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de Souza AR, Polo JLL, Santos EF, Nascimento FSD, Rantala MJ. Small-bodied males invest in larger testes when highly ornamented. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:548-554. [PMID: 38596874 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae044] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Sperm competition and male mating rate are two non-mutually exclusive key evolutionary pressures selecting for larger testes within and across animal taxa. A few studies have tried to test the role of mating rate in the absence of sperm competition. Under the mating rate hypothesis, particular phenotypes of a given population that are expected to gain more mates (e.g., more ornamented males) are expected to make higher investments in testes size (a proxy for sperm production). We test this prediction in Polistes simillimus, a neotropical paper wasp in which females are single mated (no sperm competition) and males can mate with multiple partners. Testes size was predicted by body size (positive association), sexual ornamentation (negative association), and their interaction (among small males, testes size was positively related to ornamentation, but the opposite pattern was observed among large males). We propose that small-bodied well-ornamented males may face the highest risk of sperm depletion. Small-bodied males make relatively higher investment in testes size when highly ornamented. This strategy might be less profitable to large males, as they have overall larger testes. Our results provide strong evidence for the mating rate hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - João Lucas Lapria Polo
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho," São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Prato A, Fernando Santos E, Mendes Ferreira H, Akemi Oi C, Santos do Nascimento F, Rantala MJ, Krams I, Rodrigues de Souza A. Immune response in paper wasp workers: Task matters more than age. J Insect Physiol 2024; 154:104629. [PMID: 38430966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104629] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Workers of social hymenopterans (ants, bees and wasps) display specific tasks depending on whether they are younger or older. The relative importance of behavior and age in modulating immune function has seldom been addressed. We compared the strength of encapsulation-melanization immune response (hereafter melanotic encapsulation) in paper wasps displaying age polyethism or experimentally prevented from behavioral specialization. Foragers of Polybia paulista had higher melanotic encapsulation than guards, regardless of their age. Nevertheless, melanotic encapsulation decreased with age when wasps were prevented from behavioral specialization. Thus, in this species, worker melanotic encapsulation seems more sensitive to task than age. Foraging is considered one of the riskier behaviors in terms of pathogen exposure, so upregulating melanotic encapsulation in foragers can possibly improve both individual and colony-level resistance against infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Prato
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto, Brasil
| | | | - Cintia Akemi Oi
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, Department of Genetics and Evolution, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | | | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Latvia; Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Latvia; Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia
| | - André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
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Lima LD, Ceballos-González AV, Prato A, Cavalleri A, Trigo JR, do Nascimento FS. Chemical Camouflage Induced by Diet in a Pest Treehopper on Host Plants. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:216. [PMID: 38256769 PMCID: PMC10820158 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020216] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them (myrmecophiles) use chemical strategies mediated by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to deal with ants. Thus, a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mutualistic interactions between myrmecophiles and ants depends on the accurate recognition of these chemical strategies. Few studies have examined whether treehoppers may use an additional strategy called chemical camouflage to reduce ant aggression, and none considered highly polyphagous pest insects. We analyzed whether the chemical similarity of the CHC profiles of three host plants from three plant families (Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae) and the facultative myrmecophilous honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae), a pest of citrus plants, may play a role as a proximate mechanism serving as a protection against ant attacks on plants. We found a high similarity (>80%) between the CHCs of the treehoppers and two of their host plants. The treehoppers acquire CHCs through their diet, and the chemical similarity varies according to host plant. Chemical camouflage on host plants plays a role in the interaction of treehoppers with their ant mutualistic partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amalia Victoria Ceballos-González
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Amanda Prato
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
| | - Adriano Cavalleri
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande—FURG, Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil;
| | - José Roberto Trigo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil; (A.V.C.-G.); (A.P.); (F.S.d.N.)
