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Birkenbach M, Straub F, Kiesel A, Ayasse M, Wilfert L, Kuppler J. Land-use affects pollinator-specific resource availability and pollinator foraging behaviour. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11061. [PMID: 38455145 PMCID: PMC10918743 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Land-use management is a key factor causing pollinator declines in agricultural grasslands. This decline can not only be directly driven by land-use (e.g., habitat loss) but also be indirectly mediated through a reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity, which might in turn affect pollinator health and foraging. We conducted surveys of the abundance of flowering plant species and behavioural observations of two common generalist pollinator species, namely the bumblebee Bombus lapidarius and the syrphid fly Episyrphus balteatus, in managed grasslands of variable land-use intensity (LUI) to investigate whether land-use affects (1) resource availability of the pollinators, (2) their host plant selection and (3) pollinator foraging behaviour. We have found that the floral composition of plant species that were used as resource by the investigated pollinator species depends on land-use intensity and practices such as mowing or grazing. We have also found that bumblebees, but not syrphid flies, visit different plants depending on LUI or management type. Furthermore, LUI indirectly changed pollinator behaviour via a reduction in plot-level flower diversity and abundance. For example, bumblebees show longer flight durations with decreasing flower cover indicating higher energy expenditure when foraging on land-use intensive plots. Syrphid flies were generally less affected by local land use, showing how different pollinator groups can differently react to land-use change. Overall, we show that land-use can change resource composition, abundance and diversity for pollinators, which can in turn affect pollinator foraging behaviour and potentially contribute to pollinator decline in agricultural grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Birkenbach
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Florian Straub
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Anna Kiesel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
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2
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Liu JW, Milet-Pinheiro P, Gerlach G, Ayasse M, Nunes CEP, Alves-Dos-Santos I, Ramírez SR. Macroevolution of floral scent chemistry across radiations of male euglossine bee-pollinated plantsMacroevolución de olores florales a través de radiaciones de plantas polinizadas por abejas euglosinas machosMacroevolução dos voláteis florais em radiações de plantas polinizadas por machos de abelhas Euglossini. Evolution 2024; 78:98-110. [PMID: 37897499 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Floral volatiles play key roles as signaling agents that mediate interactions between plants and animals. Despite their importance, few studies have investigated broad patterns of volatile variation across groups of plants that share pollinators, particularly in a phylogenetic context. The "perfume flowers," Neotropical plant species exhibiting exclusive pollination by male euglossine bees in search of chemical rewards, present an intriguing system to investigate these patterns due to the unique function of their chemical phenotypes as both signaling agents and rewards. We leverage recently developed phylogenies and knowledge of biosynthesis, along with decades of chemical ecology research, to characterize axes of variation in the chemistry of perfume flowers, as well as understand their evolution at finer taxonomic scales. We detect pervasive chemical convergence, with many species across families exhibiting similar volatile phenotypes. Scent profiles of most species are dominated by compounds of either the phenylpropanoid or terpenoid biosynthesis pathways, while terpenoid compounds drive more subtle axes of variation. We find recapitulation of these patterns within two independent radiations of perfume flower orchids, in which we further detect evidence for the rapid evolution of divergent floral chemistries, consistent with the putative importance of scent in the process of adaptation and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasen W Liu
- Center for Population Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Ecological Interactions and Semiochemicals, Universidade de Pernambuco, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Günter Gerlach
- Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg, München, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Santiago R Ramírez
- Center for Population Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Jardín Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
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3
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Burger H, Buttala S, Koch H, Ayasse M, Johnson SD, Stevenson PC. Nectar cardenolides and floral volatiles mediate a specialized wasp pollination system. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246156. [PMID: 38180227 PMCID: PMC10785657 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Specialization in plant pollination systems can arise from traits that function as filters of flower visitors. This may involve chemical traits such as floral volatiles that selectively attract favoured visitors and non-volatile nectar constituents that selectively deter disfavoured visitors through taste or longer-term toxic effects or both. We explored the functions of floral chemical traits in the African milkweed Gomphocarpus physocarpus, which is pollinated almost exclusively by vespid wasps, despite having nectar that is highly accessible to other insects such as honeybees. We demonstrated that the nectar of wasp-pollinated G. physocarpus contains cardenolides that had greater toxic effects on Apis mellifera honeybees than on Vespula germanica wasps, and also reduced feeding rates by honeybees. Behavioural experiments using natural compositions of nectar compounds showed that these interactions are mediated by non-volatile nectar chemistry. We also identified volatile compounds with acetic acid as a main component in the floral scent of G. physocarpus that elicited electrophysiological responses in wasp antennae. Mixtures of these compounds were behaviourally effective for attraction of V. germanica wasps. The results show the importance of both volatile and non-volatile chemical traits as filters that lead to specialization in plant pollination systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Burger
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Samantha Buttala
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hauke Koch
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,Kew Green, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Steven D. Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
| | - Philip C. Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,Kew Green, Richmond TW9 3AE, UK
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
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4
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Straub F, Birkenbach M, Leonhardt SD, Ruedenauer FA, Kuppler J, Wilfert L, Ayasse M. Land-use-associated stressors interact to reduce bumblebee health at the individual and colony level. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231322. [PMID: 37817596 PMCID: PMC10565366 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In agricultural landscapes, bees face a variety of stressors, including insecticides and poor-quality food. Although both stressors individually have been shown to affect bumblebee health negatively, few studies have focused on stressor interactions, a scenario expected in intensively used agricultural landscapes. Using the bumblebee Bombus terrestris, a key pollinator in agricultural landscapes, we conducted a fully factorial laboratory experiment starting at nest initiation. We assessed the effects of food quality and insecticides, alone and in interaction, on health traits at various levels, some of which have been rarely studied. Pollen with a diluted nutrient content (low quality) reduced ovary size and delayed colony development. Wing asymmetry, indicating developmental stress, was increased during insecticide exposure and interactions with poor food, whereas both stressors reduced body size. Both stressors and their interaction changed the workers' chemical profile and reduced worker interactions and the immune response. Our findings suggest that insecticides combined with nutritional stress reduce bumblebee health at the individual and colony levels, thus possibly affecting colony performance, such as development and reproduction, and the stability of plant-pollinator networks. The synergistic effects highlight the need of combining stressors in risk assessments and when studying the complex effects of anthropogenic stressors on health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Straub
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Birkenbach
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sara D. Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect-Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Fabian A. Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect-Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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5
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Boff S, Ayasse M. Exposure to sublethal concentration of flupyradifurone alters sexual behavior and cuticular hydrocarbon profile in Heriades truncorum, an oligolectic solitary bee. Insect Sci 2023. [PMID: 37602924 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The aboveground oligolectic bee, Heriades truncorum, is a particularly good model for studying the impact of pesticides on sexual communication, since some aspects of its mating behavior have previously been described. We have tested (1) the interference of the pesticide flupyradifurone on male precopulatory behavior and male mating partner preferences, (2) the way that the pesticide interferes in male quality assessment by the female, and (3) the effects of the pesticide on the chemical compounds in the female cuticle. We exposed bees of both sexes to a sublethal concentration of flupyradifurone. Various behaviors were registered in a mating arena with two females (one unexposed and one exposed) and one male (either unexposed or exposed). Unexposed males were quicker to attempt to mate. Treatment also impacted precopulatory behavior and male quality assessment by females. Males approached unexposed females more quickly than insecticide-exposed ones. Females exposed to insecticide produced lower amounts of some cuticular hydrocarbons (sex pheromone candidates) and appeared less choosy than unexposed females. Our findings suggest that insecticide exposure affects sexual communication, playing a role both in male preference and in male quality assessment by the female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Boff
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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6
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Abstract
Are male orchid bees the 'chemical peacocks' of the insect world? A new study on orchid bees shows that perfumes of males do indeed have a comparable function as a peacock's tail to increase male mating success and paternity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
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7
