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Fruit worldwide are prone to insect damage, particularly from the Tephritidae fruit flies. The Queensland fruit fly (“QFF”, Bactrocera tryoni) is one of the worst economic pests in the Pacific. Females oviposit in a wide variety of fruit and larvae develop inside the flesh with minimal external visual damage early upon infestation. The export of infested fruit into pest-free zones is one of the main pathways of pest incursion. The ability to detect infested fruit early can prevent an incursion, reduce the risk of spread and advise upon fruit quality. With the aim of detecting early QFF infestation, we investigated whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could be used as biomarkers. Five types of fruit were exposed to QFF and volatiles were collected at days 1 and 5 after infestation. After chemical analysis and compound identification, classification models were employed to identify volatile predictors. There were no common volatile biomarkers for all QFF infested fruit, but a combination of fruit-specific volatile biomarkers could reach up to 100 % detection of infestation at specific times. Infestations of papaya and tomato were detectable from day 1 with high accuracy (90 and 100 % respectively). Infestations of nectarine and fig were detectable from day 5 with 80 and 90 % accuracy. Early infestation of capsicum with QFF could not be reliably detected based on our models. The strong interaction between time and infestation for all fruit types requires the selection of a suite of fruit-specific volatile biomarkers for the future development of an odorant-based sensor for detection of QFF infestation.
Flore Mas; Lee-Anne Manning; Maryam Alavi; Terry Osborne; Olivia Reynolds; Andrew Kralicek. Early detection of fruit infested with Bactrocera tryoni. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2021, 175, 111496 .
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Lee-Anne Manning, Maryam Alavi, Terry Osborne, Olivia Reynolds, Andrew Kralicek. Early detection of fruit infested with Bactrocera tryoni. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 2021; 175 ():111496.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Lee-Anne Manning; Maryam Alavi; Terry Osborne; Olivia Reynolds; Andrew Kralicek. 2021. "Early detection of fruit infested with Bactrocera tryoni." Postharvest Biology and Technology 175, no. : 111496.
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) forage by using their sense of smell and returning to floral odours that they have previously learned to associate with high-quality food rewards. Foraging bees communicate with other bees in the hive about food sources by exchanging chemical and locational information. It is well established that bees transfer non-volatile information regarding taste and quality of nectar via trophallaxis and communicate location information via directional dances. But to our knowledge, volatiles carried by returning forager bees on their bodies has not been explored as another source of chemical information. We investigated the cuticular-adsorbed odours of bees when foraging on three different crops and compared their odours with the crops’ flower headspace. We found that cuticular extracts were in majority correlated with the flower headspace where bees were foraging, specific to the crop and field. Our results support the hypothesis that the scent of returning forager bees can be communicated to hivemates and is associated with information about current floral resources. Some of the floral volatiles that we identified in bee extracts had been previously found to be key compounds learned from the crop, thus supporting a mechanism for the selection of decisive compounds.
Flore Mas; Rachael Horner; Sam Brierley; Aimee Harper; David Maxwell Suckling. The Scent of Individual Foraging Bees. Journal of Chemical Ecology 2020, 46, 524 -533.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Rachael Horner, Sam Brierley, Aimee Harper, David Maxwell Suckling. The Scent of Individual Foraging Bees. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2020; 46 (5-6):524-533.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Rachael Horner; Sam Brierley; Aimee Harper; David Maxwell Suckling. 2020. "The Scent of Individual Foraging Bees." Journal of Chemical Ecology 46, no. 5-6: 524-533.
