Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Douglas Emlen
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Division of Biological Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Insects communicate using diverse mechanisms. From the classic chirping of crickets to the singing of beetles, the world of insect signaling is almost as diverse as the class itself. In addition to acoustic signaling, insects rely on communication through chemical signals embedded within their waxy cuticles. These signals, often long-chain hydrocarbons and alcohols, serve as chemical signals of body size, mate quality, and sex. Our group has previously reported evidence of sex differences in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in a population of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus. Based on these analyses, we hypothesized that CHC profiles conveyed meaningful information regarding body size, mate quality (weight), and sex to potential mates and competitors. We analyzed CHC profiles from a Taiwanese population of T. dichotomus using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and principal component analyses and compared the chemical signals of Taiwanese and Japanese beetles. Here, we report evidence of clear sex differences between male and female CHC profiles. We show that these chemical profiles vary across male body sizes and with male body condition. Furthermore, these CHC profiles appear to have diverged between Taiwanese Japanese populations of T. dichotomus, providing evidence of local diversification and evolution. Collectively, our results indicate that CHC profiles may serve as a meaningful and rapidly evolving signal to both potential mates and competitors in T. dichotomus.
Category
Life Sciences
Recorded video presentation for: Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in a population of Taiwanese rhinoceros beetles
Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in a population of Taiwanese rhinoceros beetles
Insects communicate using diverse mechanisms. From the classic chirping of crickets to the singing of beetles, the world of insect signaling is almost as diverse as the class itself. In addition to acoustic signaling, insects rely on communication through chemical signals embedded within their waxy cuticles. These signals, often long-chain hydrocarbons and alcohols, serve as chemical signals of body size, mate quality, and sex. Our group has previously reported evidence of sex differences in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in a population of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus. Based on these analyses, we hypothesized that CHC profiles conveyed meaningful information regarding body size, mate quality (weight), and sex to potential mates and competitors. We analyzed CHC profiles from a Taiwanese population of T. dichotomus using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and principal component analyses and compared the chemical signals of Taiwanese and Japanese beetles. Here, we report evidence of clear sex differences between male and female CHC profiles. We show that these chemical profiles vary across male body sizes and with male body condition. Furthermore, these CHC profiles appear to have diverged between Taiwanese Japanese populations of T. dichotomus, providing evidence of local diversification and evolution. Collectively, our results indicate that CHC profiles may serve as a meaningful and rapidly evolving signal to both potential mates and competitors in T. dichotomus.