Cuticular hydrocarbons correlate with fertility, not dominance, in a paper wasp, Polistes dominulus |
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Authors: | Amanda Izzo Michael Wells Zachary Huang Elizabeth Tibbetts |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA;(2) Department of Entomology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; |
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Abstract: | Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are information-rich signals in social insects that coordinate behaviors within nests. However,
in some taxa, the precise information conveyed by CHCs is poorly understood. In particular, there is a debate over whether
CHCs convey information about their bearer's dominance or fertility. Distinguishing between dominance and fertility signaling
is difficult because fertility and rank are frequently correlated within social insect colonies. This study disentangles those
relationships by examining CHCs of Polistes dominulus paper wasps during the early nest-founding stage before dominance and fertility become correlated. First, we confirm that
dominance and fertility are not associated in early spring foundresses. Then we show that CHCs are more strongly associated
with fertility than dominance. There was no relationship between cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and a wasp’s ability to dominate
rivals through aggression, suggesting that CHCs are unlikely to provide information about dominance. However, there was a
significant correlation between ovarian development and the CHC profile, suggesting that CHCs could convey valuable information
about their bearer's fertility. Furthermore, our data provide a potential mechanism for chemical signaling of fecundity, as
there is a relationship between endogenous juvenile hormone titer (a gonadotropin), degree of ovarian development, and the
CHC profile. Hormonal regulation of CHC profile expression offers a physiological mechanism to coordinate behavior, physical
state, and signal expression. |
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