Females of the Queensland fruit fly (QFF), Bactrocera tryoni, are amongst the most damaging pests of horticulture in Australia and neighboring countries. Females can lay eggs into more than a hundred species of fruits and vegetables, resulting in large crop losses. Sexually mature males can be managed sustainably with traps baited with long-lasting synthetic lures, and sexually immature males and females can be attracted and killed by short-lived protein baits applied directly on surfaces, with a low success rate (< 20%). No long-lasting attractants for virgin or mated females exist. With the aim of developing a female attractant for surveillance, we collected and analyzed the odors of four ripe host fruits: orange, cherry guava, banana and feijoa. Virgin and mated female QFF were tested with gas-chromatography coupled with electro-antennographic detection to identify electrophysiologically (EAD)-active compounds. We detected 41 EAD-active compounds, with seven found common for more than one fruit. Overall, mated females responded more often and with higher intensity than virgin females. In particular, five compounds present either in cherry guava or feijoa triggered a significantly higher EAD response from mated females than from virgins. Twenty-six EAD-active compounds were selected and tested individually in a Y-tube olfactometer to measure attraction of both virgin and mated females. Behavioral responses differed significantly amongst the compounds, but not strongly between virgin and mated females. We did not find any correlation between electrophysiological and behavioral responses. Further field testing with behaviorally-active compounds is needed for the development of a new QFF female lure.
Flore Mas; Lee-Anne Manning; Morgane Singlet; Ruth Butler; Christian Mille; David Maxwell Suckling. Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Queensland Fruit Fly Females to Fruit Odors. Journal of Chemical Ecology 2020, 46, 176 -185.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Lee-Anne Manning, Morgane Singlet, Ruth Butler, Christian Mille, David Maxwell Suckling. Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Queensland Fruit Fly Females to Fruit Odors. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2020; 46 (2):176-185.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Lee-Anne Manning; Morgane Singlet; Ruth Butler; Christian Mille; David Maxwell Suckling. 2020. "Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Queensland Fruit Fly Females to Fruit Odors." Journal of Chemical Ecology 46, no. 2: 176-185.
Flowers have complex odours often comprising hundreds of volatile compounds. Floral scents are species-specific, and vary also among populations, varieties, sexes or lines, as well as with phenology. Honey bees, Apis mellifera, generally associate only a few key compounds among the complex floral scent with the food reward which guides their foraging choices. How these key compounds are selected remains partially unexplained, despite their crucial role in influencing foraging. Using electrophysiological techniques and behavioural assays, we identified the key bioactive compounds that bees detected with their antennae and that were associated with appetitive responses from four fruit crops and three vegetable crops. Three quantities of identified key volatile compounds were assayed with the two methods in each of four different seasons with experienced foragers. Whether the selection of these key compounds is determined by the sensory capability of the bee or influenced by its foraging experience was assessed by comparing experienced and naïve bees. Our results showed that experienced foragers were electrophysiologically-sensitive to a specific set of key compounds for each crop, independent of variation in quantity among several varieties. Experienced foragers responded to these compounds in all seasons, with increased electrophysiological amplitude with increasing quantities. Behavioural appetitive responses varied amongst compounds and seasons, revealing preferences based on associative learning. Naïve bees that were exposed to compounds and subsequently learned them, tended to be overall more sensitive. We discuss our results based on the identity of each bioactive compound and their presence in nature. Preferences for specific floral compounds based on sensory biases exist and associative learning may reinforce behavioural attraction depending on foraging experience in each season.
Flore Mas; Rachael M. Horner; Sam Brierley; Ruth C. Butler; David M. Suckling. Selection of key floral scent compounds from fruit and vegetable crops by honey bees depends on sensory capacity and experience. Journal of Insect Physiology 2020, 121, 104002 .
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Rachael M. Horner, Sam Brierley, Ruth C. Butler, David M. Suckling. Selection of key floral scent compounds from fruit and vegetable crops by honey bees depends on sensory capacity and experience. Journal of Insect Physiology. 2020; 121 ():104002.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Rachael M. Horner; Sam Brierley; Ruth C. Butler; David M. Suckling. 2020. "Selection of key floral scent compounds from fruit and vegetable crops by honey bees depends on sensory capacity and experience." Journal of Insect Physiology 121, no. : 104002.
