Phenoloxidase activity in the infraorder Isoptera: unraveling life-history correlates of immune investment

A termite colony is usually founded by a pair of alates, the primary reproductives, which produce all the nestmates. In some species, secondary reproductives appear to either replace the primaries or supplement colony reproduction. In termites, secondary reproductives are generally ergatoids derived from workers or nymphoids derived from nymphs. Silvestritermes euamignathus is a termite species that forms multiple nymphoid reproductives, and to date it was hypothesized that these secondary reproductives were the progeny of the primary founding reproductives. We developed markers for 12 microsatellite loci and used COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to genotype 59 nymphoid neotenics found in a colony of S. euamignathus to test this hypothesis. Our results showed that nymphoids of S. euamignathus are not all siblings. The microsatellite analysis suggests that the secondary reproductives derived from a minimum of four different pairs of reproductives belonging to at least two different matrilines. This is the first record of non-sibling secondary reproductives occupying the same nest in a higher termite. These unrelated reproductives might be the result of either pleometrotic colony foundation or colony fusion.

     

Winged queens replaced by reproductives smaller than workers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mystrium</Emphasis> ants

In ants, winged queens that are specialized for independent colony foundation can be replaced by wingless reproductives better adapted for colony fission. We studied this shift in reproductive strategy by comparing two Mystrium species from Madagascar using morphometry, allometry and dissections. Mystrium rogeri has a single dealate queen in each colony with a larger thorax than workers and similar mandibles that allow these queens to hunt during non-claustral foundation. In contrast, Mystrium ‘red’ lacks winged queens and half of the female adults belong to a wingless ‘intermorph’ caste smaller and allometrically distinct from the workers. Intermorphs have functional ovaries and spermatheca while those of workers are degenerate. Intermorphs care for brood and a few mate and reproduce making them an all-purpose caste that takes charge of both work and reproduction. However, their mandibles are reduced and inappropriate for hunting centipedes, unlike the workers’ mandibles. This together with their small thorax disallow them to perform independent colony foundation, and colonies reproduce by fission. M. rogeri workers have mandibles polymorphic in size and shape, which allow for all tasks from brood care to hunting. In M. ‘red’, colonial investment in reproduction has shifted from producing expensive winged queens to more numerous helpers. M. ‘red’ intermorphs are the first case of reproductives smaller than workers in ants and illustrate their potential to diversify their caste system for better colonial economy.     

Fertility signaling—the proximate mechanism of worker policing in a clonal ant

In eusocial insects, the ability to regulate reproduction relies on cues that signal the presence of fertile individuals. We investigated the variation of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) with reproductive status in Platythyrea punctata, an ant, in which all workers are capable of producing daughters from unfertilized eggs (thelytoky). Who reproduces is determined through dominance and worker policing. New reproductives, which developed their ovaries after separation from an old reproductive for a short period of time, were attacked by nonreproductives upon reintroduction into their colony. In contrast, aggression against new reproductives with fully developed ovaries, which had been separated over a longer period, was initiated by fights between old and new reproductives. CHC profiles varied with ovarian development. New reproductives were only attacked when they expressed a CHC profile similar to old reproductives, but not when it was similar to that of nonreproductives. CHCs appear to signal the fertility of individuals and induce policing behavior towards surplus reproductive workers.     

Heterospecific pairing and hybridization between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nasutitermes corniger</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N. ephratae</Emphasis>

