University of Regensburg, Department for Zoology, Regensburg, Germany.
J Insect Sci. 2010;10:74. doi: 10.1673/031.010.7401.
Pheromones play an important role for courtship and mating in many insect species, and they are shaped by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Developmental temperature is known to have a strong influence on adult life history, morphology, and physiology, but little is known about its effect on pheromone characteristics. In the present study, the influence of temperature during larval development on the amount and composition of the complex marking pheromone from the cephalic glands of the adult male beewolf, Philanthus triangulum F. (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), was investigated. Additionally, the effects of temperature on several life-history traits were examined. European beewolf larvae were reared at three constant temperatures (20, 25, and 30 degrees C). Males reared at 20 degrees C showed longer development times and higher mortality, suggesting that low temperatures constitute stressful conditions for developing larvae. After eclosion, the amount and composition of the scent marking secretion of the adult males was analyzed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Males that had been reared at 20 degrees C had significantly less secretion than individuals reared under warmer conditions (25 degrees C and 30 degrees C). Furthermore, larval rearing temperature had a significant effect on the composition of the adult males' pheromone gland content, with warmer rearing conditions leading to higher relative amounts of compounds with high molecular weight. The results show that the temperature during larval development significantly affected the amount and composition of the content of the male pheromone glands, probably due to physiological constraints and competing processes for limited energetic resources. Thus, the pheromone gland content may contain information on developmental conditions of males, which may have consequences for female mate choice decisions and male reproductive success.
信息素在许多昆虫物种的求偶和交配中起着重要作用，它们是遗传和环境因素复杂相互作用的结果。发育温度已知对成虫的生活史、形态和生理有很强的影响，但对信息素特征的影响知之甚少。在本研究中，研究了幼虫发育过程中的温度对成年雄性大黄蜂（膜翅目：Crabronidae）头部腺体中复杂标记信息素的数量和组成的影响。此外，还研究了温度对几个生活史特征的影响。欧洲大黄蜂幼虫在三个恒定温度（20、25 和 30°C）下饲养。在 20°C 下饲养的雄性发育时间较长，死亡率较高，这表明低温对发育中的幼虫构成了压力条件。出蛰后，通过气相色谱-质谱联用分析成年雄性的气味标记分泌物的数量和组成。在 20°C 下饲养的雄性分泌的分泌物明显少于在温暖条件（25°C 和 30°C）下饲养的个体。此外，幼虫饲养温度对成年雄性信息素腺体含量的组成有显著影响，温暖的饲养条件导致具有高分子量的化合物的相对含量更高。结果表明，幼虫发育期间的温度显著影响了雄性信息素腺体含量的数量和组成，这可能是由于生理限制和有限能量资源的竞争过程。因此，信息素腺体含量可能包含雄性发育条件的信息，这可能对雌性的配偶选择决策和雄性的繁殖成功产生影响。