Detection of pest infestations in fresh produce traded internationally could offer improved prospects for reducing the movement of unwanted pests. Because immature stages of some pests can be difficult to find visually, other cues such as herbivore-induced volatiles that can potentially be detected at the early stages of infestation are worth investigating. In this study, we artificially infested postharvested apples (Malus × domestica 'Royal Gala') with two economic apple pests, the specialist codling moth (CM, Cydia pomonella Linnaeus, Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and the generalist Queensland fruit fly (QFF, Bactrocera tryoni, Froggatt, Diptera: Tephritidae) and collected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over time (days 0, 6, and 14-15). In both infestation experiments, we found a strong and significant interaction between time and treatment. Apples infested with the QFF emitted lower total amounts of VOCs than uninfested apples, whereas apples infested with the CM released similar total amounts of VOCs. Apples infested with CM had increases in several hexyl and butyl esters, which were particularly noticeable after 15 d. In contrast, changes in ethyl esters were characteristics of QFF infestation and could be detected from day 6. Our multilevel and multivariate statistical analysis identified specific volatile biomarkers for each species at each sampling time that can be used to design a new tool for remote detection and surveillance of these invasive pests in harvested apples. Nevertheless, other information such as the cultivar as well as the storage condition needs to be taken into consideration to increase accuracy of future odorant-based sensors for pest identification.
Flore Mas; Rachael Horner; Sylvie Cazères; Maryam Alavi; David Maxwell Suckling. Odorant-Based Detection and Discrimination of Two Economic Pests in Export Apples. Journal of Economic Entomology 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Rachael Horner, Sylvie Cazères, Maryam Alavi, David Maxwell Suckling. Odorant-Based Detection and Discrimination of Two Economic Pests in Export Apples. Journal of Economic Entomology. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Rachael Horner; Sylvie Cazères; Maryam Alavi; David Maxwell Suckling. 2019. "Odorant-Based Detection and Discrimination of Two Economic Pests in Export Apples." Journal of Economic Entomology , no. : 1.
Crop breeding programmes generally select for traits for improved yield and human consumption preferences. Yet, they often overlook one fundamental trait essential for insect-pollinated crops: Pollinator attraction. This is even more critical for hybrid plants that rely on cross-pollination between the male-fertile line and the male-sterile line to set seeds. We investigated the role of floral odours for honey bee pollination that could explain the poor seed yield in hybrid crops. We identified for three vegetable hybrid crops the key floral bioactive compounds that honey bees detect. We found that 30% of the variation in bioactive compounds quantities was explained by variety. Differences in quantities of the bioactive compounds triggered different degrees of olfactory response and were also associated with varied appetitive response. Correlating the abundance of each bioactive compound with seed yield, we found that aldehydes like nonanal and decanal can have a strong negative influence on seed yield with increasing quantity. Using these methodologies to identify relevant bioactive compounds associated with honey bee pollination, plant breeding programmes should also consider selecting for floral traits attractive to honey bees to improve crop pollination for enhanced seed yield.
Flore Mas; Aimee Harper; Rachael Horner; Taylor Welsh; Peter Jaksons; David M. Suckling. The importance of key floral bioactive compounds to honey bees for the detection and attraction of hybrid vegetable crops and increased seed yield. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2018, 98, 4445 -4453.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Aimee Harper, Rachael Horner, Taylor Welsh, Peter Jaksons, David M. Suckling. The importance of key floral bioactive compounds to honey bees for the detection and attraction of hybrid vegetable crops and increased seed yield. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2018; 98 (12):4445-4453.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Aimee Harper; Rachael Horner; Taylor Welsh; Peter Jaksons; David M. Suckling. 2018. "The importance of key floral bioactive compounds to honey bees for the detection and attraction of hybrid vegetable crops and increased seed yield." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 98, no. 12: 4445-4453.
