A quantitative threshold for nest-mate recognition in a paper social wasp

Nest-mate recognition is fundamental for protecting social insect colonies from intrusion threats such as predators or social parasites. The aggression of resident females towards intruders is mediated by their cuticular semiochemicals. A positive relation between the amount of cues and responses has been widely assumed and often taken for granted, even though direct tests have not been carried out. This hypothesis has important consequences, since it is the basis for the chemical insignificance strategy, the most common explanation for the reduction in the amount of semiochemicals occurring in many social parasites. Here we used the social wasp Polistes dominulus, a model species in animal communication studies and host of three social parasites, to test this hypothesis. We discovered that different amounts of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) of a foreign female evoke quantitatively different behavioural reactions in the resident foundress. The relation between CHC quantity and the elicited response supports the idea that a threshold exists in the chemical recognition system of this species. The chemical insignificance hypothesis thus holds in a host–parasite system of Polistes wasps, even though other explanations should not be discarded.     

Chemical composition of volatiles from the syconia of Ficus microcarpa and host recognition behavior of pollinating fig wasps北大核心CSCD

Aims: Chemical communication plays a key role in host plant recognition of pollinators. There are two recognized types of chemical communication between syconia and their pollinating fig wasps: one is \"generalization\", of which the wasps respond to the relative ratio of multiple compounds, and the other is \"specialization\", of which the key signal is a single uncommon, possibly unique, compound. The aims of this study were to identify the chemical composition of volatiles from the syconia of Ficus microcarpa at different developmental phases, and to determine if the signaling between F. microcarpa and its pollinating fig wasp, Eupristina verticillata, is of generalized type, or of specialized type. Methods: The volatiles from syconia of F. microcarpa were extracted using solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) at different developmental phases (pre-female, female (before and after pollination), interfloral, male and postfloral phases) and the chemical compounds were identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We then tested the behavioral responses of E. verticillata to fresh syconia at different developmental phases using two-choice olfactometers. Important findings: There were 21 volatile compounds identified from the syconia at different developmental phases, which were mainly fatty acid derivatives, terpenoids and aromatic compounds. The components of the volatiles apparently differed among the developmental stages. The contents of terpenoids declined, but the contents of fatty acid derivatives increased, from before the pollination to after the pollination. Especially, the characteristic compounds of 2-heptanone and 3-octanone before the pollination disappeared, D-limonene decreased after the pollination, but copanene, cyclohexane and 2-hexenal increased. The results of the two-choice olfactometer experiment showed that the pollinating fig wasps had higher selection ratio to chemicals found in the female phase syconia than those in other phases; whereas the volatile compounds from the male phase syconia had the function pushing the pollinating fig wasps to leave the natal syconia so that there existed the \"push-pull\" responses by fig wasps to volatiles released by their host syconia. We conclude that there are multiple chemical compounds playing the roles in host recognition of pollinating fig wasp E. verticillata. The mutualistic relationship between F. microcarpa and E. verticillata is maintained by the chemical communication of \"generalization\" strategy.     

Abdominal Waggings and Variation of Their Rate of Occurrence in the Social Wasp, Polistes dominulus Christ. I. Quantitative Analysis

The quantitative study of abdominal waggings in Polistes dominulus Christ, covering a total of 16,000 sequences of movements observed in 13 colonies (mono- and polygyne), showed or confirmed the following points. The same form of abdominal wagging, very frequent in this species, is carried out by foundresses in two contexts: when they are caring for their brood and during aggressive encounters with other adults. While the dominant female shows this behavior most often, it predominantly concerns aggressive waggings (0.51 sequence per social interaction for alpha females, 0.12 and 0.04 for beta and gamma); the movements related to feeding larvae are distributed much better among the foundresses of Polygyne nests (0.38 sequence per cell check for alpha, 0.24 and 0.21 for beta and gamma). The number of waggings carried out by the workers is negligible in normally constituted colonies (0.006 and 0.01, respectively, for the two contexts). The rate of occurrence of abdominal waggings changes with time. This change is opposite and symmetrical for the two types of waggings, although we were not able to establish any correlation between the number of the movements linked to feeding the larvae and the abundance or the composition of the brood. Abdominal wagging therefore appears as a means of communication between the different members in Polistes society, used in varying degrees by all foundresses; the change of its rate of occurrence over time suggests a possible influence on larvae, hence on the future status of newborn wasps (workers or future foundresses).     

Epi- and intracuticular lipids and cuticular transpiration rates of primary leaves of eight barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivars

The major constituents of the epi- and intracuticular lipids of primary leaves of 8 cultivars of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) have been studied together with cuticular transpiration rates. The total amount of analysed cuticular lipids ranged from 9.6 to 13.4 μg cm⁻² and was dominated by the epicuticular fraction, which made up 73–84% of the total. There were variations in the percentages of the analysed lipid classes, alkanes, esters, aldehydes, β-diketones and alcohols, between epi- and intracuticular lipids among individual cultivars, but no clear tendency in these variations, except for the aldehydes, was found. The epicuticular lipids were richer in aldehydes than the intracuticular lipids. The cuticular transpiration rates were poorly correlated with the levels or composition of epi-, intra- or total cuticular lipids. The cuticular transpiration rates were considerably altered as a response to a water stress treatment, but these changes could not be correlated with any changes in amount or composition of the cuticular lipids. From these results it is concluded that some property other than amount or composition of cuticular lipids is the most important in regulation of water diffusion through the cuticle.     

