteome declines, but is postponable in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17094-17103. [PMID: 32611817 PMCID: PMC7382285 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009053117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Declining ejaculate performance with male age is taxonomically widespread and has broad fitness consequences. Ejaculate success requires fully functional germline (sperm) and soma (seminal fluid) components. However, some aging theories predict that resources should be preferentially diverted to the germline at the expense of the soma, suggesting differential impacts of aging on sperm and seminal fluid and trade-offs between them or, more broadly, between reproduction and lifespan. While harmful effects of male age on sperm are well known, we do not know how much seminal fluid deteriorates in comparison. Moreover, given the predicted trade-offs, it remains unclear whether systemic lifespan-extending interventions could ameliorate the declining performance of the ejaculate as a whole. Here, we address these problems using Drosophila melanogaster. We demonstrate that seminal fluid deterioration contributes to male reproductive decline via mating-dependent mechanisms that include posttranslational modifications to seminal proteins and altered seminal proteome composition and transfer. Additionally, we find that sperm production declines chronologically with age, invariant to mating activity such that older multiply mated males become infertile principally via reduced sperm transfer and viability. Our data, therefore, support the idea that both germline and soma components of the ejaculate contribute to male reproductive aging but reveal a mismatch in their aging patterns. Our data do not generally support the idea that the germline is prioritized over soma, at least, within the ejaculate. Moreover, we find that lifespan-extending systemic down-regulation of insulin signaling results in improved late-life ejaculate performance, indicating simultaneous amelioration of both somatic and reproductive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom;
| | - Ben R Hopkins
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Rebecca Dean
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Bath
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ben Swanson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Harrison J Ostridge
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Harper
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Norene A Buehner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Rebecca Konietzny
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, TDI Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marie-Laëtitia Thézénas
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, TDI Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Sandham
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Philip D Charles
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, TDI Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roman Fischer
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, TDI Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, TDI Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ Oxford, United Kingdom
- Faculty Biology, Applied Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB Liverpool, United Kingdom
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15
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Chemnitz J, von Hoermann C, Ayasse M, Steiger S. The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Efficacy of Chemical Communication in the Burying Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:5870645. [PMID: 32658275 PMCID: PMC7357268 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that a wide range of insect sex pheromones are condition dependent and play a fundamental role in mate choice. However, the effectiveness of pheromonal communication might not only depend on internal factors of the sender, but also on attributes of the microhabitat, in which the signaler chooses to emit its chemical signal. For example, the degree of anthropogenic land use might affect how successful the signal is transmitted, as land use has been shown to affect animal communities and the complexity of biotic interactions. To test the hypothesis that parameters of the microenvironment determine males' ability to attract females via their sex pheromone, we used the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides Herbst (Coleoptera: Silphidae) as our model system. We exposed 144 males across differently managed forest stands and analyzed the impact of 29 environmental parameters. Our data revealed that human land use intensity had no effect on a male's attractiveness. However, the harvested tree biomass positively affected the proportion of competitors attracted. Furthermore, we found that soil characteristics were important factors determining the amount and body size of females a male was able to attract. Consequently, we present evidence that the environmental context of a signaling male influences the effectiveness of chemical signaling either because it affects the transmission process or the prevailing abundance of potential signal receivers. Thus, our results demonstrate that males need to make careful decisions about the location where they emit their pheromone, as this choice of microhabitat has an impact on their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Chemnitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian von Hoermann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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16
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The Production of Sex Pheromone in Lady Beetles Is Conditioned by Presence of Aphids and Not by Mating Status. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:590-596. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01197-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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17
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A Parental Volatile Pheromone Triggers Offspring Begging in a Burying Beetle. iScience 2019; 19:1260-1278. [PMID: 31521616 PMCID: PMC6831812 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care is a notable aspect of reproductive effort in many animals. The interaction between offspring begging and the parental feeding response is an important communication mechanism that regulates offspring food supply, and reducing the cost of superfluous begging is beneficial to both parents and offspring. Here we concluded that parents of the burying beetle Nicrophorus quadripunctatus inform their offspring of their preparation for provisioning by emitting “provisioning pheromone.” Female parents emitted an antimicrobial aromatic compound, 2-phenoxyethanol, in their regurgitation before provisioning, and this compound elicits begging behavior from their offspring. Furthermore, begging incurs growth and survival costs, and parents spent more than 85% of their time in close proximity to their offspring without provisioning. Therefore, it is suggested that limiting offspring begging during provisioning is beneficial to both parents and offspring. We report here a novel aspect of parent-offspring communication in family life. Burying beetle parents emit a volatile pheromone that elicits larval begging Parents secrete the pheromone into their regurgitation, which is consumed by offspring This pheromone benefits the parents by reducing the cost of larval begging
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18
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Darragh K, Byers KJRP, Merrill RM, McMillan WO, Schulz S, Jiggins CD. Male pheromone composition depends on larval but not adult diet in Heliconius melpomene. ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 44:397-405. [PMID: 31217661 PMCID: PMC6563479 DOI: 10.1111/een.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