Approximately one-third of our food globally comes from insect-pollinated crops. The dependence on pollinators has been linked to yield instability, which could potentially become worse in a changing climate. Insect-pollinated crops produced via hybrid breeding (20% of fruit and vegetable production globally) are especially at risk as they are even more reliant on pollinators than open-pollinated plants. We already observe a wide range of fruit and seed yields between different cultivars of the same crop species, and it is unknown how existing variation will be affected in a changing climate. In this study, we examined how three hybrid carrot varieties with differential performance in the field responded to three temperature regimes (cooler than the historical average, average, and warmer that the historical average). We tested how temperature affected the plants' ability to set seed (seed set, pollen viability) as well as attract pollinators (nectar composition, floral volatiles). We found that there were significant intrinsic differences in nectar phenolics, pollen viability, and seed set between the carrot varieties, and that higher temperatures did not exaggerate those differences. However, elevated temperature did negatively affect several characteristics relating to the attraction and reward of pollinators (lower volatile production and higher nectar sugar concentration) across all varieties, which may decrease the attractiveness of this already pollinator-limited crop. Given existing predictions of lower pollinator populations in a warmer climate, reduced attractiveness would add yet another challenge to future food production.
Melissa Ann Broussard; Flore Mas; Brad Howlett; David Pattemore; Jason M. Tylianakis. Possible mechanisms of pollination failure in hybrid carrot seed and implications for industry in a changing climate. PLoS ONE 2017, 12, e0180215 .
AMA StyleMelissa Ann Broussard, Flore Mas, Brad Howlett, David Pattemore, Jason M. Tylianakis. Possible mechanisms of pollination failure in hybrid carrot seed and implications for industry in a changing climate. PLoS ONE. 2017; 12 (6):e0180215.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelissa Ann Broussard; Flore Mas; Brad Howlett; David Pattemore; Jason M. Tylianakis. 2017. "Possible mechanisms of pollination failure in hybrid carrot seed and implications for industry in a changing climate." PLoS ONE 12, no. 6: e0180215.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from male and female kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa ‘Hayward’) flowers were collected by dynamic headspace sampling. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) perception of the flower VOCs was tested using gas chromatography coupled to electroantennogram detection. Honey bees consistently responded to six compounds present in the headspace of female kiwifruit flowers and five compounds in the headspace of male flowers. Analysis of the floral volatiles by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and microscale chemical derivatization showed the compounds to be nonanal, 2-phenylethanol, 4-oxoisophorone, (3E,6E)-α-farnesene, (6Z,9Z)-heptadecadiene, and (8Z)-heptadecene. Bees were then trained via olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) to synthetic mixtures of these compounds using the ratios present in each flower type. Honey bees trained to the synthetic mixtures showed a high response to the natural floral extracts, indicating that these may be the key compounds for honey bee perception of kiwifruit flower odor.
Andrew M. Twidle; Flore Mas; Aimee R. Harper; Rachael M. Horner; Taylor J. Welsh; David M. Suckling. Kiwifruit Flower Odor Perception and Recognition by Honey Bees, Apis mellifera. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015, 63, 5597 -5602.
AMA StyleAndrew M. Twidle, Flore Mas, Aimee R. Harper, Rachael M. Horner, Taylor J. Welsh, David M. Suckling. Kiwifruit Flower Odor Perception and Recognition by Honey Bees, Apis mellifera. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2015; 63 (23):5597-5602.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrew M. Twidle; Flore Mas; Aimee R. Harper; Rachael M. Horner; Taylor J. Welsh; David M. Suckling. 2015. "Kiwifruit Flower Odor Perception and Recognition by Honey Bees, Apis mellifera." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 63, no. 23: 5597-5602.
Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso) is an unculturable bacterium vectored by the tomato potato psyllid (TPP) Bactericera cockerelli and has been associated with Zebra chip disease in potato and with other economically relevant symptoms observed in solanaceous crops. By altering their host and vector’s biological system, pathogens are able to induce changes that benefit them by increasing their transmission rate. Understanding these changes can enable better targeting of mechanisms to control pathogen outbreaks. Here, we explored how the CLso infectious status affects the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the tomato plant, and whether the CLso infectious status of TPP influences host plant settlement. These chemical and behavioral changes can ultimately affect the rate of encounter between the host and the vector. Results from headspace volatile collection of tomato plants showed that CLso infected tomato plants emitted a qualitatively and quantitatively different blend of VOCs compared to sham-infected plants. By a factorial experiment, we showed that CLso negative (CLso-) TPP preferred to settle 70 % more often on infected tomato plants, while CLso positive (CLso+) TPP were found 68 % more often on sham-infected tomato plants. These results provide new evidence in favor of both host and vector manipulation by CLso.