Venom induces alarm behaviour in the social wasp Polybioides raphigastra (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): an investigation of alarm behaviour, venom volatiles and sting autotomy

Chemicals from the venom gland elicited alarm behaviour and attack in the Asian polistine wasp Polybioides raphigastra. When presented with crushed venom glands workers of this wasp respond with a mass stinging attack. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses show that the major volatiles in the venom gland are alkanes, monounsaturated alkenes and 2-alcohols. Several pyrazines, a spiroacetal and aromatics were also identified as trace compounds. The anatomy and morphology of the sting apparatus are reported, and we describe sting autotomy in this wasp. This is the first such report for the Ropalidiinae. The structures responsible for autotomy are likely to be large barbs present on the sting lancets, and a conspicuous tooth present on the medial side of the left lancet. Sting autotomy in P. raphigastra probably plays an important role in the localization of sites of attack by wasps defending the nest.     

Colony Membership, Division of Labor, and Genetic Relatedness Among Females of Colonies of Eustenogaster fraterna (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Stenogastrinae)

To compare the social structure of primitively social wasps with that of communal breeding vertebrates, we used a new technique based on micro videocameras applied to the nest envelope to study the organization of behavior in Malaysian colonies of the stenogastrine wasp Eustenogaster fraterna. The reproductive division of labor in this species appears to be different from that reported so far in other species of Stenogastrinae: it is at a very primitive stage because the helpers work less hard and take fewer risks than the egg-layers. Nevertheless, the very low-risk tasks performed by the helpers (nest guarding and supply of abdominal secretion to the young larvae) are important for the colonies. Behavioral characters and ovarian development of the helpers suggest that females are only temporary helpers and that they wait to start their own production of offspring in the hope of inheriting the nest. Females of the same colony can be highly related, but in some colonies we found low-related individuals. The social organization of these wasps resembles that of vertebrate groups with helpers at the den, i.e., in the small number of individuals, the division of labor with limited reproductive inhibition, and the prolonged external work of the reproductive individuals. However, the main drive to sociality in these insects appears to be different, being based mainly on problems connected with short adult life and long immature brood development.     

Effect of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine of different chain length on acrosome breakdown and fertilizing capacity of amphibian spermatozoa

The effect of different lipids on the fertilizing capacity of Bufo arenarum spermatozoa and on acrosome breakdown of Leptodactylus chaquensis spermatozoa was studied. Sonicated vesicles of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (1 mM) were as effective as vesicles of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine:cholesterol (molar ratio 1:0.9) in inhibiting the fertilizing capacity of Bufo arenarum spermatozoa. This suggests that cholesterol depletion from the spermatozoa was not the cause of the fertility loss. Bufo arenarum spermatozoa were incubated with phosphatidylcholines with even chain length from 6 to 18 carbons. At a concentration of 0.01 mM, didecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine reduced fertilizing capacity to 10% in a few minutes and to 0% within 60 minutes. Didodecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine required 2 hours to reduce fertility to 10% and 4 hours to cause a 100% loss of fertilizing capacity. A concentration of didecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine as low as 5 × 10^?4 mM caused a more than 95% fertility loss in less than five minutes. At a concentration of 0.1 mM, didecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine induced complete acrosome breakdown in Leptodactylus chaquensis spermatozoa in 15 minutes, whereas didodecyl-phospatidylcholine required 2 hours. At a concentration 100-fold lower didecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine induced complete acrosome breakdown in 2 hours. Electron microscopic observations in both species showed loss of acrosome caused by the action of the didecanoyl-phosphatidylcholine. Longer chain phosphatidylcholines exerted an inhibitory effect on Bufo arenarum spermatozoa fertilizing capacity at a higher concentration when in a vesicular form.     

Venom spraying inParachartergus colobopterus: A novel defensive behavior in a social wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Colonies ofParachartergus colobopterus do not defend against vertebrates by attacking and stinging. Instead, defending workers bend the gaster forward and spray a fine mist of venom in the direction of nearby moving objects. Although venom spraying has been reported forP. fraternus, a species that does sting, we found that this occurred only during sting attempts. We conclude that defensive behavior inP. colobopterus is unique among wasps in that (1) venom is sprayed at intruders by workers standing on the nest and (2) the spray is an atomized mist rather than a stream. We suggest that nest crypticity restricts vertebrate predators on this wasp to small, insect gleaning birds, against which a spray of venom in the eyes, mouth, and nasal passages is more effective than is a stinging defense.