Cuticular hydrocarbons ofReticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and their role as potential species- and caste-recognition cues

Howard, Ralph W.; McDaniel, C. A.; Nelson, Dennis R.; Blomquist, Gary J.; Gelbaum, Leslie T.; Zalkow, Leon H.

doi:10.1007/bf00990755

Cited by 154 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Little is known about the chemistry of the signals that allow such recognition in rodents or other mammals, but it has been studied among invertebrates. The general conclusion from this work is that such recognition is based on the relative proportions of chemical compounds in mixtures (mosaic signals-Bonavita- Cougourdan et al 1987;Howard 1993;Howard et al 1982;Morel et al 1988). In the social paper wasp (Polistis fuscatus), for example, the ratios of cuticular hydrocarbons differ across nests of related wasps, and the quantitative patterns of these differences are sufficient to identify the colony from which a single wasp is taken (Gamboa et al 1996).…”

Section: Kin Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Chemical Communication in Rodents: From Pheromones to Individual Recognition

Johnston

2003

Journal of Mammalogy

217

149

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In many species of rodents, sense of smell is the most important source of information about the social and nonsocial world. I selectively review the literature on chemical communication in this group, primarily as studied in the laboratory. I start with a discussion of the term ''pheromone,'' the types of chemical signals, and the mechanisms underlying responses to chemical signals. I discuss the chemical complexity of odors in rodents and the significance of multiple sources of odors. Efforts to chemically identify signals are reviewed briefly; some progress, especially with domestic house mice (Mus musculus domesticus), has been made, but new collaborations between chemists and biologists are needed. Three areas of current research are reviewed in detail: the role of the major histocompatibility complex in the production of body odors and the role of these odors in mate choice, the use of odors in kin recognition, and the functions of scent overmarking. both theory and specific hypotheses tested in experiments. Then I review some exciting areas of current research concerning chemical communication in rodents. I also refer to studies of chemical communication in other taxa because I think it is important to integrate ideas, terminology, and concepts across a wide range of species. As in any branch of biology, this kind of comparative approach will, one hopes, result in theories that have broad applicability.

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Section: Kin Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Chemical Communication in Rodents: From Pheromones to Individual Recognition

Johnston

2003

Journal of Mammalogy

217

149

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“…(Howse, 1964). Many termites became agitated, moved rapidly, and soldiers clustered around the breach in the barrier (Figure 3) (Stuart, 1970 (Howard et al, 1982a(Howard et al, , 1982b. The role of cuticular hydrocarbons in the conspecific intercolonial interactions of R. virginicus is unclear because pooled extracts of termites from widely separated locations (> 1.6 km apart) were used.…”

Section: Soldier Vs Worker Interactions: Immobilization Of Soldiers mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The role of cuticular hydrocarbons in the conspecific intercolonial interactions of R. virginicus is unclear because pooled extracts of termites from widely separated locations (> 1.6 km apart) were used. These termites were almost certainly from separate colonies, and some agonistic behavior would be expected which could not be conclusively evaluated by a behavioral assay (Howard et al, 1982a). Nevertheless, cuticular hydrocarbons could be an important factor for communication during H. aureus encounters, since workers and soldiers became excited after body contact.…”

Section: Soldier Vs Worker Interactions: Immobilization Of Soldiers mentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercolonial Aggression in the Subterranean Termite Heterotermes Aureus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Binder

1988

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology

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“…The cuticular chemistry is known to be affected by genetic relatedness [3][4][5], season [6], geographical location [4,[7][8][9] and diet [10 -12], but few studies have investigated whether environmental and/or genetic factors differentially affect different classes of cuticular compounds. Cuticular profiles predominantly comprise non-polar hydrocarbons (n-alkanes, alkenes and methyl-branched alkanes), but can be enriched by polar compounds (such as alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes or oxidized terpenes; [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]). These compounds have a variety of functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genes versus environment: geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale

2013

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Chemical compounds are highly important in the ecology of animals. In social insects, compounds on the body surface represent a particularly interesting trait, because they comprise different compound classes that are involved in different functions, such as communication, recognition and protection, all of which can be differentially affected by evolutionary processes. Here, we investigate the widely unknown and possibly antagonistic influence of phylogenetic and environmental factors on the composition of the cuticular chemistry of tropical stingless bees. We chose stingless bees because some species are unique in expressing not only self-produced compounds, but also compounds that are taken up from the environment. By relating the cuticular chemistry of 40 bee species from all over the world to their molecular phylogeny and geographical occurrence, we found that distribution patterns of different groups of compounds were differentially affected by genetic relatedness and biogeography. The ability to acquire environmental compounds was, for example, highly correlated with the bees' phylogeny and predominated in evolutionarily derived species. Owing to the presence of environmentally derived compounds, those species further expressed a higher chemical and thus functional diversity. In Old World species, chemical similarity of both environmentally derived and self-produced compounds was particularly high among sympatric species, even when they were less related to each other than to allopatric species, revealing a strong environmental effect even on largely genetically determined compounds. Thus, our findings do not only reveal an unexpectedly strong influence of the environment on the cuticular chemistry of stingless bees, but also demonstrate that even within one morphological trait (an insect's cuticular profile), different components (compound classes) can be differentially affected by different drivers (relatedness and biogeography), depending on the functional context.

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Cuticular hydrocarbons ofReticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and their role as potential species- and caste-recognition cues

Cited by 154 publications

References 11 publications

Chemical Communication in Rodents: From Pheromones to Individual Recognition

Chemical Communication in Rodents: From Pheromones to Individual Recognition

Intercolonial Aggression in the Subterranean Termite Heterotermes Aureus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Genes versus environment: geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale

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