Alarm pheromone induces a transgenerational wing polyphenism in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 1138-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua O Podjasek ◽  
Lisa M Bosnjak ◽  
Daniel J Brooker ◽  
Edward B Mondor
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Offspring Production ◽  
Morphological Adaptations

In response to increased predation risk, many organisms exhibit transgenerational polyphenisms whereby offspring have behavioural and (or) morphological adaptations to avoid natural enemies. The mechanisms underlying altered phenotypic expression, however, are not well understood. Aphids commonly exhibit a transgenerational wing-induction polyphenism in response to predators and parasitoids, but the stimuli inducing winged offspring production have not yet been identified. As aphids commonly emit the alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene (EBF) when physically attacked, this compound is a reliable signal of increased predation risk for asexual conspecifics. Here we show that maternal detection of EBF induces a transgenerational wing polyphenism in offspring of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris, 1776). In response to 50, 500, or 5000 ng of EBF vapor, aphids responded with 2.5-, 5.0-, and 6.0-fold increases in winged offspring production, respectively. Thus, alarm pheromone may alter aphid transgenerational phenotypic expression, thereby influencing aphid – natural enemy dynamics.

Influence of temperature on pea aphidAcyrthosiphon pisum(Hemiptera: Aphididae) resistance to natural enemy attack

2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. Stacey ◽  
M.D.E. Fellowes
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Aphidius Ervi ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Clonal Variation ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Aphid Clone

AbstractThe ability to resist or avoid natural enemy attack is a critically important insect life history trait, yet little is understood of how these traits may be affected by temperature. This study investigated how different genotypes of the pea aphidAcyrthosiphon pisumHarris, a pest of leguminous crops, varied in resistance to three different natural enemies (a fungal pathogen, two species of parasitoid wasp and a coccinellid beetle), and whether expression of resistance was influenced by temperature. Substantial clonal variation in resistance to the three natural enemies was found. Temperature influenced the number of aphids succumbing to the fungal pathogenErynia neoaphidisRemaudière & Hennebert, with resistance increasing at higher temperatures (18 vs. 28°C). A temperature difference of 5°C (18 vs. 23°C) did not affect the ability ofA. pisumto resist attack by the parasitoidsAphidius erviHaliday andA. eadyiStarý, González & Hall. Escape behaviour from foraging coccinellid beetles (Hippodamia convergensGuerin-Meneville) was not directly influenced by aphid clone or temperature (16 vs. 21°C). However, there were significant interactions between clone and temperature (while most clones did not respond to temperature, one was less likely to escape at 16°C), and between aphid clone and ladybird presence (some clones showed greater changes in escape behaviour in response to the presence of foraging coccinellids than others). Therefore, while larger temperature differences may alter interactions betweenAcyrthosiphon pisumand an entomopathogen, there is little evidence to suggest that smaller changes in temperature will alter pea aphid–natural enemy interactions.

scholarly journals Real-Time Analysis of Alarm Pheromone Emission by the Pea Aphid (Acyrthosiphon Pisum) Under Predation

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezra G. Schwartzberg ◽  
Grit Kunert ◽  
Claudia Stephan ◽  
Anja David ◽  
Ursula S. R. Röse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Time Analysis ◽  
Real Time Analysis ◽  
Pheromone Emission

Escape behaviour of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) in response to alarm pheromone and vibration

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 2245-2252 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Clegg ◽  
C. A. Barlow
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Pea Aphids ◽  
Escape Responses

Pea aphids respond most effectively to the threat of a predator by walking away or dropping from their host plant. Simulating threat by using vibration and alarm pheromone, both separately and together, we found no evidence that escape responses are heritable, nor that individual aphids have characteristic escape behaviours. On the contrary, the amount of alarm pheromone influenced responses: the more pheromone, the more likely an immediate and effective escape. Vibration preceding alarm pheromone greatly increased responsiveness to pheromone, and aphids were more responsive to pheromone after vibration when feeding on stems than when feeding on the undersides of leaves.

Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, cornicle ontogeny as an adaptation to differential predation risk

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 2131-2136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward B Mondor ◽  
Bernard D Roitberg
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Inclusive Fitness ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Anatomical Structures ◽  
Alarm Signaling ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Pea Aphids

Aphids possess unique anatomical structures called cornicles through which a defensive secretion containing alarm pheromone is often emitted when a predator attacks an aphid. The levels of alarm pheromone in cornicle droplets from the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), vary considerably during development; however, it is not clear how the length of the cornicle changes during ontogeny. The length of the cornicle relative to the lengths of other body structures may have profound effects on aphid defense and alarm signal diffusion. Using previously published morphological measurements of pea aphids and observing interactions between pea aphids and multicolored Asian ladybird beetles, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, it was observed that pea aphid cornicles elongate proportionally more than other body parts during the first four instars, when alarm-pheromone levels have peaked, than during the fifth (adult) instar, when pheromone levels decline. Pea aphids also are more likely to emit cornicle droplets and daub them onto a predator when the cornicles are undergoing such rapid growth. We suggest that because of a high risk of predation, rapid cornicle growth in juveniles has evolved both for individual defense and for the inclusive fitness benefits of alarm signaling.

scholarly journals The importance of antennae for pea aphid wing induction in the presence of natural enemies

