title: Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentration Reduces Alarm Signaling in Aphids.
abstract: Insects often rely on olfaction to communicate with conspecifics. While the chemical language of insects has been deciphered in recent decades, few studies have assessed how changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations might impact pheromonal communication in insects. Here, we hypothesize that changes in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide affect the whole dynamics of alarm signaling in aphids, including: (1) the production of the active compound (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf), (2) emission behavior when under attack, (3) perception by the olfactory apparatus, and (4) the escape response. We reared two strains of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, under ambient and elevated CO2concentrations over several generations. We found that an increase in CO2concentration reduced the production (i.e., individual content) and emission (released under predation events) of Eβf. While no difference in Eβf neuronal perception was observed, we found that an increase in CO2strongly reduced the escape behavior expressed by an aphid colony following exposure to natural doses of alarm pheromone. In conclusion, our results confirm that changes to greenhouse gases impact chemical communication in the pea aphid, and could potentially have a cascade effect on interactions with higher trophic levels.
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boullis
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bérénice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fassotte
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Landry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sarles
authors.affiliation: Analytical Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lognay
authors.affiliation: Analytical Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heuskin
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons (UMONS), Place du Parc, 23, Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanderplanck
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Ammerbach, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bartram
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haubruge
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-bio Tech, University of Liege (ULg), Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux, Belgium. fverheggen@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: François J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Verheggen
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D010675:Pheromones; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C062671:beta-farnesene
keywords: (E)-β-farnesene; Acyrthosiphon pisum; Carbon dioxide; Predator-prey interaction; Signal dynamic