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Krapf P, Arthofer W, Ayasse M, Steiner FM, Schlick-Steiner BC. Global change may make hostile - Higher ambient temperature and nitrogen availability increase ant aggression. Sci Total Environ 2023; 861:160443. [PMID: 36436655 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Behaviour is a response of organisms to internal and external stimuli and comprises various activities such as searching for food. Aggression is important in such activities, for example, improving the chances of winning competition for food, but animals differ in their level of aggression. This behavioural plasticity allows individuals to respond to environmental changes and is important for the survival of animals. It may be an important asset in facing global changes, which affect all organisms, for example, via rising temperature and eutrophication. The latter have steadily increased since 1900, especially in high elevations. Their effects may first become visible in stationary organisms such as ants because their nests are strictly associated with the conditions on site. Here, we analysed eight populations of the high-elevation ant Tetramorium alpestre along several elevations spanning the European Alps. We conducted a correlative approach and analysed several genetic and environmental proxies, namely within- and across-colony genetic relatedness, cuticular hydrocarbons, body size, across-colony geographic distance, air temperature, and worker nitrogen values additionally to within-population aggressive behaviour. We hypothesised that a) these proxies and aggressive behaviour differ among populations and that b) one or more of these proxies influence aggression. We found that a) some environmental proxies and aggression differed among populations but not the genetic proxies and that b) air temperature and worker nitrogen-isotope values correlated positively with worker aggression. The results indicate an environmental but not social-structural influence on this ant's aggressive behaviour, even though social structure varied among populations (single- and multiple-queened colonies). We infer that global change affects aggression in our study system and propose five mutually non-exclusive scenarios to explain the behavioural change mechanistically. Using the space-for-time principle, we speculate that aggression may increase due to future increases in temperature and nitrogen availability in this ant and other species living in high elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Krapf
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Florian M Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Birgit C Schlick-Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
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8
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Milet-Pinheiro P, Pinto CE, Navarro DMAF, Silva JBF, Brandt K, Ayasse M. Floral Scent Chemistry and Pollinators of a Sexually Dimorphic Neotropical Orchid. Plants (Basel) 2022; 12:17. [PMID: 36616146 PMCID: PMC9824664 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Catasetum is a speciose Neotropical orchid genus of which male and female flowers emit scents acting both as attractant and reward for their exclusive pollinators, male orchid bees (Euglossini: Apidae). In Catasetum, it is well known that flowers display a remarkably morphological sexual dimorphism. However, it remains poorly investigated whether this is also true for floral scents. Here, we investigated the pollination ecology and floral scent traits (chemistry and total emission) of C. maranhense, a species endemic to the Brazilian N/NE region. Males of Euglossa securigera are the only pollinators of C. maranhense. The floral scent of C. maranhense is composed of 29 volatile compounds, with eucalyptol, indole, (E)-Methyl p-methoxycinnamate, and (Z)-Methyl p-methoxycinnamate accounting for more than 80% of the scent bouquet. No sexual dimorphism was detected in any of the traits investigated. We discuss the ecological and evolutionary significance of our findings to Catasetum species and other unisexual perfume plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas e Semioquímicos, Universidade de Pernambuco, Campus Petrolina, Rodovia BR 203, Km 2, Petrolina 56328-903, Brazil
| | - Carlos E. Pinto
- Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Departmento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 1235 Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, Recife 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Daniela M. A. F. Navarro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Química, Departmento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 1235 Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, Recife 50670-901, Brazil
| | - João B. F. Silva
- Collaborator of the Departamento de Botânica, Goeldi Museum, Av. Magalhães Barata 376, Belém 66040-170, Brazil
| | - Katharina Brandt
- 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
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9
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Nevo O, Valenta K, Helman A, Ganzhorn JU, Ayasse M. Fruit scent as an honest signal for fruit quality. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:139. [PMID: 36451093 PMCID: PMC9710009 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fleshy fruits evolved to be attractive to seed dispersers through various signals such as color and scent. Signals can evolve through different trajectories and have various degrees of reliability. The strongest substrate on which reliable signals can evolve is when there is an inherent link between signal and reward, rendering cheating costly or impossible. It was recently proposed that aliphatic esters in fruit scent may be predictive of sugar content due to their synthesis from products of sugar fermentation. We test this hypothesis on a case study of wild fig species (Ficus tiliifolia) from Madagascar, which relies on seed dispersal by lemurs. RESULTS We found a strong positive correlation between signal (esters) and reward (sugar). We also found that non-esters, including direct fermentation products, in fruit scent do not indicate sugar levels, which implies that this relationship is not simply a product of fruit maturation wherein more mature fruits emit more scent and contain more sugar. CONCLUSIONS While based on a single taxon, these results strongly support the hypothesis that a biochemical link between ester synthesis and sugar may render the ester fraction of fruit scent an honest signal for fruit quality, with consequences for animal sensory and feeding ecology, and the evolution of plants in the context of seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. .,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany. .,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Kim Valenta
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Annabella Helman
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Jörg U. Ganzhorn
- grid.9026.d0000 0001 2287 2617Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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10
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Höfer RJ, Lindner T, Ayasse M, Kuppler J. Reduced seed set under water deficit is driven mainly by reduced flower numbers and not by changes in flower visitations and pollination. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Höfer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Germany
| | - Tina Lindner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm University Germany
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11
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Neumüller U, Burger H, Mayr AV, Hopfenmüller S, Krausch S, Herwig N, Burger R, Diestelhorst O, Emmerich K, Haider M, Kiefer M, Konicek J, Kornmilch JC, Moser M, Saure C, Schanowski A, Scheuchl E, Sing J, Wagner M, Witter J, Schwenninger HR, Ayasse M. Artificial Nesting Hills Promote Wild Bees in Agricultural Landscapes. Insects 2022; 13:726. [PMID: 36005351 PMCID: PMC9409424 DOI: 10.3390/insects13080726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The availability of nesting resources influences the persistence and survival of bee communities. Although a positive effect of artificial nesting structures has frequently been shown for aboveground cavity-nesting wild bees, studies on below ground-nesting bees are rare. Artificial nesting hills designed to provide nesting habitats for ground-nesting bees were therefore established within the BienABest project in 20 regions across Germany. Wild bee communities were monitored for two consecutive years, accompanied by recordings of landscape and abiotic nest site variables. Bee activity and species richness increased from the first to the second year after establishment; this was particularly pronounced in landscapes with a low cover of semi-natural habitat. The nesting hills were successively colonized, indicating that they should exist for many years, thereby promoting a species-rich bee community. We recommend the construction of nesting hills on sun-exposed sites with a high thermal gain of the substrate because the bees prefer south-facing sites with high soil temperatures. Although the soil composition of the nesting hills plays a minor role, we suggest using local soil to match the needs of the local bee community. We conclude that artificial nesting structures for ground-nesting bees act as a valuable nesting resource for various bee species, particularly in highly degraded landscapes. We offer a construction and maintenance guide for the successful establishment of nesting hills for bee conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Neumüller
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hannah Burger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Antonia V. Mayr
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hopfenmüller
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sabrina Krausch
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Nadine Herwig
- Institute for Ecological Chemistry, Plant Analysis and Stored Product Protection, Julius Kühn-Institute, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald Burger
- Independent Researcher, IFAUN-Faunistik und Funktionale Artenvielfalt, 67246 Dirmstein, Germany
| | | | | | - Mare Haider
- Independent Researcher, Institut für Landschaftsökologie und Naturschutz Bühl, 77815 Bühl, Germany
| | - Manuel Kiefer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jonas Konicek
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Marina Moser
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Christoph Saure
- Independent Researcher, Büro für Tierökologische Studien, 12167 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arno Schanowski
- Independent Researcher, Institut für Landschaftsökologie und Naturschutz Bühl, 77815 Bühl, Germany
| | | | - Julia Sing
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Max Wagner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Julia Witter
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hans R. Schwenninger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Independent Researcher, Kompetenzzentrum Wildbienen gGmbH, 67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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12
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von Hoermann C, Weithmann S, Sikorski J, Nevo O, Szpila K, Grzywacz A, Grunwald JE, Reckel F, Overmann J, Steiger S, Ayasse M. Linking bacteria, volatiles and insects on carrion: the role of temporal and spatial factors regulating inter-kingdom communication via volatiles. R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:220555. [PMID: 36061525 PMCID: PMC9428529 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Multi-kingdom community complexity and the chemically mediated dynamics between bacteria and insects have recently received increased attention in carrion research. However, the strength of these inter-kingdom interactions and the factors that regulate them are poorly studied. We used 75 piglet cadavers across three forest regions to survey the relationship between three actors (epinecrotic bacteria, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and flies) during the first 4 days of decomposition and the factors that regulate this interdependence. The results showed a dynamic bacterial change during decomposition (temperature-time index) and across the forest management gradient, but not between regions. Similarly, VOC emission was dynamic across a temperature-time index and the forest management gradient but did not differ between regions. However, fly occurrence was dynamic across both space and time. The strong interdependence between the three actors was mainly regulated by the temperature-time index and the study regions, thereby revealing regulation at temporal and spatial scales. Additionally, the actor interdependence was stable across a gradient of forest management intensity. By combining different actors of decomposition, we have expanded our knowledge of the holistic mechanisms regulating carrion community dynamics and inter-kingdom interactions, an important precondition for better describing food web dynamics and entire ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian von Hoermann
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Sandra Weithmann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Sikorski
- Department of Microbial Ecology and Diversity Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Szpila
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Andrzej Grzywacz
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Jan-Eric Grunwald
- Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, SG 204, Microtraces/Biology, 80636 Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Reckel
- Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, SG 204, Microtraces/Biology, 80636 Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Department of Microbial Ecology and Diversity Research, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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13
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Straub F, Kuppler J, Fellendorf M, Teuscher M, Vogt J, Ayasse M. Land-use stress alters cuticular chemical surface profile and morphology in the bumble bee Bombus lapidarius. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268474. [PMID: 35560000 PMCID: PMC9106155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinators and other insects are currently undergoing a massive decline. Several stressors are thought to be of importance in this decline, with those having close relationships to agricultural management and practice seemingly playing key roles. In the present study, we sampled Bombus lapidarius L. workers in grasslands differing in their management intensity and management regime across three different regions along a north-south gradient in Germany. We analyzed the bees with regard to (1) their cuticular hydrocarbon profile (because of its important role in communication in social insects) and amount of scent by using gas chromatography and (2) the size of each individual by using wing distances as a proxy for body size. Our analysis revealed changes related to land-use intensity and temperature in the cuticular scent profile of bumble bees. Decreasing body size and increasing total scent amount were explained by an interaction of land-use intensity and study region, but not by land-use intensity alone. Thus, land-use intensity and temperature influence intracolonial communication and size, both of which can have strong effects on foraging. Land management and climate are therefore probably detrimental for colony maintenance and the reproductive success of bumble bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Straub
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Fellendorf
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- Chair for Terrestrial Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Juliane Vogt
- Chair for Terrestrial Ecology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Natura 2000-Station Unstrut-Hainich/Eichsfeld, Hörselberg-Hainich, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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14
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Höfer RJ, Ayasse M, Kuppler J. Water Deficit, Nitrogen Availability, and Their Combination Differently Affect Floral Scent Emission in Three Brassicaceae Species. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:882-899. [PMID: 36525146 PMCID: PMC9840598 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01393-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Floral scent plays a central role in plant-pollinator interactions, as flower visitors can discriminate between scent differences to recognize and forage on rewarding flowers. Changes in scent compositions might therefore lead to recognition mismatches between host plants and flower visitors. An understanding of the phenotypic plasticity of floral scent, especially in crop species, is becoming important because of climate change, e.g., increasing drought periods, and other anthropogenic influences, e.g., nitrogen (N) deposition. We have investigated the effects of the combination of progressive water deficits (dry-down) and N supplementation on floral scent emission in three Brassicaceae species (cultivated vs. wild). Individuals were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (1) well-watered without N supplementation; (2) well-watered with N supplementation; (3) dry-down without N supplementation; (4) dry-down with N supplementation. We collected scent on day 0, 2, 7, and 14 after the commencement of the watering treatment. All samples were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. We found that the highly cultivated Brassica napus had the lowest overall emission rate; its scent composition was affected by the interaction of watering treatment and N supplementation. Scent bouquets of the cultivated Sinapis alba also changed under these treatments. Scent bouquets of the common weed Sinapis arvensis were affected by watering treatment, but not by time and N supplementation. Furthermore, the influence of treatments on the emission rate of single compounds was highly compound-specific. Nonetheless, our study revealed that especially terpenes were negatively affected by drought-stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Höfer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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15
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Brandt K, Dötterl S, Ramírez SR, Etl F, Machado IC, Navarro DMDAF, Dobler D, Reiser O, Ayasse M, Milet-Pinheiro P. Unraveling the Olfactory Biases of Male Euglossine Bees: Species-Specific Antennal Responses and Their Evolutionary Significance for Perfume Flowers. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.727471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Male euglossine bees exhibit unique adaptations for the acquisition and accumulation of chemical compounds from “perfume flowers” and other sources. During courtship display, male bees expose perfume mixtures, presumably to convey species-specific recognition and/or mate choice signals to females. Because olfaction regulates both signal production (in males) and signal detection (in females) in this communication system, strong selective pressures are expected to act on the olfactory system, which could lead to sensory specialization in favor of an increased sensitivity to specific chemical compounds. The floral scents of euglossine-pollinated plants are hypothesized to have evolved in response to the preexisting sensory biases of their male euglossine bee pollinators. However, this has never been investigated at the peripheral olfactory circuitry of distinct pollinating genera. Here, we present a comparative analysis using electroantennography (EAG) of males across the phylogeny of 29 euglossine bee species, among them Euglossa and Eulaema species. First, we tested whether antennal responses differ among different euglossine genera, subgenera and species. Secondly, we conducted a comparative phylogenetic analysis to investigate the macroevolutionary patterns of antennal responses across the euglossine bee phylogeny. We found that antennal response profiles are very unique on the species level and differ on the subgenus and the genus level. The differences can be explained by chemical compounds typically found in the floral scent bouquets of perfume flowers and specific compounds of species either pollinated by Euglossa (e.g., ipsdienol) or Eulaema bees (e.g., (−)-(E)-carvone epoxide). Also, we detected a phylogenetic signal in mean antennal responses and found that especially at the species level of our simulation the overall antennal responses exhibit greater disparity relative to a null model of pure Brownian-motion across the phylogeny. Altogether, our results suggest that (1) euglossine bee species exhibit species-specific antennal responses that differ among euglossine genera and subgenera, (2) antennal responses diverge early after speciation events, and (3) scent composition of perfume flowers evolved in response to pollinator-mediated selection imposed by preexisting sensory biases in euglossine bees.
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16
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Burger H, Marquardt M, Babucke K, Heuel KC, Ayasse M, Dötter S, Galizia CG. Correction: Neural and behavioural responses of the pollen-specialist bee Andrena vaga to Salix odours. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272235. [PMID: 34546365 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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17
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Straub F, Orih IJ, Kimmich J, Ayasse M. Negative Effects of the Neonicotinoid Clothianidin on Foraging Behavior and Antennal Sensitivity in Two Common Pollinator Species, Osmia bicornis and Bombus terrestris. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.697355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect species richness and abundance has declined rapidly over the last few decades. Various stressors, such as the conversion of natural habitats, climate change, land-use intensification, agrochemicals and pathogens, are thought to be major factors in this decline. We treated female bees of two common pollinator species in Europe, Osmia bicornis and Bombus terrestris, with a field-realistic dose of the neonicotinoid clothianidin. We tested its effects on the foraging behavior of O. bicornis under semi-natural conditions and on the antennal sensitivity of both bee species to common floral volatiles by using electroantennography. Clothianidin negatively affected the foraging behavior in O. bicornis by decreasing the number of flowers visited per foraging flight and by increasing the time per flower visit and the searching time between two flowers. It also decreased the antennal sensitivity to 2-phenylethanol in the two bee species. Thus, clothianidin is clearly a threat for bees via its effects on their foraging behavior and antennal sensitivity and is hence probably detrimental for pollination and the reproductive success of bees.
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18
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Schall P, Heinrichs S, Ammer C, Ayasse M, Boch S, Buscot F, Fischer M, Goldmann K, Overmann J, Schulze E, Sikorski J, Weisser WW, Wubet T, Gossner MM. Among stand heterogeneity is key for biodiversity in managed beech forests but does not question the value of unmanaged forests: Response to Bruun and Heilmann‐Clausen (2021). J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Steffi Heinrichs
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute Birmensdorf Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - François Buscot
- Department of Soil Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
- German Centre of integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle – Jena – Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- Department of Soil Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz‐Institute DSMZ ‐ German Collection of Microorganism and Cell Cultures Braunschweig Germany
| | | | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz‐Institute DSMZ ‐ German Collection of Microorganism and Cell Cultures Braunschweig Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Technische Universität München Freising Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Community Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
| | - Martin M. Gossner
- Forest Entomology WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute Birmensdorf Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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19
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Abstract
Oligolectic bees are highly dependent on the availability of the host plants to which they are specialized. Nevertheless, females of Chelostoma rapunculi have recently been monitored occasionally to visit Malva moschata and Geranium sanguineum flowers, in addition to their well-known Campanula spp. hosts. The questions therefore arise which floral cues promote visits to non-host plants. As host-specific floral cues are key attractants for oligolectic bees, we have studied the attractiveness of olfactory and visual cues of the established host Campanula trachelium in comparison to the non-host plants G. sanguineum and M. moschata in behavioral experiments. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses of the floral scent and spectral measurements of floral colors were used to compare and contrast host and non-host plants. The behavioral experiments showed that foraging-naïve bees, in particular, were attracted by olfactory cues of the non-host plants, and that they did not favor the Campanula host scent in choice experiments. Many electrophysiologically active floral volatiles were present in common in the studied plants, although each species produced an individual scent profile. Spiroacetals, the key components that enable C. rapunculi to recognize Campanula hosts, were detected in trace amounts in Geranium but could not be proved to occur in Malva. The visual floral cues of all species were particularly attractive for foraging-experienced bees. The high attractiveness of G. sanguineum and M. moschata flowers to C. rapunculi bees and the floral traits that are similar to the Campanula host plants can be a first step to the beginning of a host expansion or change which, however, rarely occurs in oligolectic bees.
