Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

Abstract

The insects are a hyperdiverse class containing more species than all other animal groups combined-many of which employ venom to capture prey, deter predators and microorganisms , or facilitate parasitism or extra-oral digestion. However, with the exception of those made by Hymenoptera (wasps, ants and bees), little is known about insect venoms. Here, we review the current literature on insects that use venom for prey capture and predator deterrence, finding evidence for fourteen independent origins of venom usage among insects, mostly among the hyperdiverse holometabolan orders. Many lineages, including the True Bugs (Heteroptera), robber flies (Asilidae), and larvae of many Neuroptera, Coleoptera and Diptera, use mouthpart-associated venoms to paralyse and pre-digest prey during hunting. In contrast, some Hymenoptera and larval Lepidoptera, and one species of beetle, use non-mouthpart structures to inject venom in order to cause pain to deter potential predators. Several recently published insect venom proteomes indicate molecular convergence between insects and other venomous animal groups, with all insect venoms studied so far being potently bioactive cocktails containing both peptides and larger proteins, including novel peptide and protein families. This review summarises the current state of the field of entomo-venomics. 1. Multiple independent origins of venom use among insects The >5 million species of insects estimated to exist on earth today make up the majority of eukaryotic species (May, 1988; Stork, 2018). Moreover, insect diversity goes further than just vast numbers of species. Hexapods (including insects) diverged from their closest relatives, the cave-dwelling remipede crustaceans, ~479 mya, and true insects (Ectognatha) emerged ~440 mya when they diverged from the entognathous hexapods (Collembola, Diplura and Protura) (Misof et al., 2014). Since their early evolution as one of the first animal groups to adapt to terrestrial lifestyles, the insects have undergone a spectacular evolutionary radiation and today occupy a diverse array of ecological niches. Major adaptations powering this radiation include the early adoption of powered flight and copulation for sperm transfer by the early Pterygota, a group that includes all orders except Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) and Zygentoma (silverfish). Holometabolous development-in which larvae must pass through metamorphosis to become adults which differ markedly in their morphology-probably further drove diversification by allowing a single species to occupy multiple niches at different life stages. Of the 34 extant orders, 18 are descended from a holometabolous ancestor that lived ~345 mya (Misof et al., 2014), including the hyperdiverse insectan orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Only one of the hyperdiverse orders, Hemiptera, is hemimetabolous. Alongside these major trends, a multitude of trophic strategies, mating systems and life histories evolved, entailing adaptations spanning the biochemical, morphological and behavi...

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Proteo-Transcriptomic Characterization of the Venom from the Endoparasitoid Wasp Pimpla turionellae with Aspects on Its Biology and Evolution

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