Social Hackers: Integration in the Host Chemical Recognition System by a Paper Wasp Social Parasite

Turillazzi, Stefano; Sledge, Matthew F.; Dani, Francesca Romana; Cervo, Rita; Massolo, Alessandro; Fondelli, L.

doi:10.1007/s001140050697

Cited by 65 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…A cross-validation test (leave-one-out) was also performed. Moreover, we calculated the chemical Euclidean distances (Turillazzi et al, 2000), i.e. the chemical distance between forager-nurse pairs of bees, by standardizing peak percentages with Z-scores.…”

Section: Chemical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Varroa mite abundance influences chemical profiles of worker bees and mite–host preferences

Cervo

Bruschini

Cappa

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Honeybee disappearance is one of the major environmental and economic challenges this century has to face. The ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor represents one of the main causes of the worldwide beehive losses. Although halting mite transmission among beehives is of primary importance to save honeybee colonies from further decline, the natural route used by mites to abandon a collapsing colony has not been extensively investigated so far. Here, we explored whether, with increasing mite abundance within the colony, mites change their behaviour to maximize the chances of leaving a highly infested colony. We show that, at low mite abundance, mites remain within the colony and promote their reproduction by riding nurses that they distinguish from foragers by different chemical cuticular signatures. When mite abundance increases, the chemical profile of nurses and foragers tends to overlap, promoting mite departure from exploited colonies by riding pollen foragers.

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Section: Chemical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Varroa mite abundance influences chemical profiles of worker bees and mite–host preferences

Cervo

Bruschini

Cappa

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…At the same time, it is a mechanism by which the addition to the nest of the parasite-speci¢c 9,15-dimethylC 29 occurs, which may allow for the modi¢cation of the host recognition system (Turillazzi et al 2000). We also showed (Turillazzi et al 2000) that low quantities of host-speci¢c compounds are observable on the cuticle as soon as 90 min after usurpation, but that the host cuticular signature is only fully developed 3 days after usurpation. From our current analyses, it appears that the full colony-speci¢c odour is also attained at this time (all but one parasite were correctly classi¢ed in their colonies after 3 days).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…in Leptothorax kutteri) (Franks et al 1990). We showed in a previous paper that, after aggressively eliminating the dominant host foundress, the cuticular signature of the parasite P. sulcifer changes to match that of the host within 3 days after usurpation (Turillazzi et al 2000). This presumably allows for parasite acceptance, although this has not been experimentally demonstrated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…We estimated the variation for each individual in the laboratory colonies over the experimental period by calculating the sum of the squared di¡erences of the percentage values for each compound (which is termed the`chemical distance') (Turillazzi et al 2000) between its cuticular hydrocarbon composition before and 3 days after usurpation.…”

Section: (D) Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recognition of social parasites as nest-mates: adoption of colony-specific host cuticular odours by the paper wasp parasitePolistes sulcifer

Sledge

Dani

Cervo

et al. 2001

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Colonies of the polistine wasp Polistes dominulus are parasitized by the permanent worker-less social parasite Polistes sulcifer. After usurpation of the host colony, parasite females are characterized by a change in the relative proportions of their cuticular hydrocarbons to match those of the host species. In this paper we present evidence from ¢eld data and laboratory experiments that P. sulcifer females adopt a colonyspeci¢c host odour that facilitates their acceptance by host females of the usurped colony. Presentation experiments demonstrate that parasite females are recognized as foreign individuals by workers of other parasitized nests. We show that the modi¢cation of parasite cuticular compounds is su¤cient for this recognition. This provides evidence that, after invasion, P. sulcifer queens do not require appeasement or propaganda substances for their acceptance by host colonies. Furthermore, multivariate discriminant analysis of the cuticular hydrocarbon proportions of the parasites after usurpation assigns the parasites together with P. dominulus females of their own host colony. To the authors' knowledge, this is the ¢rst con¢rmation that social parasites adopt colony-speci¢c host odours.

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“…mandibles and anterior legs) (Cervo, 1994). After the conquest of the host colony, the parasite female chemically integrates into the colony by matching the CHC profile of the host species (Turillazzi et al, 2000), as well as the specific profile of the usurped colony (Sledge et al, 2001) and of the dominant female (Dapporto et al, 2004), in order to elude the host recognition system and to be accepted as a colony nestmate. Here again, the putative role of PCs in nestmate recognition has never been investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The chemical basis of host nest detection and chemical integration in a cuckoo paper wasp

Cini

Bruschini

Signorotti

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Insect social life is governed by chemicals. A great number of studies have demonstrated that the blend of hydrocarbons present on the cuticle (CHCs) plays a pivotal role in intra- and inter-specific communication. It is not surprising, therefore, that social parasites, specialized in exploiting the costly parental care provided by host workers, exploit the host chemical communication system too. Throughout their life cycle, social parasites intercept and break this CHC-based code. Recently, however, several polar compounds (mainly peptides) have been found in addition to CHCs both on the cuticle and on the comb surface of social insects, and their semiochemical role has been demonstrated in some circumstances. In the present study, we used the paper wasp social parasite–host system Polistes sulcifer (Zimmerman)–Polistes dominulus (Christ) to evaluate the relative importance of the CHCs and polar compounds in two different steps of the host exploitation process: host nest detection by the pre-usurping parasite and parasite chemical integration into the host colony. After separating the polar and apolar fractions of the host nest as well as those of pre- and post-usurpation parasites, we carried out laboratory assays based on the binary choice model. Our results show that nest polar compounds neither are used by the parasite to detect the host's nest nor play a role in parasite chemical integration into the host colony. In contrast, we demonstrate that CHCs are fundamental in both steps, thus confirming their primary role in social insect life and consequently in social parasite–host interactions.

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Social Hackers: Integration in the Host Chemical Recognition System by a Paper Wasp Social Parasite

Cited by 65 publications

References 14 publications

High Varroa mite abundance influences chemical profiles of worker bees and mite–host preferences

High Varroa mite abundance influences chemical profiles of worker bees and mite–host preferences

Recognition of social parasites as nest-mates: adoption of colony-specific host cuticular odours by the paper wasp parasitePolistes sulcifer

The chemical basis of host nest detection and chemical integration in a cuckoo paper wasp

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