Definitive evidence for cuticular pheromones in a cricket
Definitive evidence for cuticular pheromones in a cricket
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DOI：
10.1006/anbe.1997.0500
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发表时间：
1997-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Wedell, N
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Tregenza, T;Wedell, N
直翅目包括许多在动物行为研究中被确立为重要模型系统的物种，特别是在交流和交配系统方面。虽然大多数兴趣集中在听觉交流上，但越来越多的间接证据表明，可能存在一个广泛的以表皮接触信息素形式存在的额外交流渠道。我们以田鼠Gryllus bimaculatus为对象，进行了一项行为实验，证明雄性可以通过这种通道区分同种的性别。通过使用有机溶剂去除雌性刺激物表皮上的碳氢化合物和相关化合物，完全消除了雄性对雌性的反应（求爱之歌）。随后，人们用溶解的提取物给洗过的女性涂上颜色，使其恢复原状。这项技术控制了先前测试中固有的一种可能性，即对洗涤身体部位缺乏反应可能是由于洗涤过程本身造成的。用气相色谱法分析了雄性和雌性的角质层成分。这表明，在角质层提取物中发现的大多数化合物的数量上，两性之间存在显著差异，这些化合物以前被证明用于配偶识别。这表明配偶识别可能是由于几种角质层化合物的相对浓度，而不是单一的“性信息素”。它支持了先前关于直翅目昆虫中存在接触信息素的断言，表明它们可能在直翅目昆虫中广泛存在。(C) 1997动物行为研究协会。
The Orthoptera include many species established as important model systems in the study of animal behaviour, particularly in relation to communication and mating systems. Although most interest has focused on auditory communication, increasing circumstantial evidence suggests that there may be a widespread additional communication channel in the form of cuticular contact pheromones. Using the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, we conducted a behavioural assay which demonstrated that males can distinguish the sex of conspecifics using such a Channel. Male response to females (courtship song) was completely abolished by using an organic solvent to remove cuticular hydrocarbons and associated compounds from a stimulus female. It was subsequently restored by painting the washed female with the dissolved extract. This technique controls for the possibility, inherent in previous tests, that the lack of response to washed body parts might be due to the washing process itself. The composition of the cuticles of males and females was analysed using gas chromatography. This revealed that the two sexes differ markedly in the quantities of the majority of the compounds found in the cuticular extract thar had previously been shown to be used in mate recognition. This suggests that mate recognition is likely to be due to the relative concentrations of several cuticular compounds, rather than a single 'sex pheromone'. It supports previous assertions of the existence of contact pheromones in the Orthoptera, suggesting that they may be widespread in this group. (C) 1997 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.