The sympatric neotropical termites Nasutitermes corniger and Nasutitermes ephratae are clearly distinguishable based on morphology, nest architecture, defensive secretion composition, and molecular markers. However, given the extensive ecological, geographical, and behavioral overlap of these closely related species, the potential for interbreeding may exist. To explore this possibility, heterospecific pairs were formed experimentally to examine courtship and colony-establishment behaviors, and reproductive potential. Courtship and nest construction behavior occurred in heterospecific pairs in a similar manner to that of conspecific pairs. Survival of pairs depended upon the species of the female partner. N. ephratae females paired with N. corniger males produced as many offspring as conspecific pairs. N. corniger females mated to N. ephratae males, however, produced significantly fewer offspring at 60 days post-establishment than the reciprocal cross or conspecific N. ephratae or N. corniger pairs. This was also the only pairing in which any aggression was observed. Heterospecific pairs and groups formed in mate choice mesocosms, suggesting that species recognition between these two termites is not an important aspect of mate choice. Overall, species mismatch tolerance and hybrid offspring viability are high. The present data, together with previous evidence from defensive secretions and isozyme analysis, suggest that hybridization may periodically occur in nature, and that reproductive barriers between these two species may be incomplete. Hybridization could provide a rare but important source of genetic diversity and may ensure mating opportunities for the more abundant sex of alates in each species.     

Pheromonal contest between honeybee workers (Apis mellifera capensis)

 Queenless workers of the Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis) can develop into reproductives termed pseudoqueens. Although they morphologically remain workers they become physiologically queenlike, produce offspring, and secrete mandibular gland pheromones similar to those of true queens. However, after queen loss only very few workers gain pseudoqueen status. A strong intracolonial selection governs which workers start oviposition and which remain sterile. The “queen substance”, 9-keto-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA), the dominant compound of the queen's mandibular gland pheromones, suppresses the secretion of queenlike mandibular gland pheromones in workers. It may act as an important signal in pseudoqueen selection. By analysing the mandibular gland pheromones of workers kept in pairs, we found that A. m. capensis workers compete to produce the strongest queen-like signal. Received: 2 July 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 28 July 2000     

菌根和间作对滇池流域红壤磷素迁移的影响

为了研究菌根和间作对滇池流域红壤磷迁移的减控影响,根据2013年5—10月采集的6次径流水样,通过田间小区试验,选取玉米/大豆间作的红壤径流区,以单作玉米、单作大豆为对照,并设置抑菌处理(施用苯菌灵)和未抑菌处理,模拟分析间作和菌根处理复合作用下的径流磷迁移特征. 结果表明:除7月19日外,整个雨季各处理下径流中ρ(TP)、ρ(可溶性磷)和ρ(颗粒态磷)随采样时间均无明显变化;所有组合处理中,未抑菌-间作处理下径流中ρ(TP)最低,比单作玉米、单作大豆分别降低25.6%、12.2%;无论是否抑菌,玉米/大豆间作处理可使径流中ρ(可溶性磷)较单作玉米处理降低约24.7%;未抑菌处理下,玉米/大豆间作处理径流中ρ(颗粒态磷)比单作玉米、单作大豆分别降低约14.3%、20.2%,并且在玉米/大豆间作条件下,未抑菌处理径流中ρ(颗粒态磷)显著低于抑菌处理. 另外,无论是何种种植模式,抑菌处理下土壤中w(TP)均显著高于未抑菌处理,增幅在9.0%以上;抑菌条件下,间作玉米处理下土壤中w(TP)、w(速效磷)较单作玉米处理显著降低;与抑菌-单作玉米处理相比,未抑菌-间作玉米处理下土壤中w(TP)和w(速效磷)也分别降低了0.25 g/kg和2.56 mg/kg. 研究显示,菌根真菌协同玉米/大豆间作体系可在一定程度上减少坡耕地红壤磷的径流流失,对滇池流域农业非点源污染具有一定削减潜力.      

