Author:
Castillo Ruth,Wurdack Mareike,Pauli Thomas,Keller Alexander,Feldhaar Heike,Polidori Carlo,Niehuis Oliver,Schmitt Thomas
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Brood parasites can exert strong selection pressure on their hosts. Many brood parasites escape their detection by mimicking sensory cues of their hosts. However, there is little evidence whether or not the hosts are able to escape the parasites’ mimicry by changing these cues. We addressed this question by analyzing cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of Cerceris and Philanthus wasps and their brood parasites, cuckoo wasps mimicking the CHC profiles of their hosts. Some of these hosts use hydrocarbons to preserve their prey against fungal infestation and thus, they cannot significantly change their CHC composition in response to chemical mimicry by Hedychrum brood parasites.
Results
We found that the CHC overlap between brood parasites and their hosts was lower in case of host wasps not preserving their prey than in case of prey-preserving host wasps, whose CHC evolution is constrained. Furthermore, the CHC profiles in non-preserving host wasps is more strongly diversified in females than in males, thus in the sex that is chemically mimicked by brood parasites.
Conclusion
Our results provide evidence for a chemical arms race between those hosts that are liberated from stabilizing selection on their chemical template and their parasites.
Funder
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Cited by
3 articles.
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