Sahm Jacqueline, Brobeil Beatrice, Grubmüller Eric, Conrad Taina, Schott Matthias, Stökl Johannes, Steiger Sandra
Department of Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
Behav Ecol. 2024 Aug 9;35(5):arae061. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arae061. eCollection 2024 Sep-Oct.
Chemical cues and signals, especially in insects, play a pivotal role in mediating interactions between individuals. Past studies have largely focused on adult semiochemicals and have neglected those of juvenile stages. Especially in the context of parental care, the larval odor might have a profound impact on parenting behavior, guiding parents in how much resources they should allocate to the different developmental stages. However, whether ontogenetic changes occur in subsocial species and whether larval-emitted scents influence parent-offspring interactions is largely unknown. Using 3 different sampling techniques, we analyzed the cuticular and VOC profile of the 3 larval instars of the burying beetle , which is known for its elaborate parental care. We found distinct differences in the cuticular and VOC profiles across the 3 larval stages. Second-instar larvae, which receive more frequent feedings from parents than the other larval stages, released greater amounts of acetophenone, methyl geranate, and octanoic acid isopropyl ester than the first and third instar. Additionally, using a newly developed bioassay with automated video tracking, we found that adding the odor of second-instar larvae to first-instar larvae increased the number of maternal feeding trips. Our results suggest that the odor produced by larvae plays an important role in mediating parent-offspring interactions. Given these findings, burying beetles might emerge as a promising candidate for identifying a potential begging pheromone.
化学线索和信号，尤其是在昆虫中，在介导个体间的相互作用中起着关键作用。过去的研究主要集中在成虫的信息化学物质上，而忽略了幼虫阶段的物质。特别是在亲代抚育的背景下，幼虫气味可能对育幼行为产生深远影响，指导亲代如何将资源分配到不同的发育阶段。然而，在亚社会性物种中是否发生个体发育变化，以及幼虫释放的气味是否影响亲子互动，在很大程度上尚不清楚。我们使用3种不同的采样技术，分析了埋葬虫3个幼虫龄期的表皮和挥发性有机化合物特征，埋葬虫以其精心的亲代抚育而闻名。我们发现3个幼虫阶段的表皮和挥发性有机化合物特征存在明显差异。与其他幼虫阶段相比，从亲代获得更频繁喂食的二龄幼虫释放出的苯乙酮、香叶酸甲酯和辛酸异丙酯的量比一龄和三龄幼虫更多。此外，使用一种新开发的带有自动视频跟踪的生物测定法，我们发现将二龄幼虫的气味添加到一龄幼虫中会增加母体喂食行程的次数。我们的结果表明，幼虫产生的气味在介导亲子互动中起着重要作用。基于这些发现，埋葬虫可能成为识别潜在乞食信息素的有希望的候选者。