Maternally derived carotenoid pigments affect offspring survival, sex ratio, and sexual attractiveness in a colorful songbird

In egg-laying animals, mothers can influence the development of their offspring via the suite of biochemicals they incorporate into the nourishing yolk (e.g. lipids, hormones). However, the long-lasting fitness consequences of this early nutritional environment have often proved elusive. Here, we show that the colorful carotenoid pigments that female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) deposit into egg yolks influence embryonic and nestling survival, the sex ratio of fledged offspring, and the eventual ornamental coloration displayed by their offspring as adults. Mothers experimentally supplemented with dietary carotenoids prior to egg-laying incorporated more carotenoids into eggs, which, due to the antioxidant activity of carotenoids, rendered their embryos less susceptible to free-radical attack during development. These eggs were subsequently more likely to hatch, fledge offspring, produce more sons than daughters, and produce sons who exhibited more brightly colored carotenoid-based beak pigmentation. Provisioned mothers also acquired more colorful beaks, which directly predicted levels of carotenoids found in eggs, thus indicating that these pigments may function not only as physiological ‘damage-protectants’ in adults and offspring but also as morphological signals of maternal reproductive capabilities.     

How many gamergates is an ant queen worth?

Ant reproductives exhibit different morphological adaptations linked to dispersal and fertility. By reviewing the literature on taxa where workers can reproduce sexually (i.e. become gamergates) we show that (1) species with a single gamergate generally have lost the winged queen caste, whereas only half of the species with several gamergates have, and (2) single-gamergate species have smaller colonies than multiple-gamergate species. Comparison with "classical" ants without gamergates, where having one vs having several winged queens are two distinct syndromes, suggests that having one vs having several gamergates are not. Gamergate number does not affect the success of colony fission, but retention of the queen caste permits the option of independent foundation.     

Reclaiming the crown: queen to worker conflict over reproduction in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphaenogaster cockerelli</Emphasis>

In many social taxa, reproductively dominant individuals sometimes use aggression to secure and maintain reproductive status. In the social insects, queen aggression towards subordinate individuals or workers has been documented and is predicted to occur only in species with a small colony size and a low level of queen–worker dimorphism. We report queen aggression towards reproductive workers in the ant species Aphaenogaster cockerelli, a species with a relatively large colony size and a high level of reproductive dimorphism. Through analysis of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, we show that queens are aggressive only to reproductively active workers. Non-reproductive workers treated with a hydrocarbon typical for reproductives are attacked by workers but not by queens, which suggests different ways of recognition. We provide possible explanations of why queen aggression is observed in this species.     

Delayed onset of vocal recognition in Australian sea lion pups (Neophoca cinerea)

In pinnipeds, maternal care strategies and colony density may influence a species’ individual recognition system. We examined the onset of vocal recognition of mothers by Australian sea lion pups (Neophoca cinerea). At 2 months of age, pups responded significantly more to the calls of their own mothers than alien female calls demonstrating a finely tuned recognition system. However, newborn pups did not respond differentially to the calls of their mother from alien female calls suggesting that vocal recognition had not yet developed or is not yet expressed. These findings are in stark contrast to other otariid species where pups learn their mother’s voice before their first separation. Variance in colony density, pup movements, and natal site fidelity may have reduced selective pressures on call recognition in young sea lions, or alternatively, another sensory system may be used for recognition in the early stage of life.     

Transgenic insect-resistant corn affects the fourth trophic level: effects of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis>-corn on the facultative hyperparasitoid<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Tetrastichus howardi</Emphasis>

As hyperparasitoids may have a considerable influence on the control of herbivorous arthropods, analyzing the host-mediated impact of Bacillus thuringiensis-plants (Bt-plants) on hyperparasitoids is of interest. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted in order to assess the potential effect of Bt-corn leaf material on the facultative hyperparasitoid Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), mediated through the herbivore Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and its primary parasitoid Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). In the Bt-group, significantly less C. flavipes larvae per host spun cocoons and pupated than in the control, and the mean fresh weight of a single C. flavipes cocoon was significantly reduced compared to the control. All C. flavipes cocoons of one host formed cocoon clusters. T. howardi females of the Bt-group parasitized significantly less cocoon clusters than in the control. Moreover, significantly fewer C. flavipes cocoons per cocoon cluster were successfully parasitized as compared to the control. As a consequence, T. howardi females of the control had more offspring than in the Bt-group. Adult female T. howardi offspring of the Bt-group weighed significantly less than in the control, but there was no significant weight difference between males of both groups. Our results suggest that transgenic insect-resistant plants could affect hyperparasitoids indirectly. However, it remains to be determined whether facultative hyperparasitoids prefer to develop as primary or secondary parasitoids under field conditions.     

