Pub Date : 2024-11-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104725
Maria A Fiorta, Lydia R Fyie, Megan E Meuti
Females of the Northern House mosquito, Culex pipiens, are important disease vectors as they transmit pathogens including West Nile virus. These females survive the winter by entering diapause, a state of dormancy, characterized by the accumulation of lipids, cessation of blood-feeding, and reproductive arrest. Diapause is cued by photoperiod, so as days become short in late summer and early fall, female Cx. pipiens prepare to overwinter and disease transmission decreases. We previously demonstrated that Artificial light at night (ALAN) causes female Cx. pipiens to avert diapause and continue to blood-feed when reared under short-day conditions. Additionally, light pollution alters seasonal differences in mosquito activity and nutrient reserves. However, it is unclear how exposure to ALAN affects blood-feeding and fecundity in long-day reared females, as well as the survival of Cx. pipiens exposed under both short and long-day conditions. In this study, we hypothesized that females exposed to ALAN in long-day conditions would have a lower proclivity to blood-feed, reduced fecundity, and reduced survival. Results from our lab-based experiments demonstrate that females exposed to ALAN in long-day conditions were less likely to blood-feed but were more fecund than long-day reared females that were not exposed to ALAN, and that ALAN exposure did not affect lifespan of long-day reared females. Additionally, we hypothesized ALAN exposure under short-day conditions would reduce survival, and our data supports this hypothesis. Overall, our results demonstrate that ALAN is an important urban stressor that has the potential to affect reproduction and lifespan in mosquitoes, and therefore has the potential to create evolutionary tradeoffs.
北方家蚊（Culex pipiens）的雌蚊是重要的疾病传播媒介，因为它们传播包括西尼罗河病毒在内的病原体。这些雌蚊通过进入休眠期（一种休眠状态）来度过冬天，休眠期的特点是脂质积累、停止吸血和生殖停止。休眠是由光周期引起的，因此当夏末秋初白天变短时，雌性蝰蛇就会准备越冬，疾病传播也会减少。我们以前曾证实，夜间人工光照（ALAN）会使雌性蝰蛇在短日照条件下避免休眠并继续吸血。此外，光污染会改变蚊子活动和营养储备的季节性差异。然而，目前还不清楚暴露于 ALAN 如何影响长日照条件下饲养的雌蚊的采血和繁殖力，以及暴露于短日照和长日照条件下的蝰蛇的存活率。在这项研究中，我们假设在长日照条件下暴露于 ALAN 的雌性会有较低的吸血倾向、繁殖力下降和存活率降低。我们在实验室进行的实验结果表明，在长日照条件下暴露于ALAN的雌性比未暴露于ALAN的长日照饲养雌性更少吸血，但繁殖力更强，而且暴露于ALAN不会影响长日照饲养雌性的寿命。此外，我们假设在短日照条件下暴露于ALAN会降低存活率，我们的数据也支持这一假设。总之，我们的研究结果表明，ALAN是一种重要的城市压力源，有可能影响蚊子的繁殖和寿命，因此有可能造成进化上的权衡。
{"title":"Light pollution disrupts seasonal reproductive phenotypes and reduces lifespan in the West Nile vector, Culex pipiens.","authors":"Maria A Fiorta, Lydia R Fyie, Megan E Meuti","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104725","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Females of the Northern House mosquito, Culex pipiens, are important disease vectors as they transmit pathogens including West Nile virus. These females survive the winter by entering diapause, a state of dormancy, characterized by the accumulation of lipids, cessation of blood-feeding, and reproductive arrest. Diapause is cued by photoperiod, so as days become short in late summer and early fall, female Cx. pipiens prepare to overwinter and disease transmission decreases. We previously demonstrated that Artificial light at night (ALAN) causes female Cx. pipiens to avert diapause and continue to blood-feed when reared under short-day conditions. Additionally, light pollution alters seasonal differences in mosquito activity and nutrient reserves. However, it is unclear how exposure to ALAN affects blood-feeding and fecundity in long-day reared females, as well as the survival of Cx. pipiens exposed under both short and long-day conditions. In this study, we hypothesized that females exposed to ALAN in long-day conditions would have a lower proclivity to blood-feed, reduced fecundity, and reduced survival. Results from our lab-based experiments demonstrate that females exposed to ALAN in long-day conditions were less likely to blood-feed but were more fecund than long-day reared females that were not exposed to ALAN, and that ALAN exposure did not affect lifespan of long-day reared females. Additionally, we hypothesized ALAN exposure under short-day conditions would reduce survival, and our data supports this hypothesis. Overall, our results demonstrate that ALAN is an important urban stressor that has the potential to affect reproduction and lifespan in mosquitoes, and therefore has the potential to create evolutionary tradeoffs.</p>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":" ","pages":"104725"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142648185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-15DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104723
