Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons
One of the most studied and best-known mutualistic relationships between insects is that between ants and phloem-feeding insects. Ants feed on honeydew excreted by phloem-feeding insects and, in exchange, attack the phloem feeders’ natural enemies, including parasitic wasps. However, parasitic w...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Royal Society
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6929 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.1684 |
| _version_ | 1855032516368400384 |
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| author | Mouratidis, Angelos Vacas, Sandra Herrero-Schell, Julieta Navarro-Llopis, Vicente Marcel, Dicke Tena, Alejandro |
| author_browse | Herrero-Schell, Julieta Marcel, Dicke Mouratidis, Angelos Navarro-Llopis, Vicente Tena, Alejandro Vacas, Sandra |
| author_facet | Mouratidis, Angelos Vacas, Sandra Herrero-Schell, Julieta Navarro-Llopis, Vicente Marcel, Dicke Tena, Alejandro |
| author_sort | Mouratidis, Angelos |
| collection | ReDivia |
| description | One of the most studied and best-known mutualistic relationships between
insects is that between ants and phloem-feeding insects. Ants feed on
honeydew excreted by phloem-feeding insects and, in exchange, attack the
phloem feeders’ natural enemies, including parasitic wasps. However, parasitic
wasps are under selection to exploit information on hazards and avoid
them. Here, we tested whether parasitic wasps detect the previous presence
of ants attending colonies of phloem feeders. Behavioural assays demonstrate
thatwasps left colonies previously attended by ants more frequently than control
colonies. This behaviour has a potential cost for the parasitic wasp as
females inserted their ovipositor in fewer hosts per colony. In a further bioassay,
wasps spent less time on papers impregnated with extracts of the ant cues
than on control papers. Gas chromatography coupled withmass spectrometry
analyses demonstrated that ants left a blend of cuticular hydrocarbons when
they attended colonies of phloem feeders. These cuticular hydrocarbons are
deposited passively when ants search for food. Overall, these results suggest,
for the first time, that parasitic wasps of honeydew producers detect the
previous presence of mutualistic ants through contact infochemicals. We
anticipate such interactions to be widespread and to have implications in
numerous ecosystems, as phloem feeders are usually tended by ants. |
| format | article |
| id | ReDivia6929 |
| institution | Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Royal Society |
| publisherStr | Royal Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ReDivia69292025-04-25T14:47:57Z Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons Mouratidis, Angelos Vacas, Sandra Herrero-Schell, Julieta Navarro-Llopis, Vicente Marcel, Dicke Tena, Alejandro Enemy avoidance Infochemicals Hazard cues Phloem-feeding insects Cuticular hydrocarbons H10 Pests of plants One of the most studied and best-known mutualistic relationships between insects is that between ants and phloem-feeding insects. Ants feed on honeydew excreted by phloem-feeding insects and, in exchange, attack the phloem feeders’ natural enemies, including parasitic wasps. However, parasitic wasps are under selection to exploit information on hazards and avoid them. Here, we tested whether parasitic wasps detect the previous presence of ants attending colonies of phloem feeders. Behavioural assays demonstrate thatwasps left colonies previously attended by ants more frequently than control colonies. This behaviour has a potential cost for the parasitic wasp as females inserted their ovipositor in fewer hosts per colony. In a further bioassay, wasps spent less time on papers impregnated with extracts of the ant cues than on control papers. Gas chromatography coupled withmass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that ants left a blend of cuticular hydrocarbons when they attended colonies of phloem feeders. These cuticular hydrocarbons are deposited passively when ants search for food. Overall, these results suggest, for the first time, that parasitic wasps of honeydew producers detect the previous presence of mutualistic ants through contact infochemicals. We anticipate such interactions to be widespread and to have implications in numerous ecosystems, as phloem feeders are usually tended by ants. 2021-01-08T07:43:04Z 2021-01-08T07:43:04Z 2021 article publishedVersion Mouratidis, A, Vacas, S, Herrero, J, Navarro-Llopis, V., Dicke, M. & Tena, A. (2021) Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via the detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons. Proc. R. Soc. B 288: 20201684. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6929 10.1098/rspb.2020.1684 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.1684 en info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Programa estatal de i+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad/RTA2017-00095-00-00//Mejora de la gestión integrada de pseudocóccidos en cítricos y caqui RTA2017-00095 openAccess Royal Society impreso |
| spellingShingle | Enemy avoidance Infochemicals Hazard cues Phloem-feeding insects Cuticular hydrocarbons H10 Pests of plants Mouratidis, Angelos Vacas, Sandra Herrero-Schell, Julieta Navarro-Llopis, Vicente Marcel, Dicke Tena, Alejandro Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title | Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title_full | Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title_fullStr | Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title_short | Parasitic wasps avoid ant-protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| title_sort | parasitic wasps avoid ant protected hemipteran hosts via detection of ant cuticular hydrocarbons |
| topic | Enemy avoidance Infochemicals Hazard cues Phloem-feeding insects Cuticular hydrocarbons H10 Pests of plants |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6929 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.1684 |
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