Abstract
Chemical communication is fundamental to maintain cohesion in social insect colonies, and in this communication process, cuticular hydrocarbons act as cues exchanged during interactions between nestmates. However, few studies have investigated intraspecific variation of these compounds in Neotropical swarm-founding wasps. We undertook the present investigation by performing two assessments. First, we assessed whether the cuticular chemical composition of females in Polybia sericea varies according to the degree ovarian development, relative age and different body parts. Second, we assessed whether the cuticular chemical profile of colony members and compounds found in nest materials could be used as complementary tools to assess population differences. To make these determinations, samples were collected from three different populations, and the compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Linear alkanes were found to be the most abundant compounds in the cuticle of females and nest material. Considering the cuticular composition, it was possible to distinguish the females according to degree of ovarian development, relative age and different body parts. In addition, cuticular compounds and nest material were different in the three analyzed populations; therefore, both the cuticular chemical profile of colony members and the chemical profile of nest material can be used as complementary tools to assess population differences.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr. Orlando T. Silveira (Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi) for species identification; to CAPES for the scholarships granted; and to CNPq and FUNDECT for financial support (71/700.139/2018). We also thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the productivity grant to authors WFAJ (Grant number 308182/2019-7) and CALC (Grant number 311975/2018-6).
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Communicated by Günther Raspotnig.
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Soares, E.R.P., Sguarizi-Antonio, D., Michelutti, K.B. et al. Intraspecific variation of cuticular hydrocarbons in the eusocial wasp Polybia sericea (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Chemoecology 31, 343–354 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-021-00355-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-021-00355-3