Collin J Horn, Sissi Yuli, Jacob A Berry, Lien T Luong
Endosymbiotic bacteria have a wide range of impacts on host physiology, behaviour, metabolism, endurance, and mobility. Recent work found some endosymbionts also impact host sleep duration and quality. These effects may increase as flies age and endosymbiont titers increase. We tested the hypothesis that Spiroplasma poulsonni MSRO negatively impacts sleep in Drosophila melanogaster, and this in turn impairs fly endurance. In geotaxis climbing assays (a proxy for endurance), we found that MSRO impacted climbing endurance but in an age-dependent manner. Among younger flies, MSRO+ flies slept significantly less during dark periods (measured by a Drosophila Activity Monitoring System) compared to uninfected flies, but older MSRO+ flies did not show significant differences in amount of sleep compared to uninfected flies in the same cohort. While MSRO status impacted both sleep and endurance of hosts, endosymbiont-mediated sleep deprivation did not directly explain decreases in fly endurance. We discuss these results in the context of endosymbiont comparative biology.
{"title":"A male-killing Spiroplasma endosymbiont has age-mediated impacts on Drosophila endurance and sleep.","authors":"Collin J Horn, Sissi Yuli, Jacob A Berry, Lien T Luong","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endosymbiotic bacteria have a wide range of impacts on host physiology, behaviour, metabolism, endurance, and mobility. Recent work found some endosymbionts also impact host sleep duration and quality. These effects may increase as flies age and endosymbiont titers increase. We tested the hypothesis that Spiroplasma poulsonni MSRO negatively impacts sleep in Drosophila melanogaster, and this in turn impairs fly endurance. In geotaxis climbing assays (a proxy for endurance), we found that MSRO impacted climbing endurance but in an age-dependent manner. Among younger flies, MSRO+ flies slept significantly less during dark periods (measured by a Drosophila Activity Monitoring System) compared to uninfected flies, but older MSRO+ flies did not show significant differences in amount of sleep compared to uninfected flies in the same cohort. While MSRO status impacted both sleep and endurance of hosts, endosymbiont-mediated sleep deprivation did not directly explain decreases in fly endurance. We discuss these results in the context of endosymbiont comparative biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":" ","pages":"104723"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142648184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The fair allocation of reproductive resources between population growth and outward dispersal plays a crucial role in determining competitive advantage and ecological success of organisms within their environment. Termite colonies demonstrate flexibility in allocating their reproductive resources through wing polymorphism: with alates possessing fully developed wings for dispersal to propagate the colony's genetic material, while adultoids have floppy wings, serving a secondary reproductive to ensure stability and development within the natal colony. However, the extent of reproductive potential exhibited by alates (post-shed-wings called dealate) and adultoids within the colony remains uncertain. In this study, through experimentation, we compared the reproductive capacity of dealate and adultoid. We found that the adultoids can develop to maturity and lay eggs faster after emergence. The reproductive potential including the number of ovariole, the number of oocytes in growth and vitellogenesis stage, and the expression levels of vitellogenin genes were all higher than dealates. More importantly, paired adultoids has a longer oviposition cycle and is able to obtain more eggs and larvae. These results suggest that adultoids possess a greater reproductive potential allowing them to produce a large number of offspring within a short period of time. Our results help to an explanation of the biological significance that the differentiation of adultoids reproductive persist in lower termite colonies.
