title: Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) larvae show different cuticular patterns according to their sex: workers seem not use this chemical information.
abstract: During reproductive phase, larvae of male and female are intermingled in nest of social wasps. Workers care for and feed larvae that gives them an opportunity to bias investment with respect to sex, or even to kill some larvae, if they can distinguish between immature males and females. Cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) mixtures are the most studied cues for species, nestmate, and caste recognition in social Hymenoptera. In this study, we investigate the paper wasp Polistes dominulus to see if male and female larvae show different patterns of CHCs and if workers are able to discriminate between male and female larvae on this basis. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis on cuticular extracts of larvae, and then we genotyped them to assign sex. We found sex-based variation in CHC-profiles sufficient for discrimination. However, our behavioral assays do not support the view that adults discriminate between male and female larvae within nests.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, University of Florence, via Romana 17, 50127 Florence, Italy. chiara.cotoneschi@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cotoneschi
authors.forename: Francesca Romana
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cervo
authors.forename: Clea
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Strassmann
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Queller
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turillazzi
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons