title: Morphophysiological and cuticular chemical alterations caused by Xenos entomophagus endoparasites in the social wasp Polistes ferreri (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).
abstract: Social wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would undergo morphophysiological alterations as well as changes in their cuticular chemical profile caused by the obligate endoparasite. On average, parasitism was found in 10% of the colonies studied. All the parasitized females showed filamentous ovarioles without developing oocytes, which indicates a physiological castration. Moreover, the endoparasites present in the gaster of females caused its volume to increase, and the presence of endoparasites changed the cuticular chemical profiles of females, confirming our hypothesis. It is likely that this parasitism effect could hamper the maintenance of wasp colonies.
authors: Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental,Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul,79804-970, C. P. 351, Dourados,MS,Brazil.
authors: Viviana DE Oliveira
authors: VO
authors: Torres
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade,Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados,79804-970, Dourados,MS,Brazil.
authors: Eva Ramona Pereira
authors: ER
authors: Soares
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul,91501-970, Porto Alegre,RS,Brazil.
authors: Luan Dias
authors: LD
authors: Lima
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais,Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul,79804-970, C. P. 351, Dourados, MS,Brazil.
authors: Sandro Marcio
authors: SM
authors: Lima
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Naturais,Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul,79804-970, C. P. 351, Dourados, MS,Brazil.
authors: Luis Humberto DA Cunha
authors: LH
authors: Andrade
authors: Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental,Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul,79804-970, C. P. 351, Dourados,MS,Brazil.
authors: William Fernando
authors: WF
authors: Antonialli-Junior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012919:Social Behavior; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; C047663:cuticle proteins, insects
keywords: 
                 Polistes
              ; 
                 Xenos
              ; Polistinae; Strepsiptera; cuticular chemical profile; ovarian development; paper wasp; physiological castration