Territoriality and behavioural strategies at the natal host patch differ in two microsympatric Nasonia species

Mair, Magdalena M.; Rüther, Joachim

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.07.015

Cited by 14 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Instead of relying on the relatively slow process of learning by repeated experience, it may thus be more advantageous for Nl females to become more selective the moment that they recognize the presence of the interfering species. Recent studies indicate that the four Nasonia species differ in far more behavioural and ecological aspects than assumed so far, and that species interactions are far more complex than described to date [ 25 , 28 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. In general, the potential role that the behavioural plasticity of mate discrimination can play in interactions and dynamics among co-occurring species has until now been widely neglected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Previous Interspecific Courtship Impairs Female Receptivity to Conspecifics in the Parasitoid Wasp Nasonia longicornis But Not in N. vitripennis

Mair

Seifert

Rüther

2018

Insects

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Interspecific sexual interactions are not uncommon in animals. In sympatry, females often face the risk of accidentally mating with a heterospecific male. Based on the actual risks imposed by the environment at a given time and place, females should be able to adjust their mate acceptance in order to avoid interspecific copulations as well as accidentally refusing to mate with a conspecific. We investigate the ability of females of the two parasitoid wasp species Nasonia vitripennis (Nv) and N. longicornis (Nl) to adjust their mate acceptance in response to previous unsuccessful courtship by heterospecific males. We show that Nl females are more reluctant to mate with a conspecific male when having been courted previously by a heterospecific male, but Nv females are not. We argue that this strategy is reasonable for Nl females but not for Nv females, which follow a different strategy to avoid the fitness costs imposed by heterospecific copulations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Previous Interspecific Courtship Impairs Female Receptivity to Conspecifics in the Parasitoid Wasp Nasonia longicornis But Not in N. vitripennis

Mair

Seifert

Rüther

2018

Insects

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“…Males of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Walker 1836), a pupal parasitoid of different fly species, produce in their rectal vesicle a sex pheromone composed of (4R,5R)-and (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide and the minor component 4-methylquinazoline. After emergence, males deposit the pheromone on the host and other substrates to attract virgin females (Mair and Ruther, 2018;Ruther et al, 2007Ruther et al, , 2008. Stable isotope labelling experiments using fully 13 C-labelled fatty acid precursors revealed that both stereoisomers of 5-hydroxy-4decanolide are synthesised from C18:2 Δ9,12 or C18:1 Δ9 (Blaul and Ruther, 2011;Blaul et al, 2014) (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional characterisation of two Δ12-desaturases demonstrates targeted production of linoleic acid as pheromone precursor inNasonia

Semmelmann

Kabeya

Malcicka

et al. 2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Insect pheromones are often derived from fatty acid metabolism. Fatty acid desaturases, enzymes introducing double bonds into fatty acids, are crucial for the biosynthesis of these chemical signals. Δ12-desaturases catalyse the biosynthesis of linoleic acid by introducing a second double bond into oleic acid, but have been identified in only a few animal species. Here, we report the functional characterisation of two Δ12-desaturases, Nvit_D12a and Nvit_D12b, from the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. We demonstrate that Nvit_D12a is expressed in the rectal vesicle of males where they produce a linoleic acid-derived sex pheromone to attract virgin females. 13 C-labelling experiments with Urolepis rufipes, a closely related species belonging to the 'Nasonia group', revealed that females, but not males, are able to synthesise linoleic acid. U. rufipes males produce an isoprenoid sex pheromone in the same gland and do not depend on linoleic acid for pheromone production. This suggests that Δ12-desaturases are common in the 'Nasonia group', but acquired a specialised function in chemical communication of those species that use linoleic acid as a pheromone precursor. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that insect Δ12-desaturases have evolved repeatedly from Δ9-desaturases in different insect taxa. Hence, insects have developed a way to produce linoleic acid independent of the omega desaturase subfamily which harbours all of the eukaryotic Δ12-desaturases known so far.

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“…Females emerge in rapid succession; thus, the presence of one virgin female reliably predicts the very nearby occurrence of others, which will be attracted to the male sex pheromone. Nv males are territorial and defend the exit holes of hosts aggressively against their competitors (Mair and Ruther, 2018) and Nv males do not fly (Weston et al, 1999). In contrast, Ur males have full wings and fly, and Ur generally produces only one wasp per host.…”

Section: ; Van Denmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nasonia males deposit volatile sex pheromones on substrates, such as host pupae from which females are about to emerge or the ground in the vicinity of these hosts (Mair and Ruther, 2018). A male does this by dragging the tip of his abdomen, leaving behind short, white marks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male Sex Pheromone of the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes Demonstrates Biosynthetic Switch Between Fatty Acid and Isoprenoid Metabolism Within the Nasonia Group

et al. 2019

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Territoriality and behavioural strategies at the natal host patch differ in two microsympatric Nasonia species

Cited by 14 publications

References 76 publications

Previous Interspecific Courtship Impairs Female Receptivity to Conspecifics in the Parasitoid Wasp Nasonia longicornis But Not in N. vitripennis

Previous Interspecific Courtship Impairs Female Receptivity to Conspecifics in the Parasitoid Wasp Nasonia longicornis But Not in N. vitripennis

Functional characterisation of two Δ12-desaturases demonstrates targeted production of linoleic acid as pheromone precursor inNasonia

Male Sex Pheromone of the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes Demonstrates Biosynthetic Switch Between Fatty Acid and Isoprenoid Metabolism Within the Nasonia Group

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