When predator odour makes groups stronger: effects on behavioural and chemical adaptations in two termite species |
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Authors: | Christophe Lucas Lou Brossette Lauriane Lefloch Simon Dupont Jean‐Philippe Christidès Anne‐Geneviève Bagnères |
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Affiliation: | 1. Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (UMR7261) CNRS 2. – 3. University of Tours, Tours, France;4. Centre d'écologie Fonctionnelle et évolutive, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France |
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Abstract: | 1. Being able to detect a predator before any physical contact is crucial for individual survival. Predator presence can be detected thanks to several types of signal, such as chemical cues. Chemical signals are produced by predators for their protection against desiccation, for their communication, or possibly as a side‐effect of their activity. In insects, chemical communication plays a key role in diverse biological processes, including prey‐predator or plant‐insect interactions, courtship behaviour, and kin or species recognition. 2. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are specifically involved in recognition processes and social organisation (division of labour, caste ratios) in social insects. Here, the questions raised are whether termites can detect a predator with their cuticular compounds and whether the predator‐produced compounds can influence their prey. 3. The responses of termites Reticulitermes grassei (Clément, 1978) and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar, 1837) to the presence of the cuticular compounds produced by a predator, the ant species Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), were investigated. More specifically, the study quantified termite traits such as caste ratios, mortality rates, CHC profile homogeneity and aggressiveness of workers after 2 months' exposure to predator‐produced compounds. 4. The results show that the predator odour did affect the aggressiveness of the native species R. grassei but not of the invasive R. flavipes. The caste ratios and the mortality rates were not affected for both species. 5. Differences between species are discussed around the native or invasive status of each species, along with the role played by chemical cues on behavioural and chemical adaptations. |
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Keywords: | Aggressive behaviour competitive tests cuticular compounds Reticulitermes flavipes, Reticulitermes grassei, subterranean termite |
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