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20
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Yousaf M, Ayasse M, Ahmed A, Gwillim E, Janmohamed SR, Yousaf A, Patel KR, Thyssen JP, Silverberg JI. Association between Atopic Dermatitis and Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Br J Dermatol 2021; 186:227-235. [PMID: 34319589 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.20661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies found conflicting results about the association of atopic dermatitis (AD) with hypertension. OBJECTIVES Determine whether AD and AD severity are associated with hypertension. METHODS A systematic review was performed of published studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and GREAT databases. At least 2 reviewers conducted title/abstract, full-text review, and data extraction. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS Fifty-one studies met inclusion criteria; 19 had sufficient data for meta-analysis. AD was associated with higher odds of hypertension compared to healthy controls (increased in 9 of 16 studies; pooled prevalence: 16.4% vs 13.8%; random-effects regression, pooled unadjusted odds ratio [OR][95% confidence interval <CI95>]: 1.16 [1.04-1.30]), but lower odds of hypertension compared to psoriasis (decreased in 5 of 8 studies; 15.4% vs 24.8%; 0.53 [0.37-0.76]). In particular, moderate-severe AD were associated with hypertension compared to healthy controls (increased in 4 of 6 studies; 24.9% vs 14.7%; 2.33 [1.10-4.94]). Hypertension was commonly reported as an adverse-event secondary to AD treatments, particularly systemic cyclosporine A. Limitations include lack of longitudinal studies or individual-level data and potential confounding. CONCLUSIONS AD, particularly moderate-to-severe disease, was associated with increased hypertension compared to healthy controls, but lower odds than psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Yousaf
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M Ayasse
- Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - A Ahmed
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - E Gwillim
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - S R Janmohamed
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Yousaf
- Department of Dermatology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown
| | - K R Patel
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J P Thyssen
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev-Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J I Silverberg
- The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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21
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Burger H, Marquardt M, Babucke K, Heuel KC, Ayasse M, Dötterl S, Galizia CG. Neural and behavioural responses of the pollen-specialist bee Andrena vaga to Salix odours. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269108. [PMID: 34113983 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
An effective means of finding food is crucial for organisms. Whereas specialized animals select a small number of potentially available food sources, generalists use a broader range. Specialist (oligolectic) bees forage on a small range of flowering plants for pollen and use primarily olfactory and visual cues to locate their host flowers. So far, however, little is known about the specific cues oligoleges use to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts and how floral scent compounds of hosts and non-hosts are processed in the bees' olfactory system. In this study, we recorded physiological responses of the antennae (electroantennographic detection coupled to gas chromatography; GC-EAD) and in the brain (optical imaging; GC imaging), and studied host-finding behaviour of oligolectic Andrena vaga bees, a specialist on Salix plants. In total, we detected 37 physiologically active compounds in host and non-host scents. 4-Oxoisophorone, a common constituent in the scent of many Salix species, evoked strong responses in the antennal lobe glomeruli of A. vaga, but not the generalist honeybee Apis mellifera. The specific glomerular responses to 4-oxoisophorone in natural Salix scents reveals a high degree of specialization in A. vaga for this typical Salix odorant component. In behavioural experiments, we found olfactory cues to be the key attractants for A. vaga to Salix hosts, which are also used to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts, and A. vaga demonstrated a behavioural activity for 4-oxoisophorone. A high sensitivity to floral scents enables the specialized bees to effectively find flowers and it appears that A. vaga bees are highly tuned to 4-oxoisophorone at a very low concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Burger
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Melanie Marquardt
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Katharina Babucke
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kim C Heuel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - C Giovanni Galizia
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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22
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Milet-Pinheiro P, Santos PSC, Prieto-Benítez S, Ayasse M, Dötterl S. Differential Evolutionary History in Visual and Olfactory Floral Cues of the Bee-Pollinated Genus Campanula (Campanulaceae). Plants (Basel) 2021; 10:1356. [PMID: 34371561 PMCID: PMC8309401 DOI: 10.3390/plants10071356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual and olfactory floral signals play key roles in plant-pollinator interactions. In recent decades, studies investigating the evolution of either of these signals have increased considerably. However, there are large gaps in our understanding of whether or not these two cue modalities evolve in a concerted manner. Here, we characterized the visual (i.e., color) and olfactory (scent) floral cues in bee-pollinated Campanula species by spectrophotometric and chemical methods, respectively, with the aim of tracing their evolutionary paths. We found a species-specific pattern in color reflectance and scent chemistry. Multivariate phylogenetic statistics revealed no influence of phylogeny on floral color and scent bouquet. However, univariate phylogenetic statistics revealed a phylogenetic signal in some of the constituents of the scent bouquet. Our results suggest unequal evolutionary pathways of visual and olfactory floral cues in the genus Campanula. While the lack of phylogenetic signal on both color and scent bouquet points to external agents (e.g., pollinators, herbivores) as evolutionary drivers, the presence of phylogenetic signal in at least some floral scent constituents point to an influence of phylogeny on trait evolution. We discuss why external agents and phylogeny differently shape the evolutionary paths in floral color and scent of closely related angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Milet-Pinheiro
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Pablo Sandro Carvalho Santos
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Samuel Prieto-Benítez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, C/Tulipán, s/n, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain;
- Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution Group, Environmental Department, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (P.S.C.S.); (M.A.)
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
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23
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Le Provost G, Thiele J, Westphal C, Penone C, Allan E, Neyret M, van der Plas F, Ayasse M, Bardgett RD, Birkhofer K, Boch S, Bonkowski M, Buscot F, Feldhaar H, Gaulton R, Goldmann K, Gossner MM, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Krauss J, Renner S, Scherreiks P, Sikorski J, Baulechner D, Blüthgen N, Bolliger R, Börschig C, Busch V, Chisté M, Fiore-Donno AM, Fischer M, Arndt H, Hoelzel N, John K, Jung K, Lange M, Marzini C, Overmann J, Paŝalić E, Perović DJ, Prati D, Schäfer D, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Sonnemann I, Steffan-Dewenter I, Tschapka M, Türke M, Vogt J, Wehner K, Weiner C, Weisser W, Wells K, Werner M, Wolters V, Wubet T, Wurst S, Zaitsev AS, Manning P. Contrasting responses of above- and belowground diversity to multiple components of land-use intensity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3918. [PMID: 34168127 PMCID: PMC8225671 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23931-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, understanding how different components of land use drive biodiversity loss requires the investigation of multiple trophic levels across spatial scales. Using data from 150 agricultural grasslands in central Europe, we assess the influence of multiple components of local- and landscape-level land use on more than 4,000 above- and belowground taxa, spanning 20 trophic groups. Plot-level land-use intensity is strongly and negatively associated with aboveground trophic groups, but positively or not associated with belowground trophic groups. Meanwhile, both above- and belowground trophic groups respond to landscape-level land use, but to different drivers: aboveground diversity of grasslands is promoted by diverse surrounding land-cover, while belowground diversity is positively related to a high permanent forest cover in the surrounding landscape. These results highlight a role of landscape-level land use in shaping belowground communities, and suggest that revised agroecosystem management strategies are needed to conserve whole-ecosystem biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtane Le Provost
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Jan Thiele
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Margot Neyret
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute of Zoology, Terrestrial Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Francois Buscot
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Rachel Gaulton
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 16, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 2, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Swen Renner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dennis Baulechner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ralph Bolliger
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Börschig
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Verena Busch
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Melanie Chisté
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Markus Fischer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Institute of Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln (Cologne), Germany
| | - Norbert Hoelzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina John
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Markus Lange
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Carlo Marzini
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Esther Paŝalić
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David J Perović
- DPI Agriculture, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Deborah Schäfer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Ilja Sonnemann
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Türke
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juliane Vogt
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Katja Wehner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christiane Weiner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Michael Werner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Wolters
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Susanne Wurst
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrey S Zaitsev
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter Manning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
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Martel C, Rakosy D, Dötterl S, Johnson SD, Ayasse M, Paulus HF, Nilsson LA, Mejlon H, Jersáková J. Specialization for Tachinid Fly Pollination in the Phenologically Divergent Varieties of the Orchid Neotinea ustulata. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.659176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite increased focus on elucidating the various reproductive strategies employed by orchids, we still have only a rather limited understanding of deceptive pollination systems that are not bee- or wasp-mediated. In Europe, the orchid Neotinea ustulata has been known to consist of two phenologically divergent varieties, neither of which provide rewards to its pollinators. However, detailed studies of their reproductive biology have been lacking. Our study aimed to characterize and understand the floral traits (i.e., morphology, color, and scent chemistry) and reproductive biology of N. ustulata. We found that the two varieties differ in all their floral traits; furthermore, while Neotinea ustulata var. ustulata appears to be pollinated by both bees (e.g., Anthophora, Bombus) and flies (e.g., Dilophus, Tachina), var. aestivalis is pollinated almost entirely by flies (i.e., Nowickia, Tachina). Tachinids were also found to be much more effective than bees in removing pollinaria, and we show experimentally that they use the characteristic dark inflorescence top as a cue for approaching inflorescences. Our results thus suggest that while both N. ustulata varieties rely on tachinids for pollination, they differ in their degree of specialization. Further studies are, however, needed to fully understand the reproductive strategy of N. ustulata varieties.