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de Souza AR, Prato A, Franca W, Santos S, Lima LD, Alves DA, Bernardes RC, Santos EF, do Nascimento FS, Lima MAP. A predatory social wasp does not avoid nestmates contaminated with a fungal biopesticide. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:103851-103861. [PMID: 37695481 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29770-5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Fungus-based biopesticides have been used worldwide for crop pest control as a safer alternative to chemical pesticides such as neonicotinoids. Both agrochemicals can be lethal and may also trigger side effects on the behavioral traits of non-target social insects, which play a crucial role in providing essential biological pest control services in agroecosystems. Here, we evaluated whether a commercial formulation of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana or the neonicotinoid imidacloprid causes mortality in foragers of Mischocyttarus metathoracicus. These social wasps are natural enemies of caterpillars and other herbivorous insects and inhabit both urban and agricultural environments in Brazil. We also tested whether wasps discriminate between biopesticide-exposed and unexposed conspecifics. Through a combination of laboratory (survival assay) and field experiments (lure presentation), along with chemical analyses (cuticular hydrocarbon profiles), we showed that topic exposure to the label rate of each pesticide causes a lethal effect, with the biopesticide exhibiting a slower effect. Moreover, wasps do not discriminate biopesticide-exposed from unexposed conspecifics, likely because of the similarity of their cuticular chemical profiles 24 h after exposure. Overall, the delayed lethal time at the individual level, combined with the indistinctive chemical cues of exposure and the lack of discrimination by conspecifics suggests that the fungal biopesticide may ultimately pose a threat to the colony survival of this predatory wasp.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
| | - Amanda Prato
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Wilson Franca
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Sircio Santos
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Luan Dias Lima
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Denise Araujo Alves
- Department of Entomology and Acarology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Department of Zoology E Botany, Sao Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Department of Biology, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências E Letras de Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes 2900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
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de Souza AR, Franca W, Prato A, do Nascimento FS. Sex recognition does not modulate aggression toward nest intruders in a paper wasp. Curr Zool 2023; 69:324-331. [PMID: 37351293 PMCID: PMC10284108 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac051] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During social interactions, the behavior of an individual often depends on the sex of its social partner. Many animal societies have males and females that play very different behavioral roles, although they coexist and interact non-sexually. At specific phases of the colony cycle, social wasp females and males are contemporaries within a nest, they often interact, although mating occurs mostly off the nest, therefore providing an opportunity to test sex discrimination in contexts other than classical sexual ones. We performed a lure presentation experiment to test if Mischocyttarus metathoracicus discriminate between conspecifics of the 2 sexes during on-nest social interactions. Female wasps discriminated conspecific sex during experimentally simulated nest intrusions. Visual and chemical cues may account for this sex discrimination. Despite sex discrimination (evidenced by differential inspective behavior from the nest females toward the female and the male lures), female wasps were as aggressive toward lures of both sexes. In the female-dominated hymenopteran societies, males are often subordinate and not aggressive on nest, resulting in females directing less aggression to them compared to other females. Instead, M. metathoracicus males and females are both aggressive toward nestmates, so they might be perceived as similar threat during on-nest social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Franca
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Prato
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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de Souza AR, França W, Prato A, Rantala MJ, do Nascimento FS. Recognition of conspecific immunological status in a neotropical paper wasp. Behav Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Host immune activation is common under a pathogen invasion. This physiological response can promote changes in the body surface compounds, thus providing chemical cues related to health that might be useful to conspecifics. By recognizing the current immunological status of social partners, individuals can modulate their behavior to minimize the risk of infection. Tegument wounding, an immune elicitor, is a required step for many parasites to become established in a host. By using the neotropical eusocial paper wasp Mischocyttarus metathoracicus as a model organism, we first performed a lure presentation experiment in the field to test if wasps discriminate conspecific immunological status (experimentally manipulated by wounding) during on nest social interactions. Then, we performed gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses to test if immunostimulation by wounding alters the wasps’ cuticular hydrocarbon profile. We found that wasps reduce the duration of aggressive physical contact when interacting with wounded lures, despite displaying a similar frequency of inspective and aggressive behaviors toward both the wounded and the control lures. Besides, we found a subtle increase in a single cuticular hydrocarbon in the wounded wasps. Thus, wasps recognize conspecific immunological status, likely by chemical cues, and modulate their behavior in order to defend the colony against intruders while minimizing the personal risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo 14040-900 , Brasil
| | - Wilson França
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo 14040-900 , Brasil
| | - Amanda Prato
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo 14040-900 , Brasil
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku , 20014 Turku , Finland
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo 14040-900 , Brasil