{"title":"Gonadal development of adultoid reproductive in subterranean termites indicates strong reproductive potential.","authors":"Jia Wu, Xiaolan Wen, Jinpei Wang, Zhiyong Yue, Qi Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The fair allocation of reproductive resources between population growth and outward dispersal plays a crucial role in determining competitive advantage and ecological success of organisms within their environment. Termite colonies demonstrate flexibility in allocating their reproductive resources through wing polymorphism: with alates possessing fully developed wings for dispersal to propagate the colony's genetic material, while adultoids have floppy wings, serving a secondary reproductive to ensure stability and development within the natal colony. However, the extent of reproductive potential exhibited by alates (post-shed-wings called dealate) and adultoids within the colony remains uncertain. In this study, through experimentation, we compared the reproductive capacity of dealate and adultoid. We found that the adultoids can develop to maturity and lay eggs faster after emergence. The reproductive potential including the number of ovariole, the number of oocytes in growth and vitellogenesis stage, and the expression levels of vitellogenin genes were all higher than dealates. More importantly, paired adultoids has a longer oviposition cycle and is able to obtain more eggs and larvae. These results suggest that adultoids possess a greater reproductive potential allowing them to produce a large number of offspring within a short period of time. Our results help to an explanation of the biological significance that the differentiation of adultoids reproductive persist in lower termite colonies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":" ","pages":"104721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142639209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is considered as the “crown jewel” of the insect feed industry and circular economy, significantly contributing to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and enabling circular management of organic waste, animal manure, and plant residues. Despite their industrial importance, limited knowledge about adult BSF biology has hindered optimal mass production. In this context, the present paper aims to explore the olfactory capabilities of both male and female BSF in response to various odorants commonly associated with organic decomposition in substrates suitable for mate encounters and egg laying. This will be achieved by performing electroantennographic recordings and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations on the antennal sensilla. Our results demonstrate for the first time the supposed olfactory capabilities of BSF antennae and present a first dataset of substances emitted by decaying organic matter detected by both male and female flies. Additionally, the current EAG recordings allowed comparisons with molecular data previously obtained through in silico and in vitro methods, highlighting the need for caution and strongly supporting a multidisciplinary approach as the best tool for investigating insect chemical ecology. These findings advance our understanding of BSF chemical ecology, which is crucial for effective reproduction and could significantly optimize global breeding systems.
{"title":"Antennal olfactory responses in the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens","authors":"Silvana Piersanti , Manuela Rebora , Giorgia Carboni Marri , Gianandrea Salerno","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is considered as the “crown jewel” of the insect feed industry and circular economy, significantly contributing to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and enabling circular management of organic waste, animal manure, and plant residues. Despite their industrial importance, limited knowledge about adult BSF biology has hindered optimal mass production. In this context, the present paper aims to explore the olfactory capabilities of both male and female BSF in response to various odorants commonly associated with organic decomposition in substrates suitable for mate encounters and egg laying. This will be achieved by performing electroantennographic recordings and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations on the antennal sensilla. Our results demonstrate for the first time the supposed olfactory capabilities of BSF antennae and present a first dataset of substances emitted by decaying organic matter detected by both male and female flies. Additionally, the current EAG recordings allowed comparisons with molecular data previously obtained through <em>in silico</em> and <em>in vitro</em> methods, highlighting the need for caution and strongly supporting a multidisciplinary approach as the best tool for investigating insect chemical ecology. These findings advance our understanding of BSF chemical ecology, which is crucial for effective reproduction and could significantly optimize global breeding systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142621860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104720
Bradley N. Metz , Tatiana Molina-Marciales , Micheline K. Strand , Olav Rueppell , David R. Tarpy , Esmaeil Amiri
Female social insects represent a dramatic exception of the evolutionarily conserved physiological trade-off between reproduction and life span, where aging is positively correlated with reproduction. However, whether this facet of life history also pertains to male social insects, remains largely unknown. Male honey bees (drones) die in the act of copulation, placing them under opposing selective pressures. At the individual level, there is inter-male competition for a single successful mating attempt, leading to selective pressure that favors an increase in male fitness. Honey bee drones are haploid individuals and lack the allelic variation in their genome compared to diploid females. We hypothesized that this genetic limitation may result in trade-offs between pathological stress and fitness traits in honey bee males. In our study, we observed differences in size and fertility measures in old and young drones along with stressors of several endemic viruses and the transcriptional immune response. We found that infection does not appear to decrease fertility in old drones, despite evidence for a shift in immune expression away from established mechanisms. Contrary to our expectations, drones additionally do not appear to exhibit a physiological trade-off between size and fertility. These findings demonstrate that drones of different size are likely of different mating quality and that higher quality drones likely favor retaining reproductive output over immune function.