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Steitz I, Paxton RJ, Schulz S, Ayasse M. Chemical Variation among Castes, Female Life Stages and Populations of the Facultative Eusocial Sweat Bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:406-419. [PMID: 33788128 PMCID: PMC8116247 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01267-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In eusocial insects, chemical communication is crucial for mediating many aspects of social activities, especially the regulation of reproduction. Though queen signals are known to decrease ovarian activation of workers in highly eusocial species, little is known about their evolution. In contrast, some primitively eusocial species are thought to control worker reproduction through physical aggression by the queen rather than via pheromones, suggesting the evolutionary establishment of chemical signals with more derived sociality. However, studies supporting this hypothesis are largely missing. Socially polymorphic halictid bees, such as Halictus rubicundus, with social and solitary populations in both Europe and North America, offer excellent opportunities to illuminate the evolution of caste-specific signals. Here we compared the chemical profiles of social and solitary populations from both continents and tested whether (i) population or social level affect chemical dissimilarity and whether (ii) caste-specific patterns reflect a conserved queen signal. Our results demonstrate unique odor profiles of European and North American populations, mainly due to different isomers of n-alkenes and macrocyclic lactones; chemical differences may be indicative of phylogeographic drift in odor profiles. We also found common compounds overproduced in queens compared to workers in both populations, indicating a potential conserved queen signal. However, North American populations have a lower caste-specific chemical dissimilarity than European populations which raises the question if both use different mechanisms of regulating reproductive division of labor. Therefore, our study gives new insights into the evolution of eusocial behavior and the role of chemical communication in the inhibition of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Steitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Robert J Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Departement of Life Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Weithmann S, von Hoermann C, Degasperi G, Brandt K, Steiger S, Ayasse M. Temporal variability of the rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) community on small vertebrate carrion and its potential use for forensic entomology. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 323:110792. [PMID: 33895634 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) are one of the most important colonizers of vertebrate cadavers. We have previously investigated carrion-associated rove beetle communities across various forests and demonstrated that the study regions are the main drivers of the local rove beetle species pool that is, in turn, able to colonize a carcass. Nevertheless, little is known about their temporal variation in community composition during the decomposition process. The aim of our study has been to analyze the temporal changes of the composition of the rove beetle community and to identify new, potentially useful candidate species for forensic entomological evaluations. We determined 80 rove beetle species that were attracted to 60 piglet cadavers across various forest stands in Germany. Both the abundance and the community composition changed over the decomposition process, independently of the species-specific geographical variation across study regions. In the region Schorfheide-Chorin, species from the genus Philonthus proved to be a suitable group for future forensic entomological investigations. They appeared in markedly high numbers at piglet cadavers from the bloated stage until the advanced decay stage. For the study region Schwäbische Alb, we newly describe the species Omalium septentrionis as a member of the carrion-associated rove beetle fauna. Based on the geographical variation in rove beetle community compositions, we have filtered out several species that might contribute to advances in postmortem interval estimations or other applied fields in forensic entomological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Weithmann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Christian von Hoermann
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, 94481 Grafenau, Germany.
| | - Gregor Degasperi
- Department for Ecology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Katharina Brandt
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
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Kingwell C, Böröczky K, Steitz I, Ayasse M, Wcislo W. Cuticular and Dufour's Gland Chemistry Reflect Reproductive and Social State in the Facultatively Eusocial Sweat Bee Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:420-432. [PMID: 33682070 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01262-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Queen pheromones evolved independently in multiple eusocial insect lineages, in which they mediate reproductive conflict by inhibiting worker ovarian development. Although fundamentally important for reproductive division of labor - the hallmark of eusociality - their evolutionary origins are enigmatic. Here, we analyze cuticular and Dufour's gland chemistries across alternative social and reproductive phenotypes in Megalopta genalis bees (tribe Augochlorini, family Halictidae) that facultatively express simple eusociality. Reproductive bees have distinct overall glandular and cuticular chemical phenotypes compared with non-reproductive workers. On the cuticle, a likely site of signal transmission, reproductives are enriched for certain alkenes, most linear alkanes, and are heavily enriched for all methyl-branched alkanes. Chemicals belonging to these compound classes are known to function as fertility signals in other eusocial insect taxa. Some macrocyclic lactones, compounds that serve as queen pheromones in the other eusocial halictid tribe (Halictini), are also enriched among reproductives relative to workers. The intra-population facultative eusociality of M. genalis permits direct comparisons between individuals expressing alternative reproductive phenotypes - females that reproduce alone (solitary reproductives) and social queens - to highlight traits in the latter that may be important mediators of eusociality. Compared with solitary reproductives, the cuticular chemistries of queens are more strongly differentiated from those of workers, and furthermore are especially enriched for methyl-branched alkanes. Determining the pheromonal function(s) and information content of the candidate signaling compounds we identify will help illuminate the early evolutionary history of queen pheromones, chemical signals central to the organization of insect eusocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum Kingwell
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
| | - Katalin Böröczky
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Iris Steitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - William Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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Kuppler J, Wieland J, Junker RR, Ayasse M. Drought-induced reduction in flower size and abundance correlates with reduced flower visits by bumble bees. AoB Plants 2021; 13:plab001. [PMID: 33628409 PMCID: PMC7891244 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Reduced water availability can cause physiological stress in plants that affects floral development leading to changes in floral morphology and traits that mediate interactions with pollinators. As pollinators can detect small changes in trait expressions, drought-induced changes in floral traits could affect pollinator visitations. However, the linkage between changes in floral traits and pollinator visitations under drought conditions is not well explored. We, therefore, tested whether drought-induced changes in floral morphology and abundance of flowers are linked to changes in pollinator visitations. We conducted flight cage experiments with a radio frequency identification system for automated visitation recordings with bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) and common charlock (Sinapis arvensis) as the model system. In total, we recorded interactions for 31 foraging bumble bees and 6569 flower visitations. We found that decreasing soil moisture content correlated with decreasing size of all measured morphological traits except stamen length and nectar tube width. The reductions in floral size, petal width and length, nectar tube depth and number of flowers resulted in decreasing visitation rates by bumble bees. These decreasing visitations under lower soil moisture availability might be explained by lower numbers of flowers and thus a reduced attractiveness and/or by increased difficulties experienced by bumble bees in handling smaller flowers. Whether these effects act additively or synergistically on pollinator behaviour and whether this leads to changes in pollen transfer and to different selectionp ressures require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Corresponding author’s e-mail address:
| | - J Wieland
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - R R Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - M Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Höfer RJ, Ayasse M, Kuppler J. Bumblebee Behavior on Flowers, but Not Initial Attraction, Is Altered by Short-Term Drought Stress. Front Plant Sci 2021; 11:564802. [PMID: 33519833 PMCID: PMC7838097 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.564802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is leading to increasing drought and higher temperatures, both of which reduce soil water levels and consequently water availability for plants. This reduction often induces physiological stress in plants, which in turn can affect floral development and production inducing phenotypic alterations in flowers. Because flower visitors notice and respond to small differences in floral phenotypes, changes in trait expression can alter trait-mediated flower visitor behavior. Temperature is also known to affect floral scent emission and foraging behavior and, therefore, might modulate trait-mediated flower visitor behavior. However, the link between changes in flower visitor behavior and floral traits in the context of increasing drought and temperature is still not fully understood. In a wind-tunnel experiment, we tested the behavior of 66 Bombus terrestris individuals in response to watered and drought-stressed Sinapis arvensis plants and determined whether these responses were modulated by air temperature. Further, we explored whether floral traits and drought treatment were correlated with bumblebee behavior. The initial attractiveness of drought and watered plants did not differ, as the time to first visit was similar. However, bumblebees visited watered plants more often, their visitation rate to flowers was higher on watered plants, and bumblebees stayed for longer, indicating that watered plants were more attractive for foraging. Bumblebee behavior differed between floral trait expressions, mostly independently of treatment, with larger inflorescences and flowers leading to a decrease in the time until the first flower visit and an increase in the number of visits and the flower visitation rate. Temperature modulated bumblebee activity, which was highest at 25°C; the interaction of drought/water treatment and temperature led to higher visitation rate on watered plants at 20°C, possibly as a result of higher nectar production. Thus, bumblebee behavior is influenced by the watered status of plants, and bumblebees can recognize differences in intraspecific phenotypes involving morphological traits and scent emission, despite overall morphological traits and scent emission not being clearly separated between treatments. Our results indicate that plants are able to buffer floral trait expressions against short-term drought events, potentially to maintain pollinator attraction.
