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Behavioral and antennal electrophysiological responses of a predator ant to the pygidial gland secretions of two species of Neotropical dung roller beetles

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Abstract

The pygidial gland secretions of Neotropical dung roller beetles appear to function as defensive agents against predator ants. Behavioral and electrophysiological tests were used to evaluate the responses of the ant Camponotus sericeiventris to pygidial compounds secreted by the dung roller beetles Canthon cyanellus cyanellus and Canthon femoralis femoralis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Our behavioral investigation revealed a lower aggressive response of C. sericeiventris to the dung roller beetles compared to their response to the fly Anastrepha ludens. Additionally, C. sericeiventris workers attacked C. f. femoralis more often than C. c. cyanellus. The behavioral aggression of C. sericeiventris was greater toward male than female C. c. cyanellus. Electroantennography showed that the antennae of C. sericeiventris react to pygidial extracts from C. c. cyanellus and C. f. femoralis. Three compounds from male and female C. f. femoralis and C. c. cyanellus elicited coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram (GC-EAD) activity in the antennae of C. sericeiventris. Geraniol and an unknown compound (A) were specific for C. f. femoralis, whereas guaiacol and another unknown compound (B) were specific to C. c. cyanellus; phenol was shared by both beetle species. This is the first report confirming that the pygidial gland secretions of dung roller beetles play a role in their defense against predators.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to A. R. Trigos and A. Guerrero for valuable assistance with the mass spectrometry. We would like to thank P. Blasco, P. Candela and J. M. Ramírez for their assistance with the GC/MS-technique, and J. Pellitero helping with the electrophysiological analysis. We thank J. M. Lobo and C. Numa for help with the statistical analysis. Bianca Delfosse revised the final version of the manuscript. This work was supported by CONACYT México (49472-Q) and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) (CGL2008-03878).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Red de Ecoetología. Instituto de Ecología, A.C, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, A. P. 63, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, México

    Vieyle Cortez & Mario E. Favila

  2. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad CIBIO, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03080, Alicante, Spain

    José R. Verdú

  3. Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de Linares, Alfonso X El Sabio, 23700, Linares, Spain

    Antonio J. Ortiz

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  1. Vieyle Cortez
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  2. Mario E. Favila
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Correspondence to Mario E. Favila.

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Cortez, V., Favila, M.E., Verdú, J.R. et al. Behavioral and antennal electrophysiological responses of a predator ant to the pygidial gland secretions of two species of Neotropical dung roller beetles. Chemoecology 22, 29–38 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-011-0095-1

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