Chemoecology

, 21:181 | Cite as

Congruence of epicuticular hydrocarbons and tarsal secretions as a principle in beetles

  • Stefanie F. Geiselhardt
  • Sven Geiselhardt
  • Klaus Peschke
Short Communication
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Within beetles, those species that are adapted to life on plants have developed widened tarsi with specialised hairy attachment structures. The capability to adhere to smooth surfaces is based on a liquid film on the surface of these structures, the composition of which is similar to the cuticular lipids. By means of a cluster analysis based on chemical similarities between samples obtained from tarsi or elytra of 35 species using solid phase microextraction, the present study strongly suggests that this chemical congruence is a principle in beetles. This supports the idea of tarsal liquids being part of the cuticular lipid layer and contributes to the understanding of liquid-mediated attachment systems.

Keywords

Coleoptera Cuticular hydrocarbons Tarsal secretion Cluster analysis Adhesion SPME 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Stefan Lamm, Christan Hamm, Johannes Gowin and Christian Hanner for helping with the collection of data. Donation of beetles by Hannelore Baudendistel, Ulrike Füssel, Joseph K. Müller and Monika Hilker are greatly appreciated. We also are grateful for the help of Alois Herzig at the Biologische Station Illmitz, where some of the beetles were collected. Furthermore, Wolfgang Pankow and Christian Maus helped with the determination of some species and two anonymous reviewers provided comments on an earlier draft of the paper.

Supplementary material

49_2011_77_MOESM1_ESM.xls (468 kb)
Species used in the cluster analysis with chemical composition of SPME samples of elytra (E) and tarsi (T; mediane; % total peak area). Collection site is given at the bottom of the table (XLS 468 kb)