Flore Mas; Jessica Dohmen-Vereijssen; David Suckling. Influence of the Pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum on Tomato Host Plant Volatiles and Psyllid Vector Settlement. Journal of Chemical Ecology 2014, 40, 1197 -1202.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Jessica Dohmen-Vereijssen, David Suckling. Influence of the Pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum on Tomato Host Plant Volatiles and Psyllid Vector Settlement. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2014; 40 (11-12):1197-1202.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Jessica Dohmen-Vereijssen; David Suckling. 2014. "Influence of the Pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum on Tomato Host Plant Volatiles and Psyllid Vector Settlement." Journal of Chemical Ecology 40, no. 11-12: 1197-1202.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) potentially provides a socially acceptable approach for insect eradication of new pest incursions. The light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), was discovered in Berkeley (CA, USA) in 2006, leading to an incursion response that included this technology. In this study, we assessed factors affecting mating success from a bisex release of irradiated moths: effects of radiation dose on male multiple mating, male flight competition, female sex pheromone titre and attractiveness of irradiated females to males, and identification of successful mating in vineyards of either irradiated or wild males (identified by isotope analysis of spermatophores from sentinel females). There was a significant negative relationship between male radiation dose and mating frequency. In head‐to‐head flights of irradiated males against non‐irradiated males to a pheromone lure in a wind tunnel, irradiated males reached the lure first only 31% of the time. With increasing radiation dose, the production of the major sex pheromone component in females, (E)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate, dropped, from 0.7 ± 0.1 ng per female in non‐irradiated females to 0.2 ± 0.07 ng per female when irradiated at 300 Gy. Male catch was reduced to 11% of control females in traps containing females irradiated at 300 Gy. Isotope analysis of spermatophores found in the bursa copulatrix of females indicated that mating success of irradiated males inside the live (entry‐only) traps containing virgin females was lower (13.1 ± 3.3%) than suggested by male catch (21.2 ± 3.8%) in pheromone traps, the current standard for assessing field competitiveness. Impacts of irradiation on male and female moth fitness should be taken into account to improve estimates of irradiated to wild male E. postvittana overflooding ratios needed for population suppression.
Lloyd D. Stringer; Nicola J. Sullivan; Thomas Sullivan; Vanessa J. Mitchell; Lee-Anne Manning; Flore Mas; Rebecca Hood-Nowotny; David Maxwell Suckling. Attractiveness and competitiveness of irradiated light brown apple moths. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 2013, 148, 203 -212.
AMA StyleLloyd D. Stringer, Nicola J. Sullivan, Thomas Sullivan, Vanessa J. Mitchell, Lee-Anne Manning, Flore Mas, Rebecca Hood-Nowotny, David Maxwell Suckling. Attractiveness and competitiveness of irradiated light brown apple moths. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 2013; 148 (3):203-212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLloyd D. Stringer; Nicola J. Sullivan; Thomas Sullivan; Vanessa J. Mitchell; Lee-Anne Manning; Flore Mas; Rebecca Hood-Nowotny; David Maxwell Suckling. 2013. "Attractiveness and competitiveness of irradiated light brown apple moths." Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 148, no. 3: 203-212.
Flore Mas; Joël Meunier; Mathias Kölliker. A New Function of Hydrocarbons in Insect Communication: Maternal Care and Offspring Signalling in the European Earwig. CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry 2011, 65, 744 -744.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Joël Meunier, Mathias Kölliker. A New Function of Hydrocarbons in Insect Communication: Maternal Care and Offspring Signalling in the European Earwig. CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry. 2011; 65 (9):744-744.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Joël Meunier; Mathias Kölliker. 2011. "A New Function of Hydrocarbons in Insect Communication: Maternal Care and Offspring Signalling in the European Earwig." CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry 65, no. 9: 744-744.
