Abstract
Queens in many social insects are known to maintain their status through chemicals (pheromones) and cuticular hydrocarbons and have been the focus of many investigations that have looked at the chemicals involved in queen signaling. In the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), the Dufour’s gland has been shown to be involved in queen signaling, and Dufour’s gland hydrocarbons have been found to be correlated with fertility. Hence, this study analyzed the cuticle of R. marginata along with the Dufour’s gland in order to compare their hydrocarbon profiles. The results show that the Dufour’s gland and cuticle contained the same set of hydrocarbons in similar proportions (for the majority of compounds). Patterns pertaining to fertility signaling present in cuticular hydrocarbons were also similar to those present in the Dufour’s gland hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the haemolymph contained the same hydrocarbons as found in the Dufour’s gland and cuticle in similar proportions, thereby providing an explanation as to why the hydrocarbon profiles of the Dufour’s gland and cuticle are correlated.
Highlights
Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a primitively eusocial paper wasp found in peninsular India
The cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile of each R. marginata wasp was similar to the Dufour’s gland (DG) profile
Our previous work highlighted the role of the DG hydrocarbons in fertility signaling in R. marginata (Bhadra et al 2010; Mitra et al 2011; Mitra and Gadagkar 2011; Mitra and Gadagkar 2012a, b)
Summary
Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a primitively eusocial paper wasp found in peninsular India. Changes in DG hydrocarbon composition of a potential queen (i.e., future queen) from a worker-like state to a queenlike state, as she undergoes transition to become a new queen of her colony during the queen establishment phase, has been studied (Mitra and Gadagkar 2012b). These evidences highlight the role of the DG in fertility signaling, and it appears that the queen signals her presence to workers by rubbing the tip of her abdomen on the nest surface, thereby presumably applying her DG secretion to the nest (Bhadra et al 2007). Workers perceive the presence of their queen through her DG compounds and refrain from reproduction, resulting in reproductive monopoly by the queen (Bhadra et al 2010)
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