1. Condition-dependent traits can act as honest signals of mate quality, with fitter individuals being able to display preferred phenotypes. Nutrition is known to be an important determinant of individual condition, with diet known to affect many secondary sexual traits. 2. In Heliconius butterflies, male chemical signalling plays an important role in female mate choice. Potential male sex pheromone components have been identified previously, although it is unclear what information they convey to the female. 3. In the present study, the effect of diet on androconial and genital compound production is tested in male Heliconius melpomene rosina. To manipulate larval diet, larvae are reared on three different Passiflora host plants: Passiflora menispermifolia, the preferred host plant, Passiflora vitifolia and Passiflora platyloba. To manipulate adult diet, adult butterflies are reared with and without access to pollen, a key component of their diet. 4. No evidence is found to suggest that adult pollen consumption affects compound production in the first 10 days after eclosion. There is also a strong overlap in the chemical profiles of individuals reared on different larval host plants. The most abundant compounds produced by the butterflies do not differ between host plant groups. However, some compounds found in small amounts differ both qualitatively and quantitatively. Some of these compounds are predicted to be of plant origin and the others synthesised by the butterfly. Further electrophysiological and behavioural experiments will be needed to determine the biological significance of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Darragh
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
| | - Kelsey J. R. P. Byers
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
| | - Richard M. Merrill
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
- Division of Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversitätMunichGermany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Organic ChemistryTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeU.K.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama
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19
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Richardson J, Smiseth PT. Nutrition during sexual maturation and at the time of mating affects mating behaviour in both sexes of a burying beetle. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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20
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A pheromone that coordinates parental care is evolutionary conserved among burying beetles (Silphidae: Nicrophorus). CHEMOECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-018-0271-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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21
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Berson JD, Simmons LW. A costly chemical trait: phenotypic condition dependence of cuticular hydrocarbons in a dung beetle. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1772-1781. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Berson
- School of Biological Sciences Centre for Evolutionary Biology The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- School of Biological Sciences Centre for Evolutionary Biology The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
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22
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Pheromones Regulating Reproduction in Subsocial Beetles: Insights with References to Eusocial Insects. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:785-795. [PMID: 29974316 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0982-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Beetles have evolved diverse strategies to cope with environmental challenges. Although parents of the vast majority of beetle species do not take care of their offspring, there are some species, in which parents provide elaborate post-hatching care and remain temporarily associated with their offspring to defend them from competitors or to provision them with food. Usually, socially induced reproductive "control" is a core feature of eusocial societies, but here we highlight that already in small family groups, socially induced reproductive regulation can play a fundamental role. By discussing the family life of burying beetles, we illustrate the mechanisms behind such a reproductive "control" and show that - similar to eusocial insects - pheromones can be an important regulating factor. However, apart from burying beetles, our knowledge of pheromones or other signals mediating reproductive regulation is surprisingly rudimentary for social beetles. More data are required to broaden our currently patchy picture.
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23
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Keppner EM, Ayasse M, Steiger S. Manipulation of parental nutritional condition reveals competition among family members. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:822-832. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Keppner
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; Ulm University; Ulm Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; Ulm University; Ulm Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; Ulm University; Ulm Germany
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology; University of Gießen; Gießen Germany
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24
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Steiger S, Stökl J. Pheromones involved in insect parental care and family life. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:89-95. [PMID: 29208229 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective parental care requires recognition and communication processes. Whereas chemical communication has been studied intensively in eusocial organisms, in which the workers (siblings) predominantly provide brood care, insect groups in which parents engage in care have been largely neglected. However, the study of communication in insect families might complement and enhance our understanding not only of the evolution of signaling process involved in social insects, but also of those involved in vertebrate families. In this review, we synthesize the existing information about the pheromones and chemical cues that regulate and affect insect parental care and family life. We will present research dealing with pre-hatching as well as post-hatching parental care and cover interactions between parents and offspring, between male and female parents, and among siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, University of Gießen, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, University of Gießen, 35392 Gießen, Germany
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25
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Haberer W, Schmitt T, Schreier P, Eggert AK, Müller JK. Volatiles Emitted by Calling Males of Burying Beetles and Ptomascopus morio (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorinae) Are Biogenetically Related. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:971-977. [PMID: 29032491 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0892-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In burying beetles, Nicrophorus spp. (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorinae) mate finding is mediated by male produced volatile compounds. To date, pheromone components of only two species have been identified. In an attempt to better understand the evolution of male pheromone signaling in burying beetles, we investigated the male released volatiles of ten Nicrophorus species and one closely related nicrophorine species, Ptomascopus mori. Volatiles emitted by calling males were collected in the laboratory by means of solid phase micro extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Identified volatiles included short chain esters of 4-methylcarboxylic acids, terpenoids, and some other aliphatic compounds. The long-range volatile signals of the burying beetle species included in this study are blends of two to seven components. We found that methyl or ethyl esters of 4-methylheptanoic acid and 4-methyloctanoic acid are produced by eight of the ten investigated Nicrophorus species. These esters may play a key role in chemical communication. Their widespread occurrence suggests that these compounds did not evolve recently, but appeared relatively early in the phylogeny of the genus. Although Ptomascopus is considered the sister genus of Nicrophorus, P. morio males do not produce any of the Nicrophorus compounds, but release 3-methylalkan-2-ones, which are absent in Nicrophorus. A better understanding of the evolution of burying beetle pheromones, however, will only be possible once more species have been studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolf Haberer