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Valenta K, Schmitt MH, Ayasse M, Nevo O. The sensory ecology of fear: African elephants show aversion to olfactory predator signals. Conservat Sci and Prac 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California USA
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node Phalaborwa South Africa
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Ulm University, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm Germany
| | - Omer Nevo
- Ulm University, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity Jena Germany
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Lukas K, Dötterl S, Ayasse M, Burger H. Olfactory and Visual Floral Signals of Hedera helix and Heracleum sphondylium Involved in Host Finding by Nectar-Foraging Social Wasps. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.571454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Nevo O, Valenta K, Kleiner A, Razafimandimby D, Jeffrey JAJ, Chapman CA, Ayasse M. The evolution of fruit scent: phylogenetic and developmental constraints. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:138. [PMID: 33109084 PMCID: PMC7590443 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fruit scent is increasingly recognized as an evolved signal whose function is to attract animal seed dispersers and facilitate plant reproduction. However, like all traits, fruit scent is likely to evolve in response to conflicting selective pressures and various constraints. Two major constraints are (i) phylogenetic constraints, in which traits are inherited from ancestors rather than adapted to current conditions and (ii) developmental constraints, if phenotypes are limited by the expression of other traits within the individual. We tested whether phylogenetic constraints play a role in fruit scent evolution by calculating the phylogenetic signal in ripe fruits of 98 species from three study sites. We then estimated the importance of developmental constraints by examining whether ripe fruits tend to emit compounds that are chemically similar to, and share biosynthetic pathways with, compounds emitted by conspecific unripe fruits from which they develop. RESULTS We show that closely related taxa are not more similar to each other than to very distinct taxa, thus indicating that fruit scent shows little phylogenetic signal. At the same time, although ripe and unripe fruits of the same species tend to emit different chemicals, they tend to employ chemicals originating from similar biosynthetic pathways, thus indicating that some developmental constraints determine ripe fruit scent. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the complex landscape in which fruit scent has evolved. On one hand, fruit scent evolution is not limited by common ancestry. On the other hand, the range of chemicals that can be employed in ripe fruits is probably constrained by the needs of unripe fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstr 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Annemarie Kleiner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037 USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Valenta K, Schmitt MH, Ayasse M, Nevo O. Retracted: The sensory ecology of fear: African elephants show aversion to olfactory predator signals. Conservat Sci and Prac 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Valenta
- University of Florida, Department of Anthropology Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology Santa Barbara California USA
- South African Environmental Observation Network Phalaborwa South Africa
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Ulm University, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm Germany
| | - Omer Nevo
- Ulm University, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics Ulm Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany
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Nevo O, Schmitt MH, Ayasse M, Valenta K. Sweet tooth: Elephants detect fruit sugar levels based on scent alone. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11399-11407. [PMID: 33144973 PMCID: PMC7593167 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to assess food quality is crucial to all organisms. Fleshy fruits are a major source of nutrients to various animals, and unlike most food sources, have evolved to be attractive and to be consumed by animals to promote seed dispersal. It has recently been established that fruit scent-the bouquet of volatile chemicals emitted by ripe fruit-is an evolved communication system between plants and animals. Further, it has been argued that chemicals that are synthesized from sugar and its products may be an honest signal for sugar content and fruit quality. Elephants are important seed dispersers for numerous species and possess an olfactory system that is likely to outperform most other animals. We tested the hypothesis that fruit scent signifies sugar content and that elephants are capable of assessing fruit sugar levels based on scent alone. Using a paired-choice test of marula fruits (Sclerocarya birrea) by semitame African elephants, we show that elephants are capable of identifying more sugar-rich fruits based on scent alone and that this is likely based on two chemical compounds: ethanol and ethyl acetate, both downstream products of sugar fermentation. These results shed light on the mechanisms driving elephant feeding ecology, plant signaling, and the coevolutionary process between angiosperms and animal seed dispersers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiodiversityFriedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
- South African Environmental Observation NetworkNdlovu NodePhalaborwaSouth Africa
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
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Martel C, Neubig KM, Williams NH, Ayasse M. The uncinate viscidium and floral setae, an evolutionary innovation and exaptation to increase pollination success in the Telipogon alliance (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-020-00457-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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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). J Insect Sci 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Valenta K, Daegling DJ, Nevo O, Ledogar J, Sarkar D, Kalbitzer U, Bortolamiol S, Omeja P, Chapman CA, Ayasse M, Kay R, Williams B. Fruit Selectivity in Anthropoid Primates: Size Matters. INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00158-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Schall P, Heinrichs S, Ammer C, Ayasse M, Boch S, Buscot F, Fischer M, Goldmann K, Overmann J, Schulze E, Sikorski J, Weisser WW, Wubet T, Gossner MM. Can multi‐taxa diversity in European beech forest landscapes be increased by combining different management systems? J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Steffi Heinrichs
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics University of Ulm Ulm Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - François Buscot
- Department of Soil Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- Department of Soil Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz‐Institute DSMZ ‐ German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH Braunschweig Germany
| | | | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz‐Institute DSMZ ‐ German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH Braunschweig Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Technische Universität München Freising Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Soil Ecology UFZ‐Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Halle‐Saale Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Martin M. Gossner
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Technische Universität München Freising Germany
- Forest Entomology Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland
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Keppner EM, Ayasse M, Steiger S. Contribution of males to brood care can compensate for their food consumption from a shared resource. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3535-3543. [PMID: 32274007 PMCID: PMC7141021 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The sharing of the same food source among parents and offspring can be a driver of the evolution of family life and parental care. However, if all family members desire the same meal, competitive situations can arise, especially if resource depletion is likely. When food is shared for reproduction and the raising of offspring, parents have to decide whether they should invest in self-maintenance or in their offspring and it is not entirely clear how these two strategies are balanced. In the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, parents care for their offspring either bi- or uniparentally at a vertebrate carcass as the sole food source. The question of whether biparental care in this species offers the offspring a better environment for development compared with uniparental care has been the subject of some debate. We tested the hypothesis that male contribution to biparental brood care has a beneficial effect on offspring fitness but that this effect can be masked because the male also feeds from the shared resource. We show that a mouse carcass prepared by two Nicrophorus beetles is lighter compared with a carcass prepared by a single female beetle at the start of larval hatching and provisioning. This difference in carcass mass can influence offspring fitness when food availability is limited, supporting our hypothesis. Our results provide new insights into the possible evolutionary pathway of biparental care in this species of burying beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Keppner
