1
|
Chiara V. Personality expression is shaped by the early experienced social context in predatory mites. J Anim Ecol 2025; 94:7-10. [PMID: 39632395 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2024] [Accepted: 11/15/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024]
Abstract
Research Highlights: Schausberger, P., & Nguyen, T. H. (2024). Early social isolation disrupts adult personality expression in group-living mites. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14169. Personality traits in animals have been of great interest in the last decades. The number of studies demonstrating the existence of personality in a wide range of taxa is growing rapidly. Although the effect of early experience on later average values of behavioural traits is well documented, very few articles demonstrate the effects of those factors on personality expression itself. One factor in particular received very little, if not no, attention: social isolation. Although social isolation is known to have major impacts on later animal behaviour, it is still unknown whether it may favour or inhibit personality expression. In a recent study, Schausberger and Nguyen (2024) demonstrated that early-life social isolation had strong effects on adults of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. They show for the first time that early social isolation decreased the expression of personality in the activity of adults when tested in a social context. Interestingly, they observed the opposite effect when the same mites were tested alone: previously isolated mites were highly repeatable but group-reared mites were not. Finally, they also show an indirect effect of early social isolation through mating: mating with a male who experienced social isolation increased the behavioural repeatability of females. This study not only reinforces the established understanding of personality but also paves the way for future research in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Violette Chiara
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jernigan CM, Sheehan MJ. Developmental biology: Wait a bit and then you'll smell it. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R688-R690. [PMID: 39043142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Animals change how they respond to the world around them as they age, giving rise to developmental stage and status appropriate behaviours. New work finds that changes in the primary olfactory neuropil are correlated with the natural developmental shift in alarm pheromone-specific responses of an ant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Jernigan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Amiri A, Bandani AR. Callosobruchus maculatus males and females respond differently to grandparental effects. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295937. [PMID: 38134132 PMCID: PMC10745144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we used the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and two essential oils (mint and rosemary) to investigate the effect of the parents (F0) exposure to a sublethal dose of essential oil on grand offspring (F2) encountering the same essential oil. Then we evaluated biological parameters, including immature development time, sex ratio, adult emergence, egg number, egg hatch, longevity, and mating behaviors in three generations (F0, F1, and F2). Results showed when F0 experienced essential oil in the embryonic stage, parental and grandparental effects were more severe than adulthood experiences. Also, grandparental effects increased or decreased reactions of F2 generation when faced with a similar essential oil, depending on grand offspring sex. For example, when grandparents experienced rosemary essential oil in the embryonic stage, they produced more tolerant female grand offspring with a better ability to cope with the same essential oil (increased adult longevity and egg number). However, male grandoffspring were more sensitive (had a higher mortality percentage and less copulation success). Grandparental effects of exposure to mint essential oil diminished female grand offspring longevity and improved male copulation behavior parameters such as increased copulation duration and decreased rejection by females. In all, grandparental effects were different in male and female grand offspring based on the essential oil type experienced by F0.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azam Amiri
- College of Geography and Environmental Planning. University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Ali R. Bandani
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rittschof CC, Denny AS. The Impacts of Early-Life Experience on Bee Phenotypes and Fitness. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:808-824. [PMID: 36881719 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Across diverse animal species, early-life experiences have lifelong impacts on a variety of traits. The scope of these impacts, their implications, and the mechanisms that drive these effects are central research foci for a variety of disciplines in biology, from ecology and evolution to molecular biology and neuroscience. Here, we review the role of early life in shaping adult phenotypes and fitness in bees, emphasizing the possibility that bees are ideal species to investigate variation in early-life experience and its consequences at both individual and population levels. Bee early life includes the larval and pupal stages, critical time periods during which factors like food availability, maternal care, and temperature set the phenotypic trajectory for an individual's lifetime. We discuss how some common traits impacted by these experiences, including development rate and adult body size, influence fitness at the individual level, with possible ramifications at the population level. Finally, we review ways in which human alterations to the landscape may impact bee populations through early-life effects. This review highlights aspects of bees' natural history and behavioral ecology that warrant further investigation with the goal of understanding how environmental disturbances threaten these vulnerable species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Amanda S Denny
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Eleftherianos I, Mohamed AA, Tettamanti G, Zhang W. Editorial: Insect behavioral adaptations and immune responses to stress. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1244589. [PMID: 37469556 PMCID: PMC10352936 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1244589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Eleftherianos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Infection and Innate Immunity Laboratory, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Amr A. Mohamed