Solicitation signals by offspring are well known to influence parental behaviour, and it is commonly assumed that this behavioural effect translates into an effect on residual reproduction of parents. However, this equivalence assumption concerning behavioural and reproductive effects caused by offspring signals remains largely untested. Here, we tested the effect of a chemical offspring signal of quality on the relative timing and amount of future reproduction in the European earwig ( Forficula auricularia ). We manipulated the nutritional condition of earwig nymphs and exposed females to their extract, or to solvent as a control. There were no significant main effects of exposure treatment on 2nd clutch production, but exposure to extracts of well-fed nymphs induced predictable timing of the 2nd relative to the 1st clutch. This result demonstrates for the first time that an offspring signal per se , in the absence of any maternal behaviour, affects maternal reproductive timing, possibly through an effect on maternal reproductive physiology.
Flore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. An offspring signal of quality affects the timing of future parental reproduction. Biology Letters 2011, 7, 352 -354.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Mathias Kölliker. An offspring signal of quality affects the timing of future parental reproduction. Biology Letters. 2011; 7 (3):352-354.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. 2011. "An offspring signal of quality affects the timing of future parental reproduction." Biology Letters 7, no. 3: 352-354.
Parent–offspring conflict theory predicts the evolution of offspring solicitation signals that can influence the amount and/or the duration of parental investment. Short-term effects of offspring solicitation signals on parental food provisioning have been widely demonstrated, but persistent effects of offspring signals on the maintenance of parental care have been rarely studied. Also, the relation between the amount of care provided to the brood and how it is distributed among individual offspring within a brood is not well enough understood. Here, we investigated in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) the effects of offspring condition-dependent chemical signals on the maintenance of maternal care among broods and the distribution of maternal food within broods. Mothers were isolated from their brood for 3 days and continuously exposed to chemical signals extracted from broods of experimentally manipulated nutritional state. After re-introducing mothers to their brood, a range of maternal behaviours were quantified. We found that earwig mothers groomed their offspring significantly more after exposure to chemical extract from high-food brood in comparison with mothers exposed to extract from low-food brood, which in turn displayed significantly more aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, we manipulated offspring individual nutritional condition within the brood to evaluate the effect of offspring state on the within-brood food distribution. Within broods, poorly fed individuals received significantly more food than well-fed individuals, probably due to scramble competition. These results show that earwig nymphs express multi-component condition-dependent signals and behaviours differentially affecting maternal care provisioned to the brood and the distribution of care within broods.
Flore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. Differential effects of offspring condition-dependent signals on maternal care regulation in the European earwig. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 2010, 65, 341 -349.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Mathias Kölliker. Differential effects of offspring condition-dependent signals on maternal care regulation in the European earwig. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2010; 65 (2):341-349.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. 2010. "Differential effects of offspring condition-dependent signals on maternal care regulation in the European earwig." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 65, no. 2: 341-349.
Begging signals of offspring are condition-dependent cues that are usually predicted to display information about the short-term need (i.e. hunger) to which parents respond by allocating more food. However, recent models and experiments have revealed that parents, depending on the species and context, may respond to signals of quality (i.e. offspring reproductive value) rather than need. Despite the critical importance of this distinction for life history and conflict resolution theory, there is still limited knowledge of alternative functions of offspring signals. In this study, we investigated the communication between offspring and caring females of the common earwig, Forficula auricularia , hypothesizing that offspring chemical cues display information about nutritional condition to which females respond in terms of maternal food provisioning. Consistent with the prediction for a signal of quality we found that mothers exposed to chemical cues from well-fed nymphs foraged significantly more and allocated food to more nymphs compared with females exposed to solvent (control) or chemical cues from poorly fed nymphs. Chemical analysis revealed significant differences in the relative quantities of specific cuticular hydrocarbon compounds between treatments. To our knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time that an offspring chemical signal reflects nutritional quality and influences maternal care.
