Chemoecology最新文献

The present study aimed to evaluate the anatomical, histochemical, and phytochemical characteristics of Apeiba tibourbou (Aubl.) leaves, analyzing their possible relationship with herbivory. The anatomical characterization was carried out using histological slides prepared with freehand transverse sections in the middle region of the leaf blade, stained with fuchsin and Astra blue. The presence of secondary metabolites was determined through histochemical analyses using histological sections of the plant material, which were subjected to preestablished histochemical tests. Phytochemical analyses were conducted using alcoholic extracts from the dried and ground plant material, which were subjected to specific tests for group of metabolite of interest. The anatomical description revealed the presence of glandular trichomes and calcium oxalates that could serve a protective function against herbivory. Histochemical and phytochemical analyses of A. tibourbou leaves revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, alkaloids, saponins and sesquiterpene lactones. Based on the results, A. tibourbou may exhibit potential insecticidal activity against herbivorous insects.

The “pupa ring” formed by the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) is a fascinating phenomenon discovered during the course of this experiment. The structure consists of approximately 2 to 10 pupae connected by their tails, raising speculation about possible underlying signal communication mechanisms. As a major pest of corn crops, the Asian corn borer has significant agricultural importance. Understanding its behavioral responses to chemical stimuli is crucial for exploring its ecological traits and provides valuable data to support ecological chemical control strategies. In this study, we extracted cuticular volatiles from the larvae and pupae of the Asian corn borer, evaluated their taxis behavior, and investigated the effect of these volatiles on pupa ring formation in fifth instar larvae. The results showed that volatiles from female larvae and pupae were more attractive, and those from female larvae were particularly effective at inducing pupa ring formation. This research seeks to explore the underlying causes of this remarkable behavior and offers plausible hypotheses to explain the formation of the pupa ring.

Current research on microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has primarily focused on bacterial-mediated heavy metals (HMs) immobilization, while the potential of urease-producing fungi remains largely unexplored. In this study, two high-activity urease-producing fungal strains, Aspergillus sydowii and Fusarium oxysporum, were isolated from HM-contaminated soils. Cr(VI) removal was driven by fungal urease hydrolyzing urea to release carbonate ions and elevate the local pH, facilitating CaCO₃ precipitation in the presence of Ca²⁺. Dissolved Cr(VI) was subsequently eliminated through surface adsorption onto fungal hyphae, complexation with extracellular polymers, and co-precipitation within the newly formed carbonate precipitation(Ca₁₀Cr₆O₂₄(CO₃)), leading to a rapid decrease in Cr(VI) concentration within 48 h. The growth dynamics of these strains under various stress conditions were investigated using the Gompertz model, and the growth parameters were optimized, and characterization via XRD and FTIR confirmed the formation of calcium chromium carbonate oxide, calcite, and vaterite as dominant mineral phases. Both strains demonstrated strong Cr(VI) tolerance, achieving immobilization efficiencies of 81.8% and 70.0%, respectively. These findings highlight the feasibility of employing urease-producing fungi for ecological restoration of mining soils and synergistic soil carbon sequestration, providing novel insights into fungal-driven MICP technologies for sustainable environmental remediation.

Social wasps produce various chemical compounds that play roles in prey capture and colony defense. However, knowledge regarding the variation in the composition of these compounds and the influence of the environment on them remains limited, partly due to challenges related to sampling, analysis, and the complexity of the compounds. Therefore, this study evaluated interspecific variation in the venom composition and the importance of environmental factors on intraspecific variation, and the relationship with the age of Polistinae social wasp workers. To achieve this, colonies of Polistes ferreri, P. lanio and P. versicolor, nesting in different environments were collected and analyzed using Fourier transform infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). The absorption spectra of the venom were examined to identify the main absorption peaks, followed by the assessment of the intensities and wavenumber positions of these peaks. We found significant differences between species and among colonies of the same species, based on nesting environment and workers age.

Leaf metabolites are important drivers of biotic interactions. Leaf metabolic profiles are changing over ontogeny and in response to biotic and abiotic conditions. Additionally, plant species diversity can influence leaf metabolomes. However, it is rarely considered how changes in leaf metabolomes might affect the leaf litter volatiles, which mediate interactions with the decomposer community. We designed an optimized and validated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method coupled with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to analyze liter volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. This method was applied to test the hypothesis that sessile oak (Quercus petrea) leaf litter VOC profiles are influenced by surrounding tree diversity. The results showed that plot diversity significantly affected oak litter VOC profiles by increasing the emissions of fatty acids. Tree diversity marginally modulated terpenoid emissions. Particularly, the emission rates of (-)-β-bourbonene and (E)-β-caryophyllene decreased with increasing species diversity. Also, ethanol emissions, likely due to microbial activity, decreased with increasing tree diversity. By detecting diversity- and C: N-related changes in terpenoids, and diversity effects on fatty acids and ethanol emissions of Q. petraea leaf litter, we provide new insights into how biodiversity shapes litter chemistry and potentially restructures decomposer interactions.