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Rodrigues de Souza A, Bernardes RC, Barbosa WF, Viana TA, do Nascimento FS, Lima MAP, Martins GF. Ingestion of polystyrene microparticles impairs survival and defecation in larvae of Polistes satan (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:58527-58535. [PMID: 36988811 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26695-x] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread pollutants of emerging concern, and the risks associated with their ingestion have been reported in many organisms. Terrestrial environments can be contaminated with MPs, and terrestrial organisms, including arthropods, are predisposed to the risk of ingesting MPs. In the current study, the larvae of the paper wasp Polistes satan were fed two different doses (6 mg or 16 mg at once) of polystyrene MPs (1.43 mm maximum length), and the effects of these treatments on immature development and survival till adult emergence were studied. Ingestion of the two doses resulted in mortality due to impaired defecation prior to pupation. The survival of larvae that ingested 16 mg of MPs was significantly lower than that of the control. The ingestion of 16 mg of MPs also reduced the adult emergence (11.4%) in comparison to the control (44.4%). MPs were not transferred from the larvae to the adults that survived. These findings demonstrate that MP ingestion can be detrimental to P. satan, e.g. larval mortality can decrease colony productivity and thus the worker force, and that MPs can potentially affect natural enemies that occur in crops, such as predatory social wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Wagner Faria Barbosa
- Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thaís Andrade Viana
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo Ferreira Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, MinasGerais, Brazil
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Lima LD, Ceballos‐González AV, Prato A, Kaminski LA, do Nascimento FS. Plant–treehopper convergence may trick butterflies into trophic oviposition mistakes. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13194] [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: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luan Dias Lima
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia Universidade de São Paulo — USP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Amalia Victoria Ceballos‐González
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia Universidade de São Paulo — USP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Amanda Prato
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia Universidade de São Paulo — USP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Lucas Augusto Kaminski
- Núcleo de Ecologia e Biodiversidade Instituto de Ciências Básicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas — UFAL Maceió, Alagoas Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia Universidade de São Paulo — USP Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo Brazil
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Costa E Silva R, de Moura JFP, de Souza BB, Pereira Filho JM, Bezerra LR, do Nascimento FS, de Oliveira JPF, de Araújo Wanderley JN. Polymorphism of the beta-casein gene and adaptability of Sindhi cows to semiarid conditions. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:534. [PMID: 34739597 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02948-0] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of beta-casein genotypes (A1A2 and A2A2) in three different thermal comfort conditions on the adaptability of Sindhi cows and as a tool for selecting thermotolerant cattle. Twelve Sindhi cows were used in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with six replicates, with two genotypes, and three thermal comfort conditions. The climatic variables were recorded, while black globe temperature, humidity index, and radiant heat load were calculated. We measured respiratory rate, surface temperature, and rectal temperature while the heat tolerance coefficient was calculated. Genotype had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on any of the parameters measured. However, there was a thermal comfort condition effect (p < 0.05) on rectal temperature, surface temperature, and thermal gradients. The respiratory rate and heat tolerance coefficient were not significantly affected (p > 0.05). Therefore, although the results indicate substantial adaptability of Sindhi cows under any thermal conditions, the tested genotypes should not be used as a tool for selecting thermotolerant Sindhi cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhamon Costa E Silva
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
| | - José Fabio Paulino de Moura
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
| | - Bonifácio Benicio de Souza
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
| | - José Morais Pereira Filho
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
| | - Leilson Rocha Bezerra
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Center of Health and Rural Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Jatobá, Patos, Paraíba, 58708110, Brazil
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de Souza AR, Silva RCD, Batista NR, Antonialli Júnior WF, Nascimento FSD. Lack of caste discrimination by males during sexual context in a neotropical paper wasp. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13155] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brasil
| | - Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brasil
| | - Nathan Rodrigues Batista
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul Dourados‐MS Brasil
| | | | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brasil
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de Souza AR, Baptista CF, Santos EF, da Silva RC, da Silva Prato A, Antonialli-Junior W, Pereira Soares ER, Barbosa BC, do Nascimento FS, Lino-Neto J. Morphological caste differences in primitively eusocial insects: the Van der Vecht organ of Mischocyttarus paper wasps. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa067] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractNests of independent-founding primitively eusocial paper wasps are founded by one or a few females. Before worker emergence, foundresses must forage, sometimes leaving the nest unattended. Chemical defence - the application of ant repellent secretions of the Van der Vecht organ (VdVO) on the nest surface - allows brood protection when active defence is weak or not possible. After worker emergence, it is more likely that some wasps stay in the nest, so active nest defence may be more common. Given this constraint on the nest defence, selection for increasing the cuticular secretory area of the VdVO, to improve chemical defence, may be stronger in foundresses (queens) than in workers - morphological castes are hypothesized to evolve. We investigated the occurrence of morphological castes in the Neotropical paper wasp Mischocyttarus. Confirming our prediction, we found that in some (but not all) species, foundresses have a distinct increase in the secretory area of the VdVO in relation to workers; even though there is a strong overlap between caste phenotypes (incipient morphological castes). Implications of these findings for the evolution of morphological castes in primitively eusocial wasps are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Folly Baptista
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Estrutura, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Rafael Carvalho da Silva
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda da Silva Prato
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - William Antonialli-Junior
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental-LABECO, Universidade Estadual do MatoGrosso do Sul, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Eva Ramona Pereira Soares