References

  1. Akino T, Terayama M, Wakamura A, Yamaoka R (2002) Intraspecific variation of cuticular hydrocarbon composition in Formica japonica Motschoulsky (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zool Sci 19:1155–1165PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Arsene C, Schulz S, Van Loon JJA (2002) Chemical polymorphism of the cuticular lipids of the cabbage white Pieris rapae. J Chem Ecol 28:2627–2631PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Attygalle AB, Aneshansley DJ, Meinwald J, Eisner T (2000) Defense by foot adhesion in a chrysomelid beetle (Hemisphaerota cyanea): characterization of the adhesive oil. Zoology 103:1–6Google Scholar
  4. Betz O (2003) Structure of the tarsi in some Stenus species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae): external morphology, ultrastructure, and tarsal secretion. J Morph 255:24–43PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Betz O, Kölsch G (2004) The role of adhesion in prey capture and predator defence in arthropods. Arthopod Struct Dev 33:3–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Beutel RG, Gorb SN (2001) Ultrastructure of attachment specializations of hexapods (Arthropoda): evolutionary patterns inferred from a revised ordinal phylogeny. J Zool Syst Evol Res 39:177–207CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Beutel RG, Gorb SN (2006) A revised interpretation of the evolution of attachment structures in hexapoda with special emphasis on Mantophasmatodea. Arthropod Syst Phyl 64:3–25Google Scholar
  8. Blomquist GJ (2010) Structure and analysis of insect hydrocarbons. In: Blomquist GJ, Bagnères AG (eds) Insect hydrocarbons. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Blomquist GJ, Bagnères AG (eds) (2010) Insect hydrocarbons: biology, biochemistry and chemical ecology. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
  10. Böröczky K, Park KC, Minard RD, Jones TH, Baker TC, Tumlinson JH (2008) Differences in cuticular lipid composition of the antennae of Helicoverpa zea, Heliothis virescens, and Manduca sexta. J Insect Physiol 54:1385–1391PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Buckner JS (2010) Oxygenated derivatives of hydrocarbons. In: Blomquist GJ, Bagnères AG (eds) Insect hydrocarbons. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
  12. Carlson DA, Bernier UR, Sutton BD (1998) Elution patterns from capillary GC for methyl-branched alkanes. J Chem Ecol 24:1845–1865CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Drechsler P, Federle W (2006) Biomechanics of smooth adhesive pads in insects: influence of tarsal secretion on attachment performance. J Comp Physiol A 192:1213–1222CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Federle W, Riehle M, Curtis ASG, Full RJ (2002) An integrative study of insect adhesion: mechanics and wet adhesion of pretarsal pads in ants. Integr Comp Biol 42:1100–1106PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Geiselhardt S, Otte T, Hilker M (2009) The role of cuticular hydrocarbons in male mating behavior of the mustard leaf beetle, Phaedon cochleariae (F.). J Chem Ecol 35:1162–1171PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Geiselhardt SF, Geiselhardt S, Peschke K (2009) Comparison of tarsal and cuticular chemistry in the leaf beetle Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and an evaluation of solid-phase microextraction and solvent extraction techniques. Chemoecology 19:185–193CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Geiselhardt SF, Lamm S, Gack C, Peschke K (2010) Interaction of liquid epicuticular hydrocarbons and tarsal adhesive secretion in Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J Comp Physiol A 196:369–378CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Gorb S, Gorb E, Kastner V (2001) Scale effects on the attachment pads and friction forces in syrphid flies (Diptera, Syrphidae). J Exp Biol 204:1421–1431PubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. Gush TJ, Bentley BL, Prestwich GD, Thorne BL (1985) Chemical variation in defensive secretions of four species of Nasutitermes. Biochem Syst Ecol 13:329–336CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Hamers L, Hemeryck Y, Herweyers G, Janssen M, Keters H, Rousseau R, Vanhoutte A (1989) Similarity measures in scientometric research—the jaccard index versus salton cosine formula. Inf Process Manag 25:315–318CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Hasenfuss I (1977) Die Herkunft der Adhäsionsflüssigkeit bei Insekten. Zoomorphology 87:51–64CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Haverty MI, Grace JK, Nelson LJ, Yamamoto RT (1996) Intercaste, intercolony, and temporal variation in cuticular hydrocarbons of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J Chem Ecol 22:1813–1834CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Holotík Š, Leško J, Krupčík J, Tesařik K (1976) Identification of acetates of secondary straight-chain alcohols by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Chromatographia 9:443–446CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Howard RW, Blomquist GJ (2005) Ecological, behavioral, and biochemical aspects of insect hydrocarbons. Annu Rev Entomol 50:371–393PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Ishii S (1987) Adhesion of a leaf feeding ladybird Epilachna vigintioctomaculta (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on a vertically smooth surface. Appl Entomol Zool 22:222–228Google Scholar
  26. Jaccard P (1901) Etude comparative de la distribution florale dans une portion des Alpes et des Jura. Bull Soc Vaudoise Sci Nat 37:547–579Google Scholar
  27. Kaib M, Brandl R, Bagine RKN (1991) Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles: a valuable tool in termite taxonomy. Naturwissenschaften 78:176–179CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Kosaki A, Yamaoka R (1996) Chemical composition of footprints and cuticula lipids of three species of lady beetles. Jpn J Appl Entomol Zool 40:47–53CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Lockey KH (1985) Insect cuticular lipids. Comp Biochem Physiol B 81:263–273CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Martin S, Drijfhout F (2009) A review of ant cuticular hydrocarbons. J Chem Ecol 35:1151–1161PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. McFarlane JS, Tabor D (1950) Adhesion of solids and the effect of surface films. Proc R Soc Lond A 202:224–243CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Nelson DR, Sukkestad DR (1970) Normal and branched aliphatic hydrocarbons from eggs of the tobacco hornworm. Biochemistry 9:4601–4611PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Nelson DR, Sukkestad DR, Zaylskie RG (1972) Mass spectra of methyl-branched hydrocarbons from eggs of the tobacco hornworm. J Lipid Res 13:413–421PubMedGoogle Scholar
  34. Nowbahari E, Lenoir A, Clément JL, Lange C, Bagnères AG, Joulie C (1990) Individual, geographical and experimental variation of cuticular hydrocarbons of the ant Cataglyphis cursor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): their use in nest and subspecies recognition. Biochem Syst Ecol 18:63–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Page M, Nelson LJ, Forschler BT, Haverty MI (2002) Cuticular hydrocarbons suggest three lineages in Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from North America. Comp Biochem Physiol B 131:305–324PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Pomonis JG (1989) Cuticular hydrocarbons of the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Isolation, identification, and quantification as a function of age, sex and irradiation. J Chem Ecol 15:2301–2317CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Pomonis JG, Nelson DR, Fatland CL (1980) Insect hydrocarbons. 2. Mass spectra of dimethylalkanes and the effect of the number of methylene units between groups on fragmentation. J Chem Ecol 6:965–972CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Pomonis JG, Hakk H, Fatland C (1989) Synthetic methyl- and dimethylalkanes. J Chem Ecol 15:2319–2332CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Schulz S (2001) Composition of the silk lipids of the spider Nephila clavipes. Lipids 36:637–647PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Steiger S, Peschke K, Francke W, Müller JK (2007) The smell of parents: breeding status influences cuticular hydrocarbon pattern in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Proc R Soc Lond B 274:2211–2220CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Stork NE (1980) A scanning electron microscope study of tarsal adhesive setae in the Coleoptera. Zool J Linn Soc 68:173–306CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Vötsch W, Nicholson G, Müller R, Stierhof Y-D, Gorb S, Schwarz U (2002) Chemical composition of the attachment pad secretion of the locust Locusta migratoria. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 32:1605–1613PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Basel AG 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Stefanie F. Geiselhardt
    • 1
  • Sven Geiselhardt
    • 2
  • Klaus Peschke
    • 1
  1. 1.Institut für Biologie IAlbert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i.Br.FreiburgGermany
  2. 2.Institut für BiologieFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany

Personalised recommendations