Self-assemblage and quorum in the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Oligochaete, Lumbricidae)

in PLoS ONE (2012), 7(3), 32564

Alarm pheromones: Chemical signaling in response to danger

in Litwack, Gerald (Ed.) Pheromones (2010)

Many animals respond to the threat of predation by producing alarm signals that warn other individuals of the presence of danger or otherwise reduce the success of predators. While alarm signals may be ... [more ▼]

Many animals respond to the threat of predation by producing alarm signals that warn other individuals of the presence of danger or otherwise reduce the success of predators. While alarm signals may be visual or auditory as well as chemical, alarm pheromones are common, especially among insects and aquatic organisms. Plants too emit chemical signals in response to attack by insect herbivores that recruit the herbivores’ natural enemies and can induce preparations for defense in neighboring plants (or other parts of the same plant). In this chapter we discuss our current understanding of chemical alarm signaling in a variety of animal groups (including social and pre-social insects, marine invertebrates, fish, and mammals) and in plants. We also briefly discuss the exploitation of alarm pheromones as foraging cues for natural enemies. We conclude with a brief discussion of the potential exploitation of alarm signaling to achieve the applied goal of managing pest species. [less ▲]

Production of alarm pheromone by developing aphids varies in response to their social environment

Poster (2008)

Aphid alarm pheromone—the volatile sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf) in most species—is released in response to predation and other stresses and typically causes nearby aphids who receive the signal to ... [more ▼]

Aphid alarm pheromone—the volatile sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf) in most species—is released in response to predation and other stresses and typically causes nearby aphids who receive the signal to cease feeding, drop from their host plant, and disperse. Because aphid alarm pheromone confers apparent fitness benefits on recipients while its production and release likely entail costs for the emitting aphid, it could be adaptive for aphids to regulate their Eβf production in response to variation in the social environment. To explore this possibility we compared the production of Eβf by Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) individuals reared from first-instar larvae to the adult stage in isolation to that of individuals reared among conspecifics or among individuals of a different aphid species, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). Levels of EβF produced in each treatment were assayed by GC-FID quantification of EβF in volatiles collected from crushed aphids. Production of EβF by A. pisum reared in isolation (14.4ng/aphid) was significantly lower than that of aphids reared in a colony of conspecifics (49.1ng/aphid), reared in a M. persicae colony (31.5ng/aphid) or reared among conspecifics of another aaphid clone (52.7ng/aphid). Though A. pisum individuals in our experiments produced less EβF when reared among M. persicae than among conspecifics, this difference was not statistically significant. In a separate experiment we reared A. pisum individuals in isolation and exposed them to the odor of conspecifics. Under these conditions, EβF production was similar to that of aphids reared among conspecifics, suggesting that aphids use volatile cues to assess their social environment and regulate their production of alarm pheromone accordingly. [less ▲]

Aphids adapt their alarm pheromone production according to their social environment

Poster (2008)

Aphid alarm pheromone—the volatile sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf) in most species—is released in response to predation and other stresses and typically causes nearby aphids who receive the signal to ... [more ▼]

Aphid alarm pheromone—the volatile sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf) in most species—is released in response to predation and other stresses and typically causes nearby aphids who receive the signal to cease feeding, drop from their host plant, and disperse. Because aphid alarm pheromone confers apparent fitness benefits on recipients while its production and release likely entail costs for the emitting aphid, it could be adaptive for aphids to regulate their Eβf production in response to variation in the social environment. To explore this possibility we compared the production of Eβf by Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) individuals reared from first-instar larvae to the adult stage in isolation to that of individuals reared among conspecifics or among individuals of a different aphid species, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). Levels of EβF produced in each treatment were assayed by GC-FID quantification of EβF in volatiles collected from crushed aphids. Production of EβF by A. pisum reared in isolation (14.4ng/aphid) was significantly lower than that of aphids reared in a colony of conspecifics (49.1ng/aphid), reared in a M. persicae colony (31.5ng/aphid) or reared among conspecifics of another aaphid clone (52.7ng/aphid). Though A. pisum individuals in our experiments produced less EβF when reared among M. persicae than among conspecifics, this difference was not statistically significant. In a separate experiment we reared A. pisum individuals in isolation and exposed them to the odor of conspecifics. Under these conditions, EβF production was similar to that of aphids reared among conspecifics, suggesting that aphids use volatile cues to assess their social environment and regulate their production of alarm pheromone accordingly. [less ▲]

Aphids adapt their alarm pheromone production to presence or absence of conspecifics

Poster (2007)