{"title":"Physiological trade-offs in male social insects: Interactions among infection, immunity, fertility, size, and age in honey bee drones","authors":"Bradley N. Metz , Tatiana Molina-Marciales , Micheline K. Strand , Olav Rueppell , David R. Tarpy , Esmaeil Amiri","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Female social insects represent a dramatic exception of the evolutionarily conserved physiological trade-off between reproduction and life span, where aging is positively correlated with reproduction. However, whether this facet of life history also pertains to male social insects, remains largely unknown. Male honey bees (drones) die in the act of copulation, placing them under opposing selective pressures. At the individual level, there is inter-male competition for a single successful mating attempt, leading to selective pressure that favors an increase in male fitness. Honey bee drones are haploid individuals and lack the allelic variation in their genome compared to diploid females. We hypothesized that this genetic limitation may result in trade-offs between pathological stress and fitness traits in honey bee males. In our study, we observed differences in size and fertility measures in old and young drones along with stressors of several endemic viruses and the transcriptional immune response. We found that infection does not appear to decrease fertility in old drones, despite evidence for a shift in immune expression away from established mechanisms. Contrary to our expectations, drones additionally do not appear to exhibit a physiological trade-off between size and fertility. These findings demonstrate that drones of different size are likely of different mating quality and that higher quality drones likely favor retaining reproductive output over immune function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104720"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142605146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oocyte polarity establishment is a conserved and crucial phenomenon for embryonic development. It relies on the precise spatial localization of maternal factors deposited during oocyte development, which is essential for establishing and maintaining cell polarity and subsequently specifying embryonic axes. The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) encoded by the squid (sqd) gene has been implicated in mRNA localization and embryonic axis establishment in Drosophila melanogaster. Comparative genomics allowed for the identification of a homologue in Rhodnius prolixus. In this study, we investigated the function of Rp-sqd during oogenesis and early embryonic development. We observed persistent expression of Rp-sqd during oocyte development, with localization in the cytoplasm of ovary germarium and growing oocytes in previtellogenic and vitellogenic stages. A Parental RNA interference (RNAi) experiment targeting Rp-sqd resulted in female sterility. The ovaries showed disrupted oocyte development, disarray of follicular epithelium, and affected nurse cells integrity. Immunostaining and microscopic techniques revealed microtubule disarray and a reduction in the presence of organelles in the trophic cords that connect the germarium with the oocytes. The Rp-sqd depletion impacted the transcript expression of maternal mRNAs involved in apoptosis, axis formation, oogenesis, and cytoskeleton maintenance, indicating a pleiotropic function of Rp-sqd during oogenesis. This study provides new insights into the genetic basis of R. prolixus oogenesis, highlighting the crucial role of Rp-sqd in oocyte development, fertility, and germarium integrity. These findings contribute to our understanding of insect developmental processes, provide a foundation for future investigations into reproduction, and reveal the regulatory mechanisms governing the process.