Body size phenotypes are heritable and mediate fecundity but not fitness in the lepidopteran frugivore Cydia pomonella

The inheritance and functional roles of quantitative traits are central concerns of evolutionary ecology. We report two sets of experiments that investigated the heritability and reproductive consequences of body size phenotypes in a globally distributed lepidopteran frugivore, Cydia pomonella (L.). In our first set of experiments, we tested the hypotheses that (1) body size is heritable and (2) parental body size mediates egg production and offspring survival. Midparent–offspring regression analyses revealed that body mass is highly heritable for females and moderately heritable for males. The contribution of fathers to estimates of additive genetic variance was slightly greater than for mothers. Egg production increased with mean parental size, but offspring survival rates were equivalent. Based on this result, we tested two additional hypotheses in a second set of experiments: (3) male size moderates female egg production and egg fertility and (4) egg production, egg fertility, and offspring survival rate are influenced by female mating opportunities. Females paired with large males produced more eggs and a higher proportion of fertile eggs than females paired with small males. Females with multiple mating opportunities produced more fertile eggs than females paired with a single male. However, egg production and offspring survival rates were unaffected by the number of mating opportunities. Our experiments demonstrate that body mass is heritable in C. pomonella and that size phenotypes may mediate fecundity but not fitness. We conclude that male size can influence egg production and fertility, but female mate choice also plays a role in determining egg fertility.     

妊娠期全氟辛酸染毒对子代雄鼠发育毒性的研究

探讨妊娠期染毒全氟辛酸(perfluorooctanoic acid,PFOA)对子代雄鼠发育毒性的影响.将50只妊娠0 d小鼠随机分5组,每组10只,妊娠0~17 d每天按0、1、2.5、5和12.5 mg·kg~(-1)BW饲喂PFOA,产后仔鼠正常饲养,记录仔鼠存活数.产后21 d,检测仔鼠血清睾酮水平并计算睾丸指数;HE染色观察睾丸组织结构变化;RT-PCR法检测睾丸组织Dlk1-Dio3印记基因簇各目的基因mRNA的表达情况.结果显示,随PFOA染毒剂量增加,仔鼠存活数显著降低,血清睾酮含量极显著性降低(p0.01);睾丸指数无统计学意义;睾丸组织有不同程度的损伤并呈剂量依赖性;Dlk1-Dio3印记基因簇各目的基因的表达量都有降低趋势,其中Gtl2、Rian、Dio3均显著性降低(p0.05).结果表明,妊娠期染毒PFOA能够降低仔鼠存活数,损伤睾丸组织结构,并能够扰乱生殖激素,降低睾丸组织Dlk1-Dio3印记基因簇各目的基因mRNA的表达.     

Garden sharing and garden stealing in fungus-growing ants

 Fungi cultivated by fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) are passed on between generations by transfer from maternal to offspring nest (vertical transmission within ant species). However, recent phylogenetic analyses revealed that cultivars are occasionally also transferred between attine species. The reasons for such lateral cultivar transfers are unknown. To investigate whether garden loss may induce ants to obtain a replacement cultivar from a neighboring colony (lateral cultivar transfer), pairs of queenright colonies of two Cyphomyrmex species were set up in two conjoined chambers; the garden of one colony was then removed to simulate the total crop loss that occurs naturally when pathogens devastate gardens. Garden-deprived colonies regained cultivars through one of three mechanisms: joining of a neighboring colony and cooperation in a common garden; stealing of a neighbor's garden; or aggressive usurpation of a neighbor's garden. Because pathogens frequently devastate attine gardens under natural conditions, garden joining, stealing and usurpation emerge as critical behavioral adaptations to survive garden catastrophes. Received: 16 June 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 14 September 2000     

