scholarly journals The evolution of queen control over worker reproduction in the social Hymenoptera

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Olejarz ◽  
Carl Veller ◽  
Martin A. Nowak
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Mating Frequency ◽  
Social Hymenoptera ◽  
Queen Control ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Colony Efficiency ◽  
Worker Sterility ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Evolutionary Emergence ◽  
Reproductive Division

AbstractA trademark of eusocial insect species is reproductive division of labor, in which workers forego their own reproduction while the queen produces almost all offspring. The presence of the queen is key for maintaining social harmony, but the specific role of the queen in the evolution of eusociality remains unclear. A long-discussed scenario is that a queen either behaviorally or chemically sterilizes her workers. However, the demographic and ecological conditions that enable such manipulation are unknown. Accordingly, we propose a simple model of evolutionary dynamics that is based on haplodiploid genetics. We consider a mutation that acts in a queen, causing her to control the reproductive behavior of her workers. Our mathematical analysis yields precise conditions for the evolutionary emergence and stability of queen-induced worker sterility. These conditions do not depend on the queen's mating frequency. Moreover, we find that queen control is always established if it increases colony reproductive efficiency and can evolve even if it decreases colony efficiency. We further outline the conditions under which queen control is evolutionarily stable against invasion by mutant, reproductive workers.

scholarly journals Reproductive constraint is a developmental mechanism that maintains social harmony in advanced ant societies

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (46) ◽  
pp. 17884-17889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abderrahman Khila ◽  
Ehab Abouheif
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Worker Reproduction ◽  
Developmental Genetic ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Trophic Eggs ◽  
Maternal Determinants ◽  
Colony Efficiency ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Colony Level

A hallmark of eusociality in ants is the reproductive division of labor between queens and workers. Yet, nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying reproduction in this group. We therefore compared the developmental genetic capacity of queens and workers to reproduce in several eusocially advanced species from the two largest subfamilies of ants, the Myrmicinae and Formicinae. In flies, the asymmetric localization of maternally encoded determinants (mRNAs and proteins) during oogenesis establishes oocyte polarity and subsequently ensures proper embryonic development. Vasa and nanos, two key maternal determinants, are properly localized in the posterior of queen oocytes, but their localization is impaired in those of the workers. This mislocalization leads to severe embryonic defects in worker progeny, and therefore, represents a constraint on worker reproduction that we call ‘reproductive constraint.’ We show that reproductive constraint is phylogenetically widespread, and is at high levels in most species tested. Reproductive constraint can simultaneously reduce or eliminate the workers' ability to produce viable eggs for reproduction, while preserving their ability to produce trophic eggs for nutrition, and thus, may have been the basis for the evolutionary retention of worker ovaries in the majority of ants. We propose that high levels of reproductive constraint has most likely evolved as a consequence of selection at the colony level to reduce or eliminate any potential conflict over worker reproduction, therefore maintaining harmony and colony efficiency in advanced ant societies.

scholarly journals Identification of a queen and king recognition pheromone in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (15) ◽  
pp. 3888-3893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin F. Funaro ◽  
Katalin Böröczky ◽  
Edward L. Vargo ◽  
Coby Schal
Keyword(s):  
Social Insect ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Reticulitermes Flavipes ◽  
Subterranean Termite ◽  
Social Hymenoptera ◽  
Cuticular Extracts ◽  
Queen Recognition ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Long Chain

Chemical communication is fundamental to success in social insect colonies. Species-, colony-, and caste-specific blends of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and other chemicals have been well documented as pheromones, mediating important behavioral and physiological aspects of social insects. More specifically, royal pheromones used by queens (and kings in termites) enable workers to recognize and care for these vital individuals and maintain the reproductive division of labor. In termites, however, no royal-recognition pheromones have been identified to date. In the current study, solvent extracts of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes were analyzed to assess differences in cuticular compounds among castes. We identified a royal-specific hydrocarbon—heneicosane—and several previously unreported and highly royal enriched long-chain alkanes. When applied to glass dummies, heneicosane elicited worker behavioral responses identical to those elicited by live termite queens, including increased vibratory shaking and antennation. Further, the behavioral effects of heneicosane were amplified when presented with nestmate termite workers’ cuticular extracts, underscoring the importance of chemical context in termite royal recognition. Thus, heneicosane is a royal-recognition pheromone that is active in both queens and kings of R. flavipes. The use of heneicosane as a queen and king recognition pheromone by termites suggests that CHCs evolved as royal pheromones ∼150 million years ago, ∼50 million years before their first use as queen-recognition pheromones in social Hymenoptera. We therefore infer that termites and social Hymenoptera convergently evolved the use of these ubiquitous compounds in royal recognition.

