Proportion of substance classes in Camponotus species

Proportion of hydrocarbon substance classes and hydrocarbon chain length of cuticular profiles of Camponotus species. The data set is created using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Column headings: A - Camponotus species names; B - chain length of the hydrocarbons; C - identified substance class; D - proportion of the substance class and chain length

raw data_chemistry

This table gives an overview of the cuticular hydrocarbons identified and quantified in the surface extracts of specimen of Chrysis mediata, C. viridula, Odynerus spinipes, O. reniformis, and Pseudospinolia neglecta. The substances are identified by name and retention index

Chemical diversity of the surface profiles from six stingless bee species (squares and triangles), fragrances of 16 euglossine bee species (diamonds) as well as surface profiles of 29 Central European ant species (open circles) and 16 bumblebee species (solid circles).

<p>Note that there are two diversity curves for surface profiles of stingless bees, one for all compounds (solid squares) and one for compounds that account for more than 0.05% of the total peak area (open triangles); the reduced compound group is further divided in one curve with only terpenoid compounds (open squares) and one with only non-terpenoid compounds (solid triangles). The bumblebee curve is also based on a reduced dataset using the same threshold and therefore directly comparable to the lower curves of stingless bees, whereas data for ants and euglossine bees have been obtained from other sources (T. Eltz, pers. comm., Martin and Drijfhout 2009).</p

Supplemental Tables S1 and S2: Additional information on the species investigated from How do cuticular hydrocarbons evolve? Physiological constraints, as well as climatic and biotic selection pressures act on a complex functional trait in insects

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the cuticles of virtually all insects, serving as waterproofing agent and as communication signal. The causes for the high CHC variation between species, and the factors influencing CHC profiles, are scarcely understood. Here, we compare CHC profiles of ant species from seven biogeographic regions, searching for physiological constraints and for climatic and biotic selection pressures. Molecule length constrained CHC composition: long-chain profiles contained fewer linear alkanes, but more hydrocarbons with disruptive features in the molecule. This is likely due to selection on the physiology to build a semi-fluid cuticular layer, which is necessary for waterproofing and communication. CHC composition also depended on the precipitation in the ants' habitats. Species from wet climates had more alkenes and fewer dimethyl alkanes than those from drier habitats, which can be explained by different waterproofing capacities of these compounds. By contrast, temperature did not affect CHC composition. Mutualistically associated (parabiotic) species possessed profiles highly distinct from non-associated species. Our study is the first to show systematic impacts of physiological, climatic and biotic factors on quantitative CHC composition across a global, multi-species dataset. We demonstrate how they jointly shape CHC profiles, and advance our understanding of the evolution of this complex functional trait in insects

Additional file 1: of Differences in the reliance on cuticular hydrocarbons as sexual signaling and species discrimination cues in parasitoid wasps

Percentages of male courtship (light grey bars) and copulation (black bars) with con- and heterospecific freeze-killed females tested with males and females from an N. vitripennis population originally collected in 2006 in New York, North America (N.A.). 20 replicates performed for each treatment group, different letters indicate significant differences between treatment groups, upper-case letters are used for courtship behavior, lower-case letters for copulation attempts, compared independently by Benjamini-Hochberg corrected χ2 (Chi)-square tests, performed on absolute values. (PDF 52 kb

Chemical and foraging networks, representing (a) seven tree species and the terpenes of their resins (MT = monoterpenes, ST = sesquiterpenes without functional groups, STO = sesquiterpenes with functional groups, DT = diterpenes, TT = triterpenes), (b) 15 tree species and 13 bee species collecting resin at these trees, and (c) terpenes found on the body surface of six bee species.

<p>Note that resin samples could not be analyzed for all tree species visited by bees and that nests were only found for six bee species, limiting the number of bee species whose chemical profiles were analyzed. Names of bee and tree species are given in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023445#pone-0023445-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>. Block sizes represent overall proportions of species or terpene groups (based on mean relative amount of compounds) within a given network. Note that the chemical compounds of each tree and bee species add up to 100%, hence their block sizes are equal.</p

Additional file 3: of Differences in the reliance on cuticular hydrocarbons as sexual signaling and species discrimination cues in parasitoid wasps

F1 male and female offspring from crosses between T. sarcophagae males with conspecific virgin T. sarcophagae and heterospecific N. vitripennis females, respectively. Note that only female offspring constitutes hybrid offspring as Hymenopteran males develop from haploid, unfertilized eggs. The N. vitripennis strain used for the crosses has been antibiotically cured of its Wolbachia infection and was originally collected in Leiden, The Netherlands. (DOCX 13 kb

Additional file 2: of Differences in the reliance on cuticular hydrocarbons as sexual signaling and species discrimination cues in parasitoid wasps

CHC compounds identified from males and females of Nasonia vitripennis, Trichomalopsis sarcophagae, and Muscidifurax uniraptor. Compound identifications, retention indices (RI), and their mean relative abundances (%) as well as standard deviations (¹ %) for each respective sex and species are given. X indicates non-detectable amounts of the respective compounds. (DOCX 30 kb

Menzel et al Raw data

Cuticular hydrocarbon data of the species investigated. In the first data sheet, each row is one CHC peak. The table contains information about the chain length, substance class, per cent abundance and methyl groups (if applicable). The second sheet contains information about the species collected, their phylogenetic affiliation, the latitude, annual precipitation and annual temperature of the collection site

Examples of two bee species for which data was collected from tree resins, nest material and the bees' cuticles: Proportions (based on numbers of compounds) of compound classes in the chemical profile of 14 tree resins (seven tree species, middle), surfaces of individual bees (up) and their nests (below) are shown for (a) <i>Tetragonilla collina</i> and (b) <i>Tetragonula melanocephala</i>.

<p>Proportions of compounds (from particular compound classes) of tree resins that are transferred to bee surfaces/ nests are given above/ below the resin profile. Proportions of compounds (from particular compound classes) that are identical with compounds on bee surfaces/ in nests are given below/ above the profiles of bee surfaces/ nests. Numbers in parentheses give total numbers of compounds on bee surfaces, in bee nests and in resin.</p