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
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40
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von Hoermann C, Weithmann S, Deißler M, Ayasse M, Steiger S. Forest habitat parameters influence abundance and diversity of cadaver-visiting dung beetles in Central Europe. R Soc Open Sci 2020; 7:191722. [PMID: 32269801 PMCID: PMC7137943 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Dung beetles provide crucial ecosystem services and serve as model organisms for various behavioural, ecological and evolutionary studies. However, dung beetles have received little attention as consumers of large cadavers. In this study, we trapped copronecrophagous dung beetles on above-ground exposed piglet cadavers in 61 forest plots distributed over three geographically distinct regions in Germany, Central Europe. We examined the effects of land use intensity, forest stand, soil characteristics, vascular plant diversity and climatic conditions on dung beetle abundance, species richness and diversity. In all three regions, dung beetles, represented mainly by the geotrupid species Anoplotrupes stercorosus and Trypocopris vernalis, were attracted to the cadavers. High beetle abundance was associated with higher mean ambient temperature. Furthermore, A. stercorosus and T. vernalis were more abundant in areas where soil contained higher proportions of fine sand. Additionally, an increased proportion of forest understorey vegetation and vascular plant diversity positively affected the species richness and diversity of dung beetles. Thus, even in warm dry monocultured forest stands exploited for timber, we found thriving dung beetle populations when a diverse understorey was present. Therefore, forestry practices that preserve the understorey can sustain stable dung beetle populations and ensure their important contribution to nutrient cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian von Hoermann
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481 Grafenau, Germany
| | - Sandra Weithmann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Deißler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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Steitz I, Ayasse M. Macrocyclic Lactones Act as a Queen Pheromone in a Primitively Eusocial Sweat Bee. Curr Biol 2020; 30:1136-1141.e3. [PMID: 32059770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Eusociality is characterized by the reproductive division of labor between two castes: fertile queens and largely sterile workers. Queen pheromones are known to influence worker behavior and reproductive physiology and are therefore key components in regulating complex eusocial behavior [1]. Recent studies indicate that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) act as queen pheromones in various eusocial hymenopteran species [2-8]. However, almost all species investigated to date are highly eusocial and do not include extant transitory stages from solitary to eusocial behavior [9]. Indeed, primitively eusocial species, which largely lack morphologically distinct castes, are thought to control worker reproduction through the physical aggression of the queen rather than via pheromones [10-12]. Halictid or sweat bees exhibit a high variability of eusociality including solitary and facultatively eusocial species [9, 13-16]. However, the mechanisms controlling worker reproduction in these transitory species are unknown. The results of a recent correlative study based on caste-specific chemical profiles in various halictid bees of different social levels have revealed an overproduction of macrocyclic lactones in queens compared with workers [17]. Using chemical analyses and behavioral experiments in which we simulated below-ground nests of the primitively eusocial sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum, we identified a queen pheromone and found that macrocyclic lactones, not CHCs, influence worker behavior and decrease ovarian activation in this species. Our data suggest that the evolution of queen pheromones is more complex than previously inferred from highly eusocial species and shed new light on the complexity of the evolution of queen pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Steitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
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May M, Jąkalski M, Novotná A, Dietel J, Ayasse M, Lallemand F, Figura T, Minasiewicz J, Selosse MA. Three-year pot culture of Epipactis helleborine reveals autotrophic survival, without mycorrhizal networks, in a mixotrophic species. Mycorrhiza 2020; 30:51-61. [PMID: 31965295 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-020-00932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Some mixotrophic plants from temperate forests use the mycorrhizal fungi colonizing their roots as a carbon source to supplement their photosynthesis. These fungi are also mycorrhizal on surrounding trees, from which they transfer carbon to mixotrophic plants. These plants are thus reputed difficult to transplant, even when their protection requires it. Here, we take profit of a successful ex situ pot cultivation over 1 to 3 years of the mixotrophic orchid Epipacis helleborine to investigate its mycorrhizal and nutrition status. Firstly, compared with surrounding autotrophic plants, it did not display the higher N content and higher isotopic (13C and 15N) abundance that normally feature mixotrophic orchids because they incorporate N-, 13C-, and 15N-rich fungal biomass. Second, fungal barcoding by next-generation sequencing revealed that the proportion of ectomycorrhizal fungi (expressed as percentage of the total number of either reads or operational taxonomic units) was unusually low compared with E. helleborine growing in situ: instead, we found a high percentage of rhizoctonias, the usual mycorrhizal partners of autotrophic orchids. Altogether, this supports autotrophic survival. Added to the recently published evidence that plastid genomes of mixotrophic orchids have intact photosynthetic genes, this suggests that at least some of them have abilities for autotrophy. This adds to the ecological plasticity of mixotrophic plants, and may allow some reversion to autotrophy in their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał May
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marcin Jąkalski
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Alžběta Novotná
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jennifer Dietel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Félix Lallemand
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, CP 39, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Tomáš Figura
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, CP 39, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005, Paris, France
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Julita Minasiewicz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marc-André Selosse
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, CP 39, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005, Paris, France.
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Steitz I, Brandt K, Biefel F, Minat Ä, Ayasse M. Queen Recognition Signals in Two Primitively Eusocial Halictid Bees: Evolutionary Conservation and Caste-Specific Perception. Insects 2019; 10:E416. [PMID: 31766459 PMCID: PMC6955767 DOI: 10.3390/insects10120416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Queen signals are known to regulate reproductive harmony within eusocial colonies by influencing worker behavior and ovarian physiology. However, decades of research have resulted in the identification of just a few queen signals, and studies of their mode of action are rare. Our aim was to identify queen recognition signals in the halictid bee Lasioglossum pauxillum and to analyze caste differences in the olfactory perception of queen signals in L. pauxillum and the closely related species L. malachurum. We performed chemical analyses and bioassays to test for caste differences in chemical profiles and worker behavior influenced by queen-specific compounds in L. pauxillum. Our results indicated that caste differences in the chemical profiles were mainly attributable to higher amounts of macrocyclic lactones in queens. Bioassays demonstrated a higher frequency of subordinate behavior in workers elicited by queen-specific amounts of macrocyclic lactones. Thus, macrocyclic lactones function as queen recognition signals in L. pauxillum, as in L. malachurum. Using electrophysiological analyses, we have demonstrated that queens of both tested species lack antennal reactions to certain macrocyclic lactones. Therefore, we assume that this is a mechanism to prevent reproductive self-inhibition in queens. Our results should stimulate debate on the conservation and mode of action of queen signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Steitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany; (K.B.); (F.B.); (Ä.M.); (M.A.)