scholarly journals Chemical Variation among Castes, Female Life Stages and Populations of the Facultative Eusocial Sweat Bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Steitz ◽  
Robert J Paxton ◽  
Stefan Schulz ◽  
Manfred Ayasse
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Communication ◽  
North American ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Queen Signal ◽  
Ovarian Activation ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Eusocial Species

AbstractIn eusocial insects, chemical communication is crucial for mediating many aspects of social activities, especially the regulation of reproduction. Though queen signals are known to decrease ovarian activation of workers in highly eusocial species, little is known about their evolution. In contrast, some primitively eusocial species are thought to control worker reproduction through physical aggression by the queen rather than via pheromones, suggesting the evolutionary establishment of chemical signals with more derived sociality. However, studies supporting this hypothesis are largely missing. Socially polymorphic halictid bees, such as Halictus rubicundus, with social and solitary populations in both Europe and North America, offer excellent opportunities to illuminate the evolution of caste-specific signals. Here we compared the chemical profiles of social and solitary populations from both continents and tested whether (i) population or social level affect chemical dissimilarity and whether (ii) caste-specific patterns reflect a conserved queen signal. Our results demonstrate unique odor profiles of European and North American populations, mainly due to different isomers of n-alkenes and macrocyclic lactones; chemical differences may be indicative of phylogeographic drift in odor profiles. We also found common compounds overproduced in queens compared to workers in both populations, indicating a potential conserved queen signal. However, North American populations have a lower caste-specific chemical dissimilarity than European populations which raises the question if both use different mechanisms of regulating reproductive division of labor. Therefore, our study gives new insights into the evolution of eusocial behavior and the role of chemical communication in the inhibition of reproduction.

scholarly journals Morphological and genomic shifts in mole-rat ‘queens’ increase fecundity but reduce skeletal integrity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Johnston ◽  
Philippe Vullioud ◽  
Jack Thorley ◽  
Henry Kirveslahti ◽  
Leyao Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labor ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Mole Rat ◽  
Gene Regulatory ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Skeletal Integrity ◽  
Vertebral Growth

AbstractIn some mammals and many social insects, highly cooperative societies are characterized by reproductive division of labor, in which breeders and nonbreeders become behaviorally and morphologically distinct. While differences in behavior and growth between breeders and nonbreeders have been extensively described, little is known of their molecular underpinnings. Here, we investigate the consequences of breeding for skeletal morphology and gene regulation in highly cooperative Damaraland mole-rats. By experimentally assigning breeding ‘queen’ status versus nonbreeder status to age-matched littermates, we confirm that queens experience vertebral growth that likely confers advantages to fecundity. However, they also up-regulate bone resorption pathways and show reductions in femoral mass, which predicts increased vulnerability to fracture. Together, our results show that, as in eusocial insects, reproductive division of labor in mole-rats leads to gene regulatory rewiring and extensive morphological plasticity. However, in mole-rats, concentrated reproduction is also accompanied by costs to bone strength.

scholarly journals Morphological and genomic shifts in mole-rat 'queens' increase fecundity but reduce skeletal integrity

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel A Johnston ◽  
Philippe Vullioud ◽  
Jack Thorley ◽  
Henry Kirveslahti ◽  
Leyao Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labor ◽  
Morphological Plasticity ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Mole Rat ◽  
Gene Regulatory ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Skeletal Integrity ◽  
Vertebral Growth

In some mammals and many social insects, highly cooperative societies are characterized by reproductive division of labor, in which breeders and nonbreeders become behaviorally and morphologically distinct. While differences in behavior and growth between breeders and nonbreeders have been extensively described, little is known of their molecular underpinnings. Here, we investigate the consequences of breeding for skeletal morphology and gene regulation in highly cooperative Damaraland mole-rats. By experimentally assigning breeding 'queen' status versus nonbreeder status to age-matched littermates, we confirm that queens experience vertebral growth that likely confers advantages to fecundity. However, they also up-regulate bone resorption pathways and show reductions in femoral mass, which predicts increased vulnerability to fracture. Together, our results show that, as in eusocial insects, reproductive division of labor in mole-rats leads to gene regulatory rewiring and extensive morphological plasticity. However, in mole-rats, concentrated reproduction is also accompanied by costs to bone strength.

scholarly journals Dynamical analysis of the global elevational diversity gradient in passerine birds reveals a prominent role for highlands as species pumps

