Pheromone-based aggregation behaviour of the
firebrat, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermobia domestica</Emphasis> (Packard) (Thysanura: Lepismatidae) |
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Authors: | Michelle N Tremblay Gerhard Gries |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4, e-mail: tremblay@ucalgary.ca , CA;(2) Centre for Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A1S6, CA |
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Abstract: | Summary. We tested the hypothesis that aggregation behaviour of the
firebrat, Thermobia domestica (Packard) (Thysanura: Lepismatidae), an
inhabitant of enclosed microhabitats, is mediated, at least in part, by
a pheromone. Individual insects were released into the central chamber
of a 3-chambered olfactometer and test stimuli were placed in lateral
chambers. Paper discs previously exposed for 3 days to 10 female, male,
or juvenile T. domestica were all preferred by female, male, or juvenile
T. domestica over unexposed paper discs, indicating the presence of an
aggregation/arrestment pheromone. In additional experiments, frass and
scales from female T. domestica, tested singly and in combination,
proved not to be the source of the pheromone. Physical contact was
required for pheromone recognition, indicating that the pheromone
arrests rather than attracts conspecifics. Arrestment by the
long-tailed silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudata Escherich
(Thysanura: Lepismatidae), but not by the common silverfish, Lepisma
saccharina L. (Thysanura: Lepismatidae), to T. domestica exposed
paper discs suggests closer phylogenetic relatedness between C.
longicaudata and T. domestica, than between C.
longicaudata and L. saccharina. Whether C.
longicaudata or L. saccharina produce an aggregation
signal, and whether T. domestica respond to this signal is unknown.
Received 10 June 2002; accepted 30 September 2002. |
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Keywords: | , Thermobia domestica—, Ctenolepisma longicaudata —, Lepisma saccharina —, Thysanura —, Lepismatidae —, pheromone —, aggregation,,,,,—, arrestment —, scales —, frass |
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