- Department of Animal Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Peter Schreier
- Department of Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Katrin Eggert
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Josef K Müller
- Department of Animal Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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26
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Booksmythe I, Rundle HD, Arnqvist G. Sexual dimorphism in epicuticular compounds despite similar sexual selection in sex role-reversed seed beetles. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:2005-2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Booksmythe
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - H. D. Rundle
- Department of Biology; University of Ottawa; Ottawa ON Canada
| | - G. Arnqvist
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
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27
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Variation in sex pheromone emission does not reflect immunocompetence but affects attractiveness of male burying beetles-a combination of laboratory and field experiments. Naturwissenschaften 2017. [PMID: 28620738 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1473-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts a trade-off between male sexual trait expression and immunocompetence. Using burying beetles, Nicrophorus vespilloides, as a model, we investigated the relationship between male immune function, sex pheromone emission, and attractiveness under field conditions. In the first experiment, we tested whether there is a positive correlation between immune capacity, sex pheromone characteristics (quantity, relative composition, and time invested in pheromone emission), and male attractiveness. As a measurement of immune capacity, we used an individual's encapsulation ability against a novel antigen. In the second experiment, we specifically examined whether a trade-off between chemical trait expression and immune function existed. To this end, we challenged the immune system and measured the subsequent investment in sex pheromone emission and the attractiveness of the male under field conditions. We found that a male's immunocompetence was neither related to the emission of the male's sex pheromone nor to its attractiveness in the field. Furthermore, none of the immune-challenge treatments affected the subsequent investment in pheromone emission or number of females attracted. However, we showed that the same males that emitted a high quantity of their sex pheromone in the laboratory were able to attract more females in the field. Our data suggest that the chemical signal is not a reliable predictor of a male's immunocompetence but rather is a general important fitness-related trait, with a higher emission of the sex pheromone measured in the laboratory directly affecting the attractiveness of a male under field conditions.
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28
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Llanos-Garrido A, Díaz JA, Pérez-Rodríguez A, Arriero E. Variation in male ornaments in two lizard populations with contrasting parasite loads. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Llanos-Garrido
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - J. A. Díaz
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - A. Pérez-Rodríguez
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - E. Arriero
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
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29
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Chemnitz J, Bagrii N, Ayasse M, Steiger S. Staying with the young enhances the fathers’ attractiveness in burying beetles. Evolution 2017; 71:985-994. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Chemnitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; University of Ulm; 89081 Ulm Germany
| | - Nadiia Bagrii
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; University of Ulm; 89081 Ulm Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; University of Ulm; 89081 Ulm Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics; University of Ulm; 89081 Ulm Germany
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30
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Zizzari ZV, Engl T, Lorenz S, van Straalen NM, Ellers J, Groot AT. Love at first sniff: a spermatophore-associated pheromone mediates partner attraction in a collembolan species. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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31
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Keppner EM, Prang M, Engel KC, Ayasse M, Stökl J, Steiger S. Beyond Cuticular Hydrocarbons: Chemically Mediated Mate Recognition in the Subsocial Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. J Chem Ecol 2016; 43:84-93. [PMID: 28028746 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0806-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Burying beetles have fascinated scientists for centuries due to their elaborate form of biparental care that includes the burial and defense of a vertebrate carcass, as well as the subsequent feeding of the larvae. However, besides extensive research on burying beetles, one fundamental question has yet to be answered: what cues do males use to discriminate between the sexes? Here, we show in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides that cuticular lipids trigger male mating behavior. Previous chemical analyses have revealed sex differences in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition; however, in the current study, fractionated-guided bioassay showed that cuticular lipids, other than CHCs, elicit copulation. Chemical analyses of the behaviorally active fraction revealed 17 compounds, mainly aldehydes and fatty acid esters, with small quantitative but no qualitative differences between the sexes. Supplementation of males with hexadecanal, the compound contributing most to the statistical separation of the chemical profiles of males and females, did not trigger copulation attempts by males. Therefore, a possible explanation is that the whole profile of polar lipids mediates sex recognition in N. vespilloides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Keppner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Madlen Prang
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Katharina C Engel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of for Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin M. Bonilla
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public HealthHarvard UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Jeanne A. Zeh
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
| | - David W. Zeh
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
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33
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Switching tactics: phenotypic plasticity in the alternative mate-finding tactics of burying beetles. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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