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul van Els ◽  
Leonel Herrera-Alsina ◽  
Alex L. Pigot ◽  
Rampal Etienne
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Dynamical Analysis ◽  
Reverse Direction ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Diversification Rates ◽  
Diversity Gradient ◽  
As Species ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Low elevation regions harbor the majority of the world’s species diversity compared to high elevation areas. This global elevational diversity gradient, suggests that lowland species have had more time to diversify, or that net diversification rates have been higher in the lowlands (either due to higher ecological limits or intrinsically higher diversification rates). However, highlands seem to be cradles of diversity as they contain many young endemics, suggesting that their rates of speciation are exceptionally fast. Here, we use a phylogenetic diversification model that accounts for the dispersal of species between different elevations to examine the evolutionary dynamics of the elevational diversity gradient in passerine birds, a group that has radiated globally to occupy almost all elevations and latitudes. We find strong support for a model where passerines diversify at the same rate in the highlands and the lowlands but where the rate of dispersal from high to low elevations is more than twice as fast as in the reverse direction. This suggests that while there is no consistent trend in diversification across elevations, highland regions act as species pumps because the diversity they generate migrates into the lowlands, thus setting up the observed gradient in passerine diversity. This species pump is particularly strong in the tropics, where the inferred rate of speciation is 1.4 times faster than in the temperate zone. We conclude that despite their lower diversity, highland regions are disproportionally important for maintaining diversity in the adjacent lowlands. The extinction of species in the tropical highlands due to rapid climate change this century could thus have major and long-lasting impacts on global passerine diversity.

scholarly journals Cuticular hydrocarbon profile for queen recognition in the termite Reticulitermes speratus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Mitaka ◽  
Tadahide Fujita
Keyword(s):  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Reticulitermes Speratus ◽  
Recognition Mechanism ◽  
The Social ◽  
Queen Succession ◽  
Queen Recognition ◽  
And Function ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division

Abstract Chemical communication underlies the sophisticated colony organization of social insects. In these insects, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play central roles in nestmate, task, and caste recognition, which contribute to maintenance of the social and reproductive division of labor. Queen-specific CHCs reflect queen fertility status and function as a queen recognition pheromone, triggering aggregation responses around the queens. However, there are only a few studies about the royal recognition mechanism in termites, and particularly, no study has reported about queen-specific CHCs in the species using asexual queen succession (AQS) system, in which the primary queen is replaced by neotenic queens produced parthenogenetically. In this study, we identified the CHC pheromone for neotenic queen recognition in the AQS termite species Reticulitermes speratus. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the relative amount of n-pentacosane was disproportionately greater in the CHC profiles of queens than in the CHC profiles of kings, soldiers, and workers. Furthermore, we investigated the cuticular chemicals of the queen aggregate workers; bioassays demonstrated that n-pentacosane shows a worker arrestant activity in the presence of workers’ cuticular extract. These results suggest that R. speratus workers identify whether each individual is a neotenic queen by recognizing the relatively higher ratio of n-pentacosane in the conspecific CHC background. Moreover, they suggest that termites have evolved queen recognition behavior, independently of social hymenopterans.

scholarly journals Identification of an ant queen pheromone regulating worker sterility

2010 ◽  
Vol 277 (1701) ◽  
pp. 3793-3800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Holman ◽  
Charlotte G. Jørgensen ◽  
John Nielsen ◽  
Patrizia d'Ettorre
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Queen Pheromone ◽  
Lasius Niger ◽  
Strong Response ◽  
Selective Forces ◽  
The Right ◽  
Worker Sterility ◽  
Reproductive Division

The selective forces that shape and maintain eusocial societies are an enduring puzzle in evolutionary biology. Ordinarily sterile workers can usually reproduce given the right conditions, so the factors regulating reproductive division of labour may provide insight into why eusociality has persisted over evolutionary time. Queen-produced pheromones that affect worker reproduction have been implicated in diverse taxa, including ants, termites, wasps and possibly mole rats, but to date have only been definitively identified in the honeybee. Using the black garden ant Lasius niger , we isolate the first sterility-regulating ant queen pheromone. The pheromone is a cuticular hydrocarbon that comprises the majority of the chemical profile of queens and their eggs, and also affects worker behaviour, by reducing aggression towards objects bearing the pheromone. We further show that the pheromone elicits a strong response in worker antennae and that its production by queens is selectively reduced following an immune challenge. These results suggest that the pheromone has a central role in colony organization and support the hypothesis that worker sterility represents altruistic self-restraint in response to an honest quality signal.

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