{"title":"Central role of squid gene during oocyte development in the Hemiptera Rhodnius prolixus","authors":"Agustina Pascual , Catalina Taibo , Rolando Rivera-Pomar","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oocyte polarity establishment is a conserved and crucial phenomenon for embryonic development. It relies on the precise spatial localization of maternal factors deposited during oocyte development, which is essential for establishing and maintaining cell polarity and subsequently specifying embryonic axes. The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) encoded by the <em>squid</em> (<em>sqd</em>) gene has been implicated in mRNA localization and embryonic axis establishment in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>. Comparative genomics allowed for the identification of a homologue in <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em>. In this study, we investigated the function of <em>Rp-sqd</em> during oogenesis and early embryonic development. We observed persistent expression of <em>Rp-sqd</em> during oocyte development, with localization in the cytoplasm of ovary germarium and growing oocytes in previtellogenic and vitellogenic stages. A Parental RNA interference (RNAi) experiment targeting <em>Rp-sqd</em> resulted in female sterility. The ovaries showed disrupted oocyte development, disarray of follicular epithelium, and affected nurse cells integrity. Immunostaining and microscopic techniques revealed microtubule disarray and a reduction in the presence of organelles in the trophic cords that connect the germarium with the oocytes. The <em>Rp-sqd</em> depletion impacted the transcript expression of maternal mRNAs involved in apoptosis, axis formation, oogenesis, and cytoskeleton maintenance, indicating a pleiotropic function of <em>Rp-sqd</em> during oogenesis. This study provides new insights into the genetic basis of <em>R. prolixus</em> oogenesis, highlighting the crucial role of <em>Rp-sqd</em> in oocyte development, fertility, and germarium integrity. These findings contribute to our understanding of insect developmental processes, provide a foundation for future investigations into reproduction, and reveal the regulatory mechanisms governing the process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104719"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142568748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104717
Fernando H. Souto , Tomás M. Chialina , Sebastián A. Minoli , Gabriel Manrique
Although sexual learning can be a key process in the reproductive success of animals, research focused on the experience-dependent modulation of courtship in insects is scarce. In kissing bugs, the behavioural steps implicated in mating have been exhaustively studied, but not the involvement of learning in them. Our objective was to determine whether the sexual behaviour of Rhodnius prolixus could be modulated by experience. During training, couples were submitted to eight assays, in which they received a vibration (negative reinforcement) when the male attempted to copulate the female. Immediately after, they were separated, not allowing the occurrence of copulation. We found that along training, males’ latency to perform a copulatory attempt increased, male’s copulatory attempts were less frequent, and females’ locomotor activity did not change. These results suggest that males, and not females, learned to avoid the vibration by reducing their intention to copulate. In post-training tests, conditioned males presented with new naïve females reverted to low copulatory attempt latencies, suggesting that the modulation was partner-specific. Besides, conditioned females increased their rejection frequencies to males’ copulatory attempts, suggesting that a second type of learning occurred in females. These results constitute the first evidence of sexual learning in hematophagous insects. Males and females seem to change their selectivity according to their previous sexual experience. We discuss the relevance that this plasticity might have in the fitness of this epidemiologically relevant insect.