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Vogt J, Klaus VH, Both S, Fürstenau C, Gockel S, Gossner MM, Heinze J, Hemp A, Hölzel N, Jung K, Kleinebecker T, Lauterbach R, Lorenzen K, Ostrowski A, Otto N, Prati D, Renner S, Schumacher U, Seibold S, Simons N, Steitz I, Teuscher M, Thiele J, Weithmann S, Wells K, Wiesner K, Ayasse M, Blüthgen N, Fischer M, Weisser WW. Eleven years' data of grassland management in Germany. Biodivers Data J 2019; 7:e36387. [PMID: 31598068 PMCID: PMC6778154 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e36387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The 150 grassland plots were located in three study regions in Germany, 50 in each region. The dataset describes the yearly grassland management for each grassland plot using 116 variables. General information includes plot identifier, study region and survey year. Additionally, grassland plot characteristics describe the presence and starting year of drainage and whether arable farming had taken place 25 years before our assessment, i.e. between 1981 and 2006. In each year, the size of the management unit is given which, in some cases, changed slightly across years. Mowing, grazing and fertilisation were systematically surveyed: Mowing is characterised by mowing frequency (i.e. number of cuts per year), dates of cutting and different technical variables, such as type of machine used or usage of conditioner. For grazing, the livestock species and age (e.g. cattle, horse, sheep), the number of animals, stocking density per hectare and total duration of grazing were recorded. As a derived variable, the mean grazing intensity was then calculated by multiplying the livestock units with the duration of grazing per hectare [LSU days/ha]. Different grazing periods during a year, partly involving different herds, were summed up to an annual grazing intensity for each grassland. For fertilisation, information on the type and amount of different types of fertilisers was recorded separately for mineral and organic fertilisers, such as solid farmland manure, slurry and mash from a bioethanol factory. Our fertilisation measures neglect dung dropped by livestock during grazing. For each type of fertiliser, we calculated its total nitrogen content, derived from chemical analyses by the producer or agricultural guidelines (Table 3). All three management types, mowing, fertilisation and grazing, were used to calculate a combined land use intensity index (LUI) which is frequently used to define a measure for the land use intensity. Here, fertilisation is expressed as total nitrogen per hectare [kg N/ha], but does not consider potassium and phosphorus. Information on additional management practices in grasslands was also recorded including levelling, to tear-up matted grass covers, rolling, to remove surface irregularities, seed addition, to close gaps in the sward. New information Investigating the relationship between human land use and biodiversity is important to understand if and how humans affect it through the way they manage the land and to develop sustainable land use strategies. Quantifying land use (the ‘X’ in such graphs) can be difficult as humans manage land using a multitude of actions, all of which may affect biodiversity, yet most studies use rather simple measures of land use, for example, by creating land use categories such as conventional vs. organic agriculture. Here, we provide detailed data on grassland management to allow for detailed analyses and the development of land use theory. The raw data have already been used for > 100 papers on the effect of management on biodiversity (e.g. Manning et al. 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Vogt
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Zürich Switzerland
| | - Steffen Both
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Fresing, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Fresing Germany.,Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften, Halle, Germany Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften Halle Germany
| | - Cornelia Fürstenau
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Sonja Gockel
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology Jena Germany.,ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha, Gotha, Germany ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha Gotha Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology, Birmensdorf, Switzerland Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Johannes Heinze
- Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology Potsdam Germany
| | - Andreas Hemp
- University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth, Germany University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics Bayreuth Germany
| | - Nobert Hölzel
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Gießen, Germany Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management Gießen Germany
| | - Ralf Lauterbach
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Katrin Lorenzen
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Andreas Ostrowski
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Niclas Otto
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Switzerland University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Switzerland
| | - Swen Renner
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology, Vienna, Austria University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology Vienna Austria
| | - Uta Schumacher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Nadja Simons
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Iris Steitz
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Jan Thiele
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity Braunschweig Germany
| | - Sandra Weithmann
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences, Adelaide, Australia The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences Adelaide Australia.,University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Georgia University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Georgia
| | - Kerstin Wiesner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Germany Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Germany.,Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
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Martel C, Francke W, Ayasse M. The chemical and visual bases of the pollination of the Neotropical sexually deceptive orchid Telipogon peruvianus. New Phytol 2019; 223:1989-2001. [PMID: 31074029 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Deception of floral visitors in pollination systems is widely distributed among flowering plants. In deceptive systems, the flower (or part of it) or inflorescence mimics either a specific or an unspecific model to attract pollinators. A previous study showed that Telipogon peruvianus flowers developed sexual deception for pollination. However, it was unknown which stimuli were playing a role in pollination. Therefore, we aim to throw some light onto these questions using colour and chemical analysis and biotests. Interestingly, using spectral reflectance, we show here that the flowers present high contrast similar to that produced by a female tachinid fly sitting on a daisy inflorescence, which is used as food resource. We also tested the role of chemical signals in pollinator attraction by collecting floral and female extracts for chemical and electrophysiological analyses, and carried out behavioural tests. For biotests, various treatments, including synthetic mixtures of the electrophysiologically active compounds found in common in females and flowers, have demonstrated that T. peruvianus flowers mimic the sexual pheromone of their pollinator's females. Thus, we give evidence that T. peruvianus flowers mimic a model composed of two organisms. Our study contributes to the understanding of the evolution of deceptive pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Martel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wittko Francke
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
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Nevo O, Razafimandimby D, Valenta K, Jeffrey JAJ, Reisdorff C, Chapman CA, Ganzhorn JU, Ayasse M. Signal and reward in wild fleshy fruits: Does fruit scent predict nutrient content? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10534-10543. [PMID: 31624565 PMCID: PMC6787828 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species with fleshy fruits offer animals rewards such as sugar, protein, and fat, to feed on their fruits and disperse their seeds. They have also evolved visual and olfactory signals indicating their presence and ripeness.In some systems, fruit color serves as a reliable visual signal of nutrient content. Yet even though many volatile chemicals used as olfactory signals derive from nutrients animals seek, it is still unknown whether fruit scent encodes information regarding nutrient content in wild fruits.We examine the relationship between olfactory signals and nutrient rewards in 28 fruiting plant species in Madagascar. We measured the relative amounts of four chemical classes in fruit scent using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, as well as the relative amounts of sugar and protein in fruit pulp.We found that protein levels are not associated with elevated amounts of chemically related volatile compounds in fruit scent. In contrast, sugar content is strongly associated with the chemical composition of fruit scent.To our knowledge, this is the first research to explore the connection between fruit chemical signals and nutrient rewards. Our results imply that in the case of sugar, fruit scent is predictive of nutrient content and hence an honest signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Nevo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Diary Razafimandimby
- Faculty of Sciences, Zoology and Animal BiodiversityUniversity of AntananarivoAntananarivoMadagascar
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Juan Antonio James Jeffrey
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Christoph Reisdorff
- Institute of Plant Science and MicrobiologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of AnthropologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
- School of Life ScienceUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China of Ministry of EducationCollege of Life ScienceNorthwest UniversityXianChina
| | - Jörg U. Ganzhorn
- Animal Ecology and ConservationUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
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Ripperger SP, Rehse S, Wacker S, Kalko EKV, Schulz S, Rodriguez-Herrera B, Ayasse M. Nocturnal scent in a 'bird-fig': A cue to attract bats as additional dispersers? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220461. [PMID: 31415602 PMCID: PMC6695144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant genus Ficus is a keystone resource in tropical ecoystems. One of the unique features of figs is the diversity of fruit traits, which in many cases match their various dispersers, the so-called fruit syndromes. The classic example of this is the strong phenotypic differences found between figs with bat and bird dispersers (color, size, presentation, and scent). The 'bird-fig' Ficus colubrinae represents an exception to this trend since it attracts the small frugivorous bat species Ectophylla alba at night, but during the day it attracts bird visitors. Here we investigate day to night changes in fruit scent as a possible mechanism by which this 'bird-fig' could attract bats despite its fruit traits, which should appeal solely to birds. Analyses of odor bouquets from the bat- and bird-dispersal phases (i.e. day and night) differed significantly in their composition of volatiles. We observed a significant increase in relative amounts of sesquiterpene and aromatic compounds at night while relative amounts of two compounds of the fatty acid pathway were significantly higher during day. This finding raises the question whether Ficus colubrinae, a phenotypically classic 'bird-fig', might be able to attract bat dispersers by an olfactory signal at night. Preliminary observations from feeding experiments which indicate that Ectophylla alba is capable of finding ripe figs by scent alone point in this direction. However, additional behavioral experiments on whether bats prefer the 'night-bouquet' over the 'day-bouquet' will be needed to unequivocally answer this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P. Ripperger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, Ulm, Germany
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße, Berlin, Germany
| | - Saskia Rehse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wacker
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Hagenring, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, Ulm, Germany
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Martel C, Gerlach G, Ayasse M, Milet-Pinheiro P. Pollination ecology of the Neotropical gesneriad Gloxinia perennis: chemical composition and temporal fluctuation of floral perfume. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2019; 21:723-731. [PMID: 30734450 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Although common among orchids, pollination by perfume-gathering male euglossine bees is quite rare in other Neotropical families. In Gesneriaceae, for example, it is reported in two genera only, Drymonia and Gloxinia. Flowers of G. perennis are known to emit perfume, thereby attracting male euglossine bees as pollinators. However, detailed reports on the pollination ecology, as well as on chemistry of floral perfume of individuals in natural populations, are still missing. In this study, we report on the pollination ecology of G. perennis, focusing on the ecological significance of its floral perfume. In natural populations in Peru, we documented the floral biology and breeding system of G. perennis, as well as its interaction with flower visitors. We also characterised the chemical composition of floral perfume, as well as its timing of emission. Gloxinia perennis is self-compatible and natural pollination success is high. Spontaneous self-pollination occurs as a 'just in case strategy' when pollinators are scarce. Perfume-collecting males of Eulaema cingulata and El. meriana were identified as pollinators. The perfume bouquet of G. perennis consists of 16 compounds. (E)-Carvone epoxide (41%) and limonene (23%) are the major constituents. Perfume emission is higher at 09:00 h, matching the activity peak of Eulaema pollinators. Flowers of G. perennis have evolved a mixed strategy to ensure pollination (i.e. self- and cross-pollination), but cross-pollination is favoured. The size and behaviour of Eulaema males enables only these bees to successfully cross-pollinate G. perennis. Furthermore, G. perennis floral perfume traits (i.e. chemistry and timing of emission) have evolved to optimise the attraction of these bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Martel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Natural History Museum, National University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - G Gerlach
- Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (SNSB), Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg, München, Germany
| | - M Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - P Milet-Pinheiro
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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50
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Brandt K, Dötterl S, Fuchs R, Navarro DMDAF, Machado ICS, Dobler D, Reiser O, Ayasse M, Milet-Pinheiro P. Subtle Chemical Variations with Strong Ecological Significance: Stereoselective Responses of Male Orchid Bees to Stereoisomers of Carvone Epoxide. J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:464-473. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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