Glucosylated Suspensosides, Water-Soluble Pheromone Conjugates from the Oral Secretions of Male <i>Anastrepha suspensa</i>

A diastereomeric mixture of the glycosylated pheromones (6R)- (1a) and (6S)-β-d-glucopyranosyl 2-(2,6-dimethyl-6-vinylcyclohex-1-enyl)acetate (1b), which we named respectively suspensoside A and suspensoside B, was isolated from the oral secretions of male Caribbean fruit flies, Anastrepha suspensa. The absolute stereochemical configurations were established using microsample NMR instrumentation, chiral gas chromatography, and chemical synthesis utilizing pure enantiomers of anastrephin, (3aS,4R,7aS)- (4a) or (3aR,4S,7aR)-4,7a-dimethyl-4-vinylhexahydrobenzofuran-2(3H)one (4b), as the aglycon precursor

Phenotype raw data

raw data for ovarian activation, juvenile hormone levels, lipid and glycogen content, queen weight and gene expression data (fold change) for 11 genes that were tested in the stud

Normalized read counts for PCA

Normalized read counts for PC

Diapause Reads counts

transcript counts from Cufflink

Score plot for the two main principal components obtained in the PCA analysis.

<p>Data points are separated by colonies reared on the restricted (circles), and unrestricted.</p

Quantitative Differences in Nourishment Affect Caste-Related Physiology and Development in the Paper Wasp <i>Polistes metricus</i>

<div><p>The distinction between worker and reproductive castes of social insects is receiving increased attention from a developmental rather than adaptive perspective. In the wasp genus <i>Polistes</i>, colonies are founded by one or more females, and the female offspring that emerge in that colony are either non-reproducing workers or future reproductives of the following generation (gynes). A growing number of studies now indicate that workers emerge with activated reproductive physiology, whereas the future reproductive gynes do not. Low nourishment levels for larvae during the worker-rearing phase of the colony cycle and higher nourishment levels for larvae when gynes are reared are now strongly suspected of playing a major role in this difference.</p><p>Here, we present the results of a laboratory rearing experiment in which <i>Polistes metricus</i> single foundresses were held in environmental conditions with a higher level of control than in any previously published study, and the amount of protein nourishment made available to feed larvae was the only input variable. Three experimental feeding treatments were tested: restricted, unrestricted, and hand-supplemented. Analysis of multiple response variables shows that wasps reared on restricted protein nourishment, which would be the case for wasps reared in field conditions that subsequently become workers, tend toward trait values that characterize active reproductive physiology. Wasps reared on unrestricted and hand-supplemented protein, which replicates higher feeding levels for larvae in field conditions that subsequently become gynes, tend toward trait values that characterize inactive reproductive physiology. Although the experiment was not designed to test for worker behavior per se, our results further implicate activated reproductive physiology as a developmental response to low larval nourishment as a fundamental aspect of worker behavior in <i>Polistes</i>.</p></div

Depiction of the treatment of newly-emerged wasps during the experiment.

<p>The first emerged individual was reared in a cage for two weeks with a caterpillar supplement. After two weeks the ovaries were dissected. The second individual was frozen immediately after emergence and the levels of hemolymph protein and gaster lipids were measured. The third individual was reared for one week after eclosion and then the hemolymph was extracted for JH measurements. (The JH results were removed from the main analysis due to small sample sizes but are reported in the supplement.). This order was repeated until the end of the experiment.</p

Loadings plot of PC1 versus PC2 for the two main principal component analysis obtained in the PCA analysis.

<p>Loadings plot of PC1 versus PC2 for the two main principal component analysis obtained in the PCA analysis.</p

Medians (box) and quartiles of A) ovary score (N_Res = 8, N_Unres = 10 colonies), B) wing length (N_Res = 9, N_Unres = 10 colonies), C) gaster lipid levels (N_Res = 8, N_Unres = 10 colonies), D) hemolymph protein levels (N_Res = 7, N_Unres = 10 colonies), E) Number of days in pupation (N_Res = 9, N_Unres = 10 colonies), F) Pupal cocoon height (N_Res = 9, N_Unres = 10 colonies), G) number of cells in the nest (N_Res = 9, N_Unres = 10 colonies), and H) number of caterpillars eaten in two weeks by emerged wasps (N_Res = 9, N_Unres = 10 colonies).

<p>An “*” indicates cases in which the trait value in wasps from the restricted diet was significantly different from the trait values of wasps from the other two diets (Kruskal-Wallis Test, MCP). Wasps fed on <i>ad libium</i> and supplemented diets did not differ for any of the traits examined.</p