Evidence for a chemical arms race between cuckoo wasps of the genus Hedychrum and their distantly related host apoid wasps
Zitieren Sie bitte immer diese URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-301289
- Background Brood parasites can exert strong selection pressure on their hosts. Many brood parasites escape their detection by mimicking sensory cues of their hosts. However, there is little evidence whether or not the hosts are able to escape the parasites’ mimicry by changing these cues. We addressed this question by analyzing cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of Cerceris and Philanthus wasps and their brood parasites, cuckoo wasps mimicking the CHC profiles of their hosts. Some of these hosts use hydrocarbons to preserve their preyBackground Brood parasites can exert strong selection pressure on their hosts. Many brood parasites escape their detection by mimicking sensory cues of their hosts. However, there is little evidence whether or not the hosts are able to escape the parasites’ mimicry by changing these cues. We addressed this question by analyzing cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of Cerceris and Philanthus wasps and their brood parasites, cuckoo wasps mimicking the CHC profiles of their hosts. Some of these hosts use hydrocarbons to preserve their prey against fungal infestation and thus, they cannot significantly change their CHC composition in response to chemical mimicry by Hedychrum brood parasites. Results We found that the CHC overlap between brood parasites and their hosts was lower in case of host wasps not preserving their prey than in case of prey-preserving host wasps, whose CHC evolution is constrained. Furthermore, the CHC profiles in non-preserving host wasps is more strongly diversified in females than in males, thus in the sex that is chemically mimicked by brood parasites. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for a chemical arms race between those hosts that are liberated from stabilizing selection on their chemical template and their parasites.…
Autor(en): | Ruth Castillo, Mareike Wurdack, Thomas Pauli, Alexander Keller, Heike Feldhaar, Carlo Polidori, Oliver Niehuis, Thomas Schmitt |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-301289 |
Dokumentart: | Artikel / Aufsatz in einer Zeitschrift |
Institute der Universität: | Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften |
Sprache der Veröffentlichung: | Englisch |
Titel des übergeordneten Werkes / der Zeitschrift (Englisch): | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2022 |
Band / Jahrgang: | 22 |
Heft / Ausgabe: | 1 |
Aufsatznummer: | 138 |
Originalveröffentlichung / Quelle: | BMC Ecology and Evolution 2022, 22(1):138. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02093-8 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02093-8 |
Allgemeine fachliche Zuordnung (DDC-Klassifikation): | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
Freie Schlagwort(e): | chemical mimicry; chrysididae; cuticular hydrocarbons; evolutionary arms race; hymenoptera; philanthidae |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 27.02.2023 |
Sammlungen: | Open-Access-Publikationsfonds / Förderzeitraum 2022 |
Lizenz (Deutsch): | CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International |