{"title":"Aversive sexual learning in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus: Modulation of different sexual responses in males and females","authors":"Fernando H. Souto , Tomás M. Chialina , Sebastián A. Minoli , Gabriel Manrique","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although sexual learning can be a key process in the reproductive success of animals, research focused on the experience-dependent modulation of courtship in insects is scarce. In kissing bugs, the behavioural steps implicated in mating have been exhaustively studied, but not the involvement of learning in them. Our objective was to determine whether the sexual behaviour of <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em> could be modulated by experience. During training, couples were submitted to eight assays, in which they received a vibration (negative reinforcement) when the male attempted to copulate the female. Immediately after, they were separated, not allowing the occurrence of copulation. We found that along training, males’ latency to perform a copulatory attempt increased, male’s copulatory attempts were less frequent, and females’ locomotor activity did not change. These results suggest that males, and not females, learned to avoid the vibration by reducing their intention to copulate. In post-training tests, conditioned males presented with new naïve females reverted to low copulatory attempt latencies, suggesting that the modulation was partner-specific. Besides, conditioned females increased their rejection frequencies to males’ copulatory attempts, suggesting that a second type of learning occurred in females. These results constitute the first evidence of sexual learning in hematophagous insects. Males and females seem to change their selectivity according to their previous sexual experience. We discuss the relevance that this plasticity might have in the fitness of this epidemiologically relevant insect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104717"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142568805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104718
Dylan C. Dacre , Frances D. Duncan , Christopher W. Weldon
The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an invasive species that has rapidly spread across the African continent, endangering the security of agricultural industries. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is being investigated as a viable additional pest management tool to suppress B. dorsalis populations after its successful implementation in other parts of the world. There is evidence to suggest that pre-release nutritional and semiochemical treatments for sterilised males can enhance their competitive performance against wild type males in SIT programs. This study examined how sterilisation, a diet rich in protein (addition of yeast hydrolysate) or containing semiochemicals (methyl eugenol or eugenol) affected the resting metabolic (RMR) of male B. dorsalis at different temperatures (15 – 30 °C), measured using flow-through respirometry. Our results indicated that the negative effect of sterilisation on RMR decreased as temperature increased and that duration of exposure to semiochemicals for 1 to 4 days was not a significant influencing factor on male B. dorsalis RMR. Protein-rich diet increased average RMR, but the difference in RMR between dietary groups decreased as temperature increased. Semiochemical feeding reduced the average RMR in male B. dorsalis. The difference in RMR between males that consumed semiochemical and those that did not increased with as temperature increased.
{"title":"The effects of diet and semiochemical exposure on male Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) metabolic rate at a range of temperatures","authors":"Dylan C. Dacre , Frances D. Duncan , Christopher W. Weldon","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The oriental fruit fly, <em>Bactrocera dorsalis</em> (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an invasive species that has rapidly spread across the African continent, endangering the security of agricultural industries. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is being investigated as a viable additional pest management tool to suppress <em>B. dorsalis</em> populations after its successful implementation in other parts of the world. There is evidence to suggest that pre-release nutritional and semiochemical treatments for sterilised males can enhance their competitive performance against wild type males in SIT programs. This study examined how sterilisation, a diet rich in protein (addition of yeast hydrolysate) or containing semiochemicals (methyl eugenol or eugenol) affected the resting metabolic (RMR) of male <em>B. dorsalis</em> at different temperatures (15 – 30 °C), measured using flow-through respirometry. Our results indicated that the negative effect of sterilisation on RMR decreased as temperature increased and that duration of exposure to semiochemicals for 1 to 4 days was not a significant influencing factor on male <em>B. dorsalis</em> RMR. Protein-rich diet increased average RMR, but the difference in RMR between dietary groups decreased as temperature increased. Semiochemical feeding reduced the average RMR in male <em>B. dorsalis</em>. The difference in RMR between males that consumed semiochemical and those that did not increased with as temperature increased.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104718"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142502164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104716
Rui Han , Yi-Heng Tan , Chung-Chuan Lo
In nature, animals often encounter various competing stimuli and must make choices among them. Although the behaviour under two identical stimuli has been extensively studied for fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, how the appeal of one stimulus for the animals is influenced by the appeal of the other is not fully understood. In the present study, we systematically investigated this equation using a modified Buridan’s paradigm. We focused on the behaviour of fruit flies under asymmetric visual stimuli, i.e., two black stripes of different widths. We characterized two behaviour modes: (1) Attractiveness: moving toward a stripe in the inner area of the platform, and (2) Stickiness: staying around the edge near a stripe. Our results reveal that while Attractiveness of a stripe is primarily influenced by its own width and remains relatively independent of the opposite stripe, Stickiness is significantly affected by the width of the competing stripe. These findings suggest that the behavioural response of fruit flies to visual stimuli involves complex decision-making processes influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study provides new insights into the cognitive and sensory mechanisms underlying visual preference behaviour in Drosophila and highlights the importance of considering multiple stimuli in behavioural assays.
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