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kunert ◽  
W.W. Weisser
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Chemical Signals ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Wing Formation ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Pea Aphids ◽  
General Response

AbstractThe pea aphidAcyrthosiphon pisumHarris has been shown to produce an increasing proportion of winged morphs among its offspring when exposed to natural enemies, in particular hoverfly larvae, lacewing larvae, adult and larval ladybirds and aphidiid parasitoids. While these results suggest that wing induction in the presence of predators and parasitoids is a general response of the pea aphid, the cues and mechanisms underlying this response are still unclear. Tactile stimuli and the perception of chemical signals as well as visual signals are candidates for suitable cues in the presence of natural enemies. In this paper the hypothesis that the aphids' antennae are crucial for the wing induction in the presence of natural enemies is tested. Antennae of pea aphids were ablated and morph production was scored when aphids were reared either in the presence or the absence of predatory lacewing larvae over a six-day period. Ablation of antennae resulted in a drastic drop in the proportion of winged morphs among the offspring, both in the presence and the absence of a predator whereas predator presence increased wing induction in aphids with intact antennae, as reported in previous experiments. The results show that antennae are necessary for wing induction in the presence of natural enemies. Critical re-examination of early work on the importance of aphid antennae and tactile stimuli for wing induction suggests that a combination of tactile and chemical cues is likely to be involved not only in predator-induced wing formation but also for wing induction in response to factors such as crowding in the aphid colony.

scholarly journals Non-consumptive effects stabilize herbivore control over multiple generations

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241870
Author(s):  
Kathryn S. Ingerslew ◽  
Deborah L. Finke
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Aphidius Ervi ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Aphidius Colemani ◽  
Pea Aphids ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Aphid Abundance

Understanding the factors that influence predator-prey dynamics requires an investigation of oscillations in predator and prey population sizes over time. However, empirical studies are often performed over one or fewer predator generations. This is particularly true for studies addressing the non-consumptive effects of predators on prey. In a previous study that lasted less than one predator generation, we demonstrated that two species of parasitoid wasps additively suppressed aphid populations through a combination of consumptive and non-consumptive effects. However, the non-consumptive effects of one wasp reduced the reproductive success of the other, suggesting that a longer-term experiment may have revealed antagonism between the wasps. The goal of our current study is to evaluate multi-generation consumptive and non-consumptive interactions between pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and the wasps Aphidius ervi and Aphidius colemani. Aphidius ervi is a common natural enemy of pea aphids. Aphidius colemani is a non-consumptive enemy that does not consume pea aphids, but negatively affects pea aphid performance through behavioral disturbance. Large field cages were installed to monitor aphid abundance in response to the presence and absence of both species of wasp over four weeks (two parasitoid generations). We found that the non-consumptive enemy A. colemani initially controlled the pea aphid population, but control in the absence of parasitism was not sustainable over the long term. Aphidius ervi suppressed pea aphids through a combination of consumptive and non-consumptive effects. This suppression was more effective than that of A. colemani, but aphid abundance fluctuated over time. Suppression by A. ervi and A. colemani together was complementary, leading to the most effective and stable control of pea aphids. Therefore, promoting a diverse natural enemy community that contributes to pest control through consumptive and non-consumptive interactions may enhance the stability of herbivore population suppression over time.

scholarly journals Alarm Pheromone Responses Depend on Genotype, but Not on the Presence of Facultative Endosymbionts in the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Cesar Auguste Badji ◽  
Zoé Sol-Mochkovitch ◽  
Charlotte Fallais ◽  
Corentin Sochard ◽  
Jean-Christophe Simon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Bacterial Symbiont ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Locomotor Behaviour ◽  
Hamiltonella Defensa ◽  
Escape Responses ◽  
High Doses

Aphids use an alarm pheromone, E-β farnesene (EBF), to warn conspecifics of potential danger. The antennal sensitivity and behavioural escape responses to EBF can be influenced by different factors. In the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, different biotypes are adapted to different legume species, and within each biotype, different genotypes exist, which can carry or not Hamiltonella defensa, a bacterial symbiont that can confer protection against natural enemies. We investigate here the influence of the aphid genotype and symbiotic status on the escape behaviour using a four-way olfactometer and antennal sensitivity for EBF using electroantennograms (EAGs). Whereas the investigated three genotypes from two biotypes showed significantly different escape and locomotor behaviours in the presence of certain EBF doses, the infection with H. defensa did not significantly modify the escape behaviour and only marginally influenced the locomotor behaviour at high doses of EBF. Dose-response curves of EAG amplitudes after stimulation with EBF differed significantly between aphid genotypes in correlation with behavioural differences, whereas antennal sensitivity to EBF did not change significantly as a function of the symbiotic status. The protective symbiont H. defensa does thus not modify the olfactory sensitivity to the alarm pheromone. How EBF sensitivity is modified between genotypes or biotypes remains to be investigated.

Alarm pheromone emission by pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum, clones under predation by lacewing larvae

2008 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezra G. Schwartzberg ◽  
Grit Kunert ◽  
Ursula S. R. Röse ◽  
Jonathan Gershenzon ◽  
Wolfgang W. Weisser
Keyword(s):  
Alarm Pheromone ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Pea Aphid ◽  
Pheromone Emission
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