In a fire salamander population near Bonn, Germany, fire salamander females use two different habitats for larval deposition, i.e. ponds or streams. As it is known that females can discriminate between sexes and habitat types of the males based on chemical cues, we asked whether larvae show habitat specific differences in their surface chemical fingerprints. We took water samples and captured larvae at two ponds and two streams; we used polydimethylsiloxane and TD-GC-MS to collect and analyze samples of the environmental background (i.e. features that were found in the water) as well as from the surface of the larvae. We found a significantly different composition of chemical features in the environmental background samples. Additionally, we found the larvae to carry habitat type-specific chemical features. These finding allow to speculate that the features on the larval surface, if retained across metamorphosis, may be used for assortative mating in the adults, which should be further investigated.

Elevated carbon dioxide (eCO₂) induces various plant physiological, biochemical and morphological modifications by providing extra carbon and altering tissue nutrient composition and biomass allocation, which can influence ecological processes such as plant-insect interactions. In this study, a literature review was conducted to examine how eCO₂ could potentially influence plant-herbivore insect interactions. Studies suggested that eCO₂ decreases foliar nitrogen and increases leaf toughness, leaf biomass, and the carbon to-nitrogen ratio in plants. This in turn alters foliar chemistry and can significantly decrease the relative growth rate and consequently pupal or nymphal weight, which could exert an influence on the adult. Hence, the herbivore performance can be decreased. The changes in the plant nutritional quality can also result in compensatory feeding as a result of the reduction of food quality. This consequently leads to an increased defoliation rate, which results in altered leaf chemical composition with enhanced secondary metabolites, including defense compounds and toxins. This increases the risk for larvae in their early instars, whose growth and development are more sensitive to the disruptive effects of toxins, compared to the late-instar larvae. Altogether, these effects may modify the overall abundance of the herbivorous species. An emerging hypothesis is that eCO₂ downgrades the nutritional quality more in C3 than in C4 plant species, facilitating herbivorous insect species to escalate their feeding stress on C3 plants by increasing food intake which is considered a behavioral adaptation to compensate for the reduced leaf quality (and protein content) relative to C4 species. However, this hypothesis warrants confirmation and cannot be generalized at present.

This study explores the seasonal variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the brood chambers of the escamolera ant, Liometopum apiculatum, and examines their potential association with worker foraging behavior. Brood chamber samples were collected during pre-season, in-season, and post-season phases and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to identify and quantify VOCs. A total of 44 compounds were detected, revealing distinct seasonal differences in composition and abundance. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, revealed consistent chemical profiles linked to each reproductive phase. In parallel, VOC patterns from live ants were evaluated using an electronic nose, which showed consistent seasonal clustering of odor signatures. Foraging activity on artificial trails was quantified and analyzed with a generalized linear mixed-effects model, revealing significantly higher activity in the post-season when brood VOC richness was highest. Nominal logistic regression identified undecane, tridecane, tetradecane, and phytol as key predictors of foraging patterns. Although these findings are correlational, they suggest a potential ecological role for brood-emitted VOCs in seasonal regulation of foraging. This study highlights the value of integrating chemical and behavioral analyses to better understand the mechanisms of social communication in ants.

This study developed a laboratory rearing model for the dung beetle Onthophagus hircus (Billberg 1815) to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of eprinomectin (EPM) on its survival and reproductive performance. Adult O. hircus were exposed to increasing EPM concentrations (0–50 ppm) in bovine feces. Survival was significantly reduced at 50 ppm EPM. A reproductive performance experiment compared control and 0.05 ppm EPM treatment groups. While adult fecundity was not significantly affected, the EPM treatment resulted in complete failure of progeny development, with no adult emergence. The study demonstrates that environmentally relevant EPM concentrations can negatively impact O. hircus populations through larvicidal effects, even when adult survival and reproduction appear unaffected. This highlights the importance of considering long-term impacts when assessing the environmental risks of antiparasitic drugs on beneficial dung fauna. The laboratory rearing model developed provides a valuable tool for further ecotoxicological research on dung beetles.

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The sustainable management of medicinal and aromatic plants is increasingly important due to the threats posed by overexploitation and climate change. Cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants offers a viable alternative to wild harvesting, ensuring resource conservation while maintaining bioactive compound production. This study characterizes the biochemical properties of wild and cultivated Salvia Rosmarinus Spenn., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., and Artemisia herba-alba Asso. to assess their potential for sustainable valorization. Essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to determine their chemical composition and yield. Additionally, hydro-methanolic extracts were evaluated for total polyphenol and flavonoid content, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Results showed that cultivation significantly increased essential oil yield in Salvia Rosmarinus Spenn. and Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. while preserving their major chemical composition. However, some major compounds of each species were more abundant in wild plants than in cultivated ones. Polyphenol and flavonoid content were also higher in cultivated plants than in wild ones. Antioxidant activity, assessed via the DPPH assay and reducing power, remained similar between wild and cultivated specimens; whereas anti-inflammatory activity was slightly lower in cultivated plants. Overall, these findings suggest that cultivation enhances essential oil yield and phenolic compound content without compromising bioactive properties. This supports the use of cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants as a sustainable alternative to wild harvesting, contributing to biodiversity conservation and the economic valorization of forest resources.