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental-LABECO, Universidade Estadual do MatoGrosso do Sul, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Bruno Corrêa Barbosa
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica- LABEC, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Estrutura, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
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de Souza AR, Guimarães Simões T, Rantala MJ, Fernando Santos E, Lino-Netto J, do Nascimento FS. Sexual ornaments reveal the strength of melanization immune response and longevity of male paper wasps. J Insect Physiol 2018; 109:163-168. [PMID: 29870690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been recently suggested that female mate choice, based on sexually selected ornaments, is an important component of social wasps' reproductive biology. The correlates of male ornaments that could be of a female's interest, however, remain to be investigated. Males of the Neotropical paper wasp Polistes simillimus have sexually dimorphic melanin-based black spots on their faces. In this species, male spots work like sexual ornaments, as it has been experimentally demonstrated that females prefer sexual partners with a higher proportion of black pigment on their faces. We have shown that, under laboratory conditions, male sexual ornamentation positively predicts the strength of the melanization immune response and longevity. Therefore, in P. simillimus, melanin-based facial patterns (ornaments) seem to be honest indicators of male quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rodrigues de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | | | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eduardo Fernando Santos
- Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - José Lino-Netto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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de Souza AR, Teixeira GVM, do Nascimento FS. Individually distinctive facial patterning without a signal value: a case of ‘missing’ social knowledge in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2388-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Silva-Junior EAD, Paludo CR, Valadares L, Lopes NP, Nascimento FSD, Pupo MT. Aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus nomius ASR3, a pathogen isolated from the leaf-cutter ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjp.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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dos Santos AB, do Nascimento FS. Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Orchid Bees Males: Interspecific and Chemotaxonomy Variation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145070. [PMID: 26713612 PMCID: PMC4694643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have investigated the composition of compounds that cover the cuticle in social insects, but few studies have focused on solitary bees. Cuticular hydrocarbons may provide a tool for chemotaxonomy, and perhaps they can be used as a complement to morphology and genetic characters in phylogenetic studies. Orchid bees (Tribe Euglossini) are a highly diverse group of Neotropical bees with more than 200 species. Here, the cuticular hydrocarbons of 17 species were identified and statistical analysis revealed 108 compounds, which allowed for the taxonomic classification according to the genera. The most significant compounds discriminating the four genera were (Z)-9-pentacosene, (Z,Z)-pentatriacontene-3, (Z)-9-tricosene, and (Z)-9-heptacosene. The analyses demonstrated the potential use of CHCs to identify different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Borba dos Santos
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Ecologia de Insetos Sociais. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Bandeirantes, 3900. CEP 14040–901. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Ecologia de Insetos Sociais. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Bandeirantes, 3900. CEP 14040–901. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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Falcón T, Ferreira-Caliman MJ, Franco Nunes FM, Tanaka ED, do Nascimento FS, Gentile Bitondi MM. Exoskeleton formation in Apis mellifera: cuticular hydrocarbons profiles and expression of desaturase and elongase genes during pupal and adult development. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 50:68-81. [PMID: 24813723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are abundant in the superficial cuticular layer (envelope) of insects where they play roles as structural, anti-desiccation and semiochemical compounds. Many studies have investigated the CHC composition in the adult insects. However, studies on the profiles of these compounds during cuticle formation and differentiation are scarce and restrict to specific stages of a few insect species. We characterized the CHCs developmental profiles in the honeybee workers during an entire molting cycle (from pupal-to-adult ecdyses) and in mature adults (forager bees). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed remarkable differences in the relative quantities of CHCs, thus discriminating pupae, developing and newly-ecdysed adults, and foragers from each other. In parallel, the honeybee genome database was searched for predicted gene models using known amino acid sequences of insect enzymes catalyzing lipid desaturation (desaturases) or elongation (elongases) as queries in BLASTP analysis. The expression levels of six desaturase genes and ten elongase genes potentially involved in CHC biosynthesis were determined by reverse transcription and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the developing integument (cuticle and subjacent epidermis). Aiming to predict roles for these genes in CHC biosynthesis, the developmental profiles of CHCs and desaturase/elongase transcript levels were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficient. This analysis pointed to differential roles for these gene products in the biosynthesis of certain CHC classes. Based on the assumption that homologous proteins may share a similar function, phylogenetic trees were reconstructed as an additional strategy to predict functions and evolutionary relationships of the honeybee desaturases and elongases. Together, these approaches highlighted the molecular complexity underlying the formation of the lesser known layer of the cuticular exoskeleton, the envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Falcón
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Juliana Ferreira-Caliman
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Francis Morais Franco Nunes
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Erica Donato Tanaka
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Santos do Nascimento
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Márcia Maria Gentile Bitondi
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Van Oystaeyen A, Araujo Alves D, Caliari Oliveira R, Lima do Nascimento D, Santos do Nascimento F, Billen J, Wenseleers T. Sneaky queens in Melipona bees selectively detect and infiltrate queenless colonies. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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