Hayashi Masayuki, Choh Yasuyuki, Nakamuta Kiyoshi, Nomura Masashi
Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo, Chiba, 271-8510, Japan.
J Chem Ecol. 2014 Jun;40(6):569-76. doi: 10.1007/s10886-014-0451-z. Epub 2014 Jun 4.
Ants attack and exclude natural enemies of aphids in ant-aphid mutualisms. However, larvae of the green lacewing, Mallada desjardinsi, prey on the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, without exclusion by aphid-tending ants. Lacewing larvae are protected from ants by carrying aphid carcasses on their backs. Here, we tested whether cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of aphid carcasses affected the aggressiveness of aphid-tending ants. Aphid carcasses were washed with n-hexane to remove lipids. Lacewing larvae with washed aphid carcasses were attacked by aphid-tending ants more frequently than those with untreated aphid carcasses. We measured the aggressiveness of aphid-tending ants to lacewing larvae that were either carrying a piece of cotton wool (a dummy aphid carcass) treated with CHCs from aphids or lacewing larvae, or carrying aphid carcasses. The rates of attack by ants on lacewing larvae carrying CHCs of aphids or aphid carcasses were lower than that of attack on lacewing larvae with conspecific CHCs. Chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed similarity of CHCs between aphids and aphid carcasses. These results suggest that aphid carcasses on the backs of lacewing larvae function via chemical camouflage to limit attacks by aphid-tending ants.
在蚂蚁与蚜虫的共生关系中，蚂蚁会攻击并驱赶蚜虫的天敌。然而，普通草蛉的幼虫黄斑草蛉会捕食豇豆蚜，而不会受到照顾蚜虫的蚂蚁的驱赶。草蛉幼虫通过在背上携带蚜虫尸体来免受蚂蚁的攻击。在此，我们测试了蚜虫尸体的表皮碳氢化合物（CHCs）是否会影响照顾蚜虫的蚂蚁的攻击性。用正己烷清洗蚜虫尸体以去除脂质。携带清洗过的蚜虫尸体的草蛉幼虫比携带未处理蚜虫尸体的草蛉幼虫更容易受到照顾蚜虫的蚂蚁的攻击。我们测量了照顾蚜虫的蚂蚁对携带用蚜虫或草蛉幼虫的CHCs处理过的一块棉球（假蚜虫尸体）的草蛉幼虫或携带蚜虫尸体的草蛉幼虫的攻击性。蚂蚁对携带蚜虫CHCs或蚜虫尸体的草蛉幼虫的攻击率低于对携带同种CHCs的草蛉幼虫的攻击率。气相色谱/质谱联用的化学分析表明蚜虫和蚜虫尸体的CHCs具有相似性。这些结果表明，草蛉幼虫背上的蚜虫尸体通过化学伪装发挥作用，以限制照顾蚜虫的蚂蚁的攻击。
