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J Insect Physiol

Title:		"Variation in cuticular hydrocarbon signatures, hormonal correlates and establishment of reproductive dominance in a polistine wasp"
Author(s):		Sledge MF; Trinca I; Massolo A; Boscaro F; Turillazzi S;
Address:		"Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e Genetica, Universita di Firenze, Via Romana 17, 50126 Firenze, Italy"
Journal Title:		J Insect Physiol
Year:		2004
Volume:		50
Issue:		1
Page Number:		73 - 83
DOI:		10.1016/j.jinsphys.2003.10.001
ISSN/ISBN:		0022-1910 (Print) 0022-1910 (Linking)
Abstract:		"In many social insects the relationship between reproductive dominance and physiological correlates is poorly understood. Recent evidence now strongly suggests that cuticular hydrocarbons are important in reproductive differentiation in these societies where they are used as signals of ovarian activity in reproductive females. In this study we investigated the relationship between reproductive dominance, size of the corpora allata (CA, producer of Juvenile Hormone, JH) and the proportions of cuticular hydrocarbons present on the cuticle in overwintering foundresses and both associative (polygynous) and solitary (monogynous) pre-emergence colonies of the social wasp Polistes dominulus. Size of the CA was positively correlated with ovarian development in polygynous colonies. In contrast, solitary foundresses possessed significantly smaller CAs than dominant foundresses from polygynous nests, yet ovarian activity was similar for both female types. CA size variation was associated with variation in cuticular hydrocarbon proportions. Overwintering, solitary, dominant and subordinate (from associative nests) females all possessed distinctive cuticular chemical profiles revealed by multivariate discriminant analyses. Our data indicate that the social environment strongly affects reproductive physiology in this wasp, and we discuss the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in reproductive signaling in P. dominulus and other social insects"
Keywords:		Animals Corpora Allata/*anatomy & histology Discriminant Analysis *Dominance-Subordination Female Hydrocarbons/analysis Insect Hormones/analysis/*physiology Insect Proteins/*analysis/physiology Multivariate Analysis Pheromones/analysis/*physiology Reprodu;
Notes:		"MedlineSledge, M F Trinca, I Massolo, A Boscaro, F Turillazzi, S eng Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2004/03/24 J Insect Physiol. 2004 Jan; 50(1):73-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2003.10.001"