Flore Mas; Kenneth F. Haynes; Mathias Kölliker. A chemical signal of offspring quality affects maternal care in a social insect. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2009, 276, 2847 -2853.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Kenneth F. Haynes, Mathias Kölliker. A chemical signal of offspring quality affects maternal care in a social insect. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2009; 276 (1668):2847-2853.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Kenneth F. Haynes; Mathias Kölliker. 2009. "A chemical signal of offspring quality affects maternal care in a social insect." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276, no. 1668: 2847-2853.
Posthatching maternal care such as food provisioning and protection has evolved several times in insects, allowing offspring (larvae, nymphs) to interact with their mothers and potentially influence their investment. The evolutionary conflict over the duration and amount of parental care is thought to promote the evolution of offspring begging behaviours either as honest signals of need or as competitive signals with the potential to manipulate parents into investing more. In most social insects, parental care is not obligatory and may represent a less derived state than in vertebrate systems making them more appropriate to test ancestral conditions for the evolution of begging signals. Here, we review forms of maternal care in insects ranging from protection to food provisioning and evidence of offspring begging behaviours influencing maternal care, including condition-dependent chemical cues produced by offspring that may turn out to be solicitation pheromones. Since behavioural parent–offspring interactions are embedded in the reproductive and developmental physiology of mother and offspring, we stress the need for behavioural studies to be complemented by physiological measurements which will allow us to understand better the nature of conflict resolution. We propose a hypothetical mechanism of maternal care regulation by direct internal chemical signals (i.e. hormones) and indirect external chemical signals (i.e. solicitation pheromones) influencing maternal reproductive physiology and future reproduction. Social insect species and the integrated study of behavioural interactions and physiological/reproductive consequences may represent promising new experimental systems for direct tests of the evolution of begging signals, complementing current research on parent–offspring conflict.
Flore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. Maternal care and offspring begging in social insects: chemical signalling, hormonal regulation and evolution. Animal Behaviour 2008, 76, 1121 -1131.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Mathias Kölliker. Maternal care and offspring begging in social insects: chemical signalling, hormonal regulation and evolution. Animal Behaviour. 2008; 76 (4):1121-1131.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Mathias Kölliker. 2008. "Maternal care and offspring begging in social insects: chemical signalling, hormonal regulation and evolution." Animal Behaviour 76, no. 4: 1121-1131.
Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba are two sister species inhabiting Saõ Tomé island. Previous studies showed that both species display strong reproductive isolation, although they can produce a few viable hybrids. Our study tried to understand the mechanism of this ethological isolation between two allopatric strains. A strong sexual isolation was confirmed, with a marked asymmetry. Comparisons of latency times to either courtship or copulation suggest that males do not discriminate females, whereas D. yakuba females, but not D. santomea females, accept their homospecifics more quickly. Cuticular hydrocarbon compositions of both species and sexes were also established with gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry analysis. All have (Z)-7-tricosene as their major compound. There are several quantitative differences between species for few minor compounds. The largest difference concerns n-heneicosane, which is more abundant in D. santomea than in D. yakuba flies (up to seven times more between males). A similar quantitative difference was also found in a pair of sympatric strains. Furthermore, D. yakuba males artificially perfumed with n-heneicosane were discriminated negatively by D. yakuba females, suggesting a role for this compound in the sexual isolation between these two species.
Flore Mas; Jean-Marc Jallon. Sexual Isolation and Cuticular Hydrocarbon Differences between Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba. Journal of Chemical Ecology 2005, 31, 2747 -2752.
AMA StyleFlore Mas, Jean-Marc Jallon. Sexual Isolation and Cuticular Hydrocarbon Differences between Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2005; 31 (11):2747-2752.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas; Jean-Marc Jallon. 2005. "Sexual Isolation and Cuticular Hydrocarbon Differences between Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba." Journal of Chemical Ecology 31, no. 11: 2747-2752.
Flore Mas. Maternal behaviour and the evolution of chemical signalling by offspring in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia). 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleFlore Mas. Maternal behaviour and the evolution of chemical signalling by offspring in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia). . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFlore Mas. 2021. "Maternal behaviour and the evolution of chemical signalling by offspring in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia)." , no. : 1.