Does the queen win it all? Queen–worker conflict over male production in the bumblebee,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>

Social insects provide a useful model for studying the evolutionary balance between cooperation and conflict linked to genetic structure. We investigated the outcome of this conflict in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, whose annual colony life cycle is characterized by overt competition over male production. We established artificial colonies composed of a queen and unrelated workers by daily exchange of callow workers between colony pairs of distinct genetic make-up. Using microsatellite analysis, this procedure allowed an exact calculation of the proportion of worker-derived males. The development and social behavior of these artificial colonies were similar to those of normal colonies. Despite a high worker reproduction attempt (63.8% of workers had developed ovaries and 38.4% were egg-layers), we found that on average 95% of the males produced during the competition phase (CPh) were queen-derived. However, in four colonies, queen death resulted in a considerable amount of worker-derived male production. The different putative ultimate causes of this efficient control by the queen are discussed, and we suggest a possible scenario of an evolutionary arms race that may occur between these two female castes.     

Immunity in a Social Insect

 Although pathogens appear to have exerted significant selective pressure on various aspects of sociality, mechanisms of disease resistance in the social insects are poorly understood. We report here on an immune response to infection by the dampwood termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis. Nymphs immunized with an injection of 7.6×10⁷, 7.6×10⁵, or 7.6×10⁴ cells/ml glutaraldehyde-killed solution of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa had significantly higher survivorship than controls following a challenge with a lethal concentration of active bacteria. Similarly, nymphs exposed to a 9×10^–1 spores/ml suspension of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae had higher survivorship than controls after a challenge with a lethal concentration of spores. Prior exposure to a pathogen thus conferred upon termites a degree of protection during a subsequent encounter with the same pathogen. This represents the first demonstration of immune function in vivo in a social insect. Received: 18 May 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 26 August 1999     

Is alloparenting helpful for Mednyi Island arctic foxes, Alopex lagopus semenovi?

The Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus semenovi population on Mednyi Island is completely isolated and subsists largely by scavenging on seabird colonies, which have remained abundant and spatio-temporally predictable for many years. We compared population data at the beginning of 1976/1978 and some time after 1994–2005, finding an 85% decline in fox numbers due to disease, to assess the effect of population size on social structure. A total of 81 groups of known size and composition was observed during this 29-year period. Overall, helpers (usually non-lactating yearling females) occurred in 25.7% of groups, and in 32.4% of groups there were two or three lactating females. Female engagement in alloparental behaviour decreased, but not statistically significantly, after the decline in population density. Total food availability was apparently constant throughout the study period, and therefore, the amount available per individual was much higher later in the study. Both communally nursing females and helpers brought food and helped to guard the litter. However, the benefits of communal rearing were unclear. While cubs were left without guards significantly more rarely in the groups with an additional adult, the number of cubs weaned per lactating female was greater in groups with one (3.93 ± 1.60), as opposed to two or three (3.06 ± 0.92), lactating females. Survival of cubs to 1 year of age in the groups with two lactating females and/or with helpers was lower than that in the families with one lactating female without helpers (22.2% vs 32.2%). Fewer second-generation litters were born to foxes produced by composite families than to those produced by pairs. Reproductive adults producing by pairs had, on average, 1.23 (±1.72) second-generation litters. In groups that initially included additional adults, the average number of second-generation litters per reproductive female was 0.21 (±0.49) and 0.46 (±0.81) litters per male. Thus, according to three measures, increased group size had no apparent positive impact on reproductive success. The increased parental investment and enhanced guarding of the cubs in the larger families could be beneficial under conditions of high population density and a saturated biotope to which the island fox population was presumably adapted before the population crash in the late 1970s.     