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Gianluca Tettamanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Wei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rivi V, Benatti C, Rigillo G, Blom JMC. Invertebrates as models of learning and memory: investigating neural and molecular mechanisms. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244844. [PMID: 36719249 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In this Commentary, we shed light on the use of invertebrates as model organisms for understanding the causal and conserved mechanisms of learning and memory. We provide a condensed chronicle of the contribution offered by mollusks to the studies on how and where the nervous system encodes and stores memory and describe the rich cognitive capabilities of some insect species, including attention and concept learning. We also discuss the use of planarians for investigating the dynamics of memory during brain regeneration and highlight the role of stressful stimuli in forming memories. Furthermore, we focus on the increasing evidence that invertebrates display some forms of emotions, which provides new opportunities for unveiling the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the complex interaction between stress, emotions and cognition. In doing so, we highlight experimental challenges and suggest future directions that we expect the field to take in the coming years, particularly regarding what we, as humans, need to know for preventing and/or delaying memory loss. This article has an associated ECR Spotlight interview with Veronica Rivi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Rivi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Benatti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Rigillo
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Joan M C Blom
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Clever pest control? The role of cognition in biological pest regulation. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:189-197. [PMID: 36526865 PMCID: PMC9877098 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01731-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Crop pest management is a global challenge. Increases in agricultural intensity due to anthropogenic demands, alongside the need to reduce the reliance on pesticides to minimize environmental harm, have resulted in an urgent need to improve and expand other methods of pest control. One increasingly utilized method is biological pest control, in which natural pest predators are used to regulating crop pests. Current approaches to biological pest regulation assess the importance of a pest controller by examining its ability to maintain pest populations over an extended period. However, this approach lacks efficiency, specificity, and efficacy because it does not take into account crucial factors which determine how predators find, evaluate and remember food sources-the cognitive processes underlying their behavior. This review will investigate the cognitive factors involved in biological pest control and examine how these factors may be manipulated to impact pest behavior and pest controller performance.
Collapse
|
8
|
Kannan K, Galizia CG, Nouvian M. Olfactory Strategies in the Defensive Behaviour of Insects. INSECTS 2022; 13:470. [PMID: 35621804 PMCID: PMC9145661 DOI: 10.3390/insects13050470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Most animals must defend themselves in order to survive. Defensive behaviour includes detecting predators or intruders, avoiding them by staying low-key or escaping or deterring them away by means of aggressive behaviour, i.e., attacking them. Responses vary across insect species, ranging from individual responses to coordinated group attacks in group-living species. Among different modalities of sensory perception, insects predominantly use the sense of smell to detect predators, intruders, and other threats. Furthermore, social insects, such as honeybees and ants, communicate about danger by means of alarm pheromones. In this review, we focus on how olfaction is put to use by insects in defensive behaviour. We review the knowledge of how chemical signals such as the alarm pheromone are processed in the insect brain. We further discuss future studies for understanding defensive behaviour and the role of olfaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Kannan
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - C. Giovanni Galizia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Morgane Nouvian
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Agonistic experience during development establishes inter-individual differences in approach-avoidance behaviour of crickets. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16702. [PMID: 34404861 PMCID: PMC8371163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96201-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of numerous animal species show consistent inter-individual differences in behaviours, but the forces generating animal "personality" or individuality remain unclear. We show that experiences gathered solely from social conflict can establish consistent differences in the decision of male crickets to approach or avoid a stimulus directed at one antenna. Adults isolated for 48 h from a colony already exhibit behavioural differences. Prior to staging a single dyadic contest, prospective winners approached the stimulus whereas prospective losers turned away, as they did also after fighting. In contrast, adults raised as nymphs with adult males present but isolated from them as last instar nymphs, all showed avoidance. Furthermore, adults raised without prior adult contact, showed no preferred directional response. However, following a single fight, winners from both these groups showed approach and losers avoidance, but this difference lasted only one day. In contrast, after 6 successive wins or defeats, the different directional responses of multiple winners and losers remained consistent for at least 6 days. Correlation analysis revealed examples of consistent inter-individual differences in the direction and magnitude of turning responses, which also correlated with individual aggressiveness and motility. Together our data reveal that social subjugation, or lack thereof, during post-embryonic and early adult development forges individuality and supports the notion of a proactive-reactive syndrome in crickets.
Collapse
|