Simplified diagram of your own biannual existence years regarding P. cimiciformis. Intimate breeding happen for the P. terebinthus trees, their primary machine, where up to five other morphs exists. Ones years, about three generate to the distinct galls that they lead to within their host’s departs. To your the end of summer, the very last age group born for the galls include winged aphids that travel to your sources of numerous gramineous variety, the supplementary servers. Indeed there, they initiate a sequence out of root-house wingless parthenogenetic years composed of one or two morphs: this new bullet (RM) and Dating-Seite für Reiter the apartment (FM) morphs, correspondingly. These two morphs be involved in mutualistic connectivity having ants of the genus Tetramorium. During the summer, several winged morphs can happen. That disperses the new clone to help you this new grasses while, inside countries in which P. terebinthus is available, the second winged morph usually fly to the key host provide beginning for the sexual morphs. Afg, apterous fundatrigeniae; Elizabeth, eggs; Fx, fundatrix; M, male; Sf, intimate lady; Sxp, sexuparae; Wfg, winged fundatrigeniae; Wvg, winged virginoparae. Practical question draw denotes unsure phenology info into the sources-dwelling phase (Au moment ou Text and you may Fig. S1).
The purpose of this research would be to discuss the potential practical requirement for so it polyphenism occurring during the supply-house phase of P. cimiciformis life years. We characterized the type of each aphid morph’s interactions having ants of genus Tetramorium, its fundamental tending ants (eight, 10, 11), and especially which have Tetramorium semilaeve, probably one of the most numerous ant variety within the holm-pine woods and associated habitats on Iberian Peninsula (12). First, we show that ants showcase markedly additional connections that have each other morphs. Although the round morph elicits ant behaviors regular away from an excellent trophobiotic matchmaking, aphids of one’s apartment morph are sent because of the staff ants to your the brood chamber, where it treat them such conspecific larvae. 2nd, we reveal that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles from P. cimiciformis flat morph aphids end up like the ones from T. semilaeve larvae over that from round morph aphids. In the end, we expose research one, immediately following on brood chamber, aphids of the apartment morph penetrate ant larvae and you will draw its internal fluids. We stop the flat morph out-of P. cimiciformis represents a situation out of competitive mimicry within the aphids.
Efficiency
13 habits did by the personnel ants for the aphids and you can 10 practices did by aphids have been recognized and you will registered (Tables S1 and you will S2). Affairs anywhere between ants and you may aphids differed according to aphid morph, with a few behavior becoming observed just in the connections that have round otherwise flat aphids, and can become described the following.
Bullet aphids.
For the twelve from a dozen staged relations ants did antennal waving after calling a spherical aphid outside the nest, to which the latest aphid responded by the kicking featuring its buttocks feet (bottom leg kicking), excreting a honeydew droplet (honeydew excretion) ( Fig. 2A ), and you will leading the new arse into the brand new ant (rectal pointing, a behavior observed only within this morph) (Movie S1). Once calling the new honeydew droplet, ants stopped antennal waving and you may first started antennation (Table S1) of one’s rectum, giving into the honeydew (honeydew application) for as long as brand new move proceeded. That it sequence try frequent a few times (range = 8–28) in observation symptoms, however,, sporadically (inside the step 3 from twelve connections), ants started a keen escalation out of competitive practices one ended up with the brand new aphid becoming slain and ate.
Images affiliate of one’s affairs between T. semilaeve ants together with several P. cimiciformis options-dwelling wingless morphs. (A) T. semilaeve ants performing antennal waving (Table S1) on a round aphid, hence excretes a great honeydew droplet. (B) Flat aphids (arrows) followed of the T. semilaeve ants in their brood chamber among the bunch regarding ant larvae. (C) A good P. cimiciformis flat aphid starting larva probing (Table S2) into an excellent T. semilaeve larva. (D) Hemolymph dripping away from an enthusiastic ant larva which was at the mercy of larva probing by an apartment P. cimiciformis aphid (arrow).