地膜覆盖和生物炭添加对菜地N2O排放的影响

为研究生物炭添加(B0:0 t·hm^-2、 B20:20 t·hm^-2、 B40:40 t·hm^-2)和地膜覆盖（FM:覆膜、 NM:不覆膜）对菜地N₂O排放的影响,以西南大学农场内辣椒-萝卜轮作菜地为研究对象,采用静态暗箱/气相色谱法进行为期1 a的田间原位观测.共设置6个处理,分别为NMB0（CK）和FMB0、 NMB20和FMB20、 NMB40和FMB40.结果表明,FM显著提高辣椒季土壤中铵态氮和硝态氮含量（P<0.05）,而对萝卜季土壤环境因子均无显著影响.与NM相比,辣椒季FM分别对B0、 B20和B40处理下的N₂O排放提高了52.87%、 52.97%和52.49%（P<0.05）,但萝卜季FM对N₂O排放无显著影响.生物炭对辣椒和萝卜季土壤环境因子均无显著影响.萝卜季生物炭添加减少了28.76%～67.88%的N₂O排放（P<0.01）,辣椒季生物炭添加对N₂O排放无显著影响...     

Variation in levels of reactive oxygen species is explained by maternal identity, sex and body-size-corrected clutch size in a lizard

Many organisms show differences between males and females in growth rate and crucial life history parameters, such as longevity. Considering this, we may expect levels of toxic metabolic by-products of the respiratory chain, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), to vary with age and sex. Here, we analyse ROS levels in female Australian painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus) and their offspring using fluorescent probes and flow cytometry. Basal level of four ROS species (singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite, superoxide and H₂O₂) measured with a combined marker, and superoxide measured specifically, varied significantly among families but not between the sexes. When blood cells from offspring were chemically encouraged to accelerate the electron transport chain by mitochondrial uncoupling, net superoxide levels were three times higher in daughters than sons (resulting in levels outside of the normal ROS range) and varied among mothers depending on offspring sex (significant interaction between maternal identity and offspring sex). In offspring, there were depressive effects on ROS of size-controlled relative clutch size, which relies directly on circulating levels of vitellogenin, a confirmed antioxidant in some species. Thus, levels of reactive oxygen species varies among females, offspring and in relation to reproductive investment in a manner that makes its regulatory processes likely targets of selection.     

不同秸秆翻埋还田对旱地和水田土壤微生物群落结构的影响

以水稻、小麦、玉米秸秆和油菜、蚕豆青秆为研究对象,采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)方法,并结合主成分分析方法,研究了不同秸秆翻埋还田对旱地和水田土壤微生物数量、菌群分布、群落结构特征等的影响.PLFA分析结果表明,旱地土壤PLFA总量变幅为8.35~25.15 nmol·g-1,大小顺序为油菜蚕豆玉米水稻小麦,5种秸秆翻埋还田均能提高土壤微生物PLFA总量,其中油菜、蚕豆处理分别是不加秸秆处理的2.18、2.08倍,差异显著;5种秸秆处理各菌群PLFA量均高于不加秸秆处理,其中真菌量均显著提高,微生物群落物种丰富度值也显著提高.水田土壤PLFA总量变幅为4.04~22.19nmol·g-1,大小顺序为水稻玉米小麦油菜蚕豆,其中油菜和蚕豆处理低于不加秸秆处理;除蚕豆外其余秸秆处理真菌PLFA量均显著高于不加秸秆处理,蚕豆处理细菌和PLFA总量均显著低于其他处理,各处理间放线菌、革兰氏阳性菌(G+)、革兰氏阴性菌(G-)无显著差异;水稻、小麦、玉米、油菜均能显著提高水田土壤微生物的物种丰富度指数和优势度指数.主成分分析结果表明蚕豆青秆对旱地土壤微生物群落结构影响最大,油菜青秆和小麦秸秆对水田土壤微生物群落结构影响最大.