Worker rank, reproductive status and cuticular hydrocarbon signature in the ant, Pachycondyla cf. inversa

Heınze, Jürgen; Stengl, Bernhard; Sledge, Matthew F.

doi:10.1007/s00265-002-0491-1

Cited by 105 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…A shift toward heavier hydrocarbons in ants with well-developed ovaries has also been found in other ponerine species, e.g., P. inversa (Heinze et al, 2002) and H. saltator (Liebig et al, 2000). The elongation reactions, following a switch to reproductive maturation, have been well studied in other insect taxa (Tillman-Wall et al, 1992;Blomquist et al, 1995Blomquist et al, , 1998Tillman et al, 1999), and it is likely that a similar mechanism is acting in the species studied here, G. striatula.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Indeed, consistent chemical differences in the cuticular profiles between fertile and infertile individuals have now been shown in Diacamma ceylonense (Cuvillier-Hot et al, 2001), Dinoponera quadriceps (Monnin et al, 1998), Harpegnathos saltator (Liebig et al, 2000), Myrmecia gulosa (Dietemann et al, 2003), Pachycondyla cf. inversa (Tentschert et al, 2001;Heinze et al, 2002), and Streblognathus peetersi (Cuvillier-Hot et al, 2004). By secreting specific pheromones, it is thought that active egg layers signal their high fertility (Cuvillier-Hot et al, 2001) so that low-ranking individuals concede reproduction to high-ranking fecund individuals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

et al. 2006

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In ca. 150 species of queenless ants, a specialized queen caste is rare or absent, and mated workers take over the role of the queen in some or all of the colonies. Previously, it has been shown that reproduction in queenless ants is regulated by a combination of dominance behavior and chemical fertility signaling. It is unknown, however, whether chemical signals alone can sufficiently regulate reproduction. To investigate this possibility, we studied reproductive regulation in the facultatively queenless ant Gnamptogenys striatula, a species where dominance behavior is rare or absent. Active egg layers and infertile workers showed qualitative and quantitative differences in their cuticular hydrocarbon profile. Five long-chain methyl alkanes, 3,13-and 3,15-dimethyl pentriacontane, 3,13-and 3,15-dimethyl heptentriacontane, and 3,11,15-trimethyl heptentriacontane occurred only on the cuticles of virgin and mated egg layers. Pronounced quantitative differences were found in a further 27 alkenes; alkanes; and mono-, di-, and trimethyl alkanes. Workers that had recently stopped laying eggs had profiles similar to infertile workers, and mating status did not affect this chemical pattern. We conclude that the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of G. striatula workers provide reliable information about their current fertility. In the interest of colony productivity, this allows reproduction to be regulated without the use of aggression.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

et al. 2006

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“…Increasing the fraction of alkenes and methylalkanes in the profile facilitates chemical communication [15]. The insect CHC profile is therefore likely to be under differential selection, varying between castes [16,17], tasks [8,9,18], fertility states [19,20] and positions in the social hierarchy [21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of slavemaking lifestyle, caste and sex on chemical profiles in Temnothorax ants: insights into the evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons

Kleeberg¹,

Menzel²,

Foitzik³

2017

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Chemical communication is central for the formation and maintenance of insect societies. Generally, social insects only allow nest-mates into their colony, which are recognized by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Social parasites, which exploit insect societies, are selected to circumvent host recognition. Here, we studied whether chemical strategies to reduce recognition evolved convergently in slavemaking ants, and whether they extend to workers, queens and males alike. We studied CHCs of three social parasites and their related hosts to investigate whether the parasitic lifestyle selects for specific chemical traits that reduce host recognition. Slavemaker profiles were characterized by shorter-chained hydrocarbons and a shift from methyl-branched alkanes to n -alkanes, presumably to reduce recognition cue quantity. These shifts were consistent across independent origins of slavery and were found in isolated ants and those emerging in their mother colony. Lifestyle influenced profiles of workers most profoundly, with little effect on virgin queen profiles. We detected an across-species caste signal, with workers, for which nest-mate recognition is particularly important, carrying more and longer-chained hydrocarbons and males exhibiting a larger fraction of n -alkanes. This comprehensive study of CHCs across castes and species reveals how lifestyle-specific selection can result in convergent evolution of chemical phenotypes.

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“…In Drosophila melanogaster , mating alters the CHC profiles of females (Everaerts et al 2010). In contrast, studies in queenless ponerine ants, where individuals of all different statuses of fertility can occur naturally, did not find any effect of mating Effect of insemination and ovary development on bumblebee CHC on the CHC profile (e.g., Peeters et al 1999;Liebig et al 2000;Heinze et al 2002). To our knowledge, there are so far no studies in Apidae which show an effect of insemination on the CHC profile.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Strong effects of fertility on the CHC profile and thus distinct queen specific CHC profiles have already been found in social wasps (e.g., Sledge et al 2001Sledge et al , 2004, ants (e.g., Monnin et al 1998;Peeters et al 1999;Liebig et al 2000;Heinze et al 2002;Dietemann et al 2003Dietemann et al , 2005Smith et al 2008Smith et al , 2009, and bumblebees (Ayasse et al 1995;Sramkova et al 2008). However, in the majority of those studies, potential effects of insemination and ovarian development on CHC profiles were not investigated separately.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling the effect of insemination and ovary development on the cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2015

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-In many social insects, fertility of the reproductive caste is communicated via cuticular chemistry. Changes in cuticular profiles have been correlated to ovarian development. However, an effect of insemination has been neglected in the majority of studies so far. In Bombus terrestris , we stimulated virgin queens to found colonies without being inseminated and compared their cuticular hydrocarbon profile (CHC) to other females in different insemination and breeding statuses. The analysis of the CHC profiles showed an effect of both insemination and ovarian development on the cuticular profile. Thus, insemination besides ovarian development might be received by workers in bumblebees as a potential cue for fertility.breeding status / cuticular profile / fertility / mating / virgin queen

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Worker rank, reproductive status and cuticular hydrocarbon signature in the ant, Pachycondyla cf. inversa

Cited by 105 publications

References 18 publications

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula

The influence of slavemaking lifestyle, caste and sex on chemical profiles in Temnothorax ants: insights into the evolution of cuticular hydrocarbons

Disentangling the effect of insemination and ovary development on the cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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