Chemical communication: butterfly anti-aphrodisiac lures parasitic wasps.
To locate their hosts, parasitic wasps can 'eavesdrop' on the intraspecific chemical communications of their insect hosts. Here we describe an example in which the information exploited by the parasitic wasp Trichogramma brassicae is a butterfly anti-aphrodisiac that is passed from male to female Pieris brassicae butterflies during mating, to render them less attractive to conspecific males. When the tiny wasp detects the odour of a mated female butterfly, it rides on her (Fig. 1) to her egg-laying sites and then parasitizes the freshly laid eggs. If this fascinating strategy is widespread in nature, it could severely constrain the evolution of sexual communication between hosts.
Fatouros
Nina E
NE
Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 12163 Berlin, Germany.
Huigens
Martinus E
ME
van Loon
Joop J A
JJ
Dicke
Marcel
M
Hilker
Monika
M
D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001046:Aphrodisiacs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001937:Brassica / Q000469:parasitology; D002080:Butterflies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D010675:Pheromones / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D014863:Wasps / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D015053:Zygote / Q000469:parasitology
D000097:Acetonitriles; D001046:Aphrodisiacs; D010675:Pheromones; D012724:Sex Attractants; C006725:benzyl cyanide