PMID: 12770106May 29, 2003Paper

Age-specific patterns in honeydew production and honeydew composition in the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride: implications for ant-attendance

Journal of Insect Physiology
Melanie K FischerKlaus H. Hoffmann

Abstract

The intensity of the mutualistic relationship between aphids and ants depends mainly on the composition and amount of honeydew. We used the model system Tanacetum vulgare-Metopeurum fuscoviride to study age-related differences in honeydew production and composition and its effect on the mutualism between M. fuscoviride and the ant Lasius niger. First and second instar larvae of M. fuscoviride produced only half of the amount of honeydew as older larvae or adults. There were, however, no differences between age classes in the total honeydew sugar concentration, which averaged approx. 80 &mgr;g sugar/&mgr;l honeydew. Honeydew sugar composition also did not differ between age classes, and melezitose was the dominant sugar (59% in all classes). The amino acid concentration, by contrast, increased significantly with aphid age, reaching 22.6 nmol per &mgr;l honeydew in adult M. fuscoviride. This increase was mainly caused by asparagine and glutamine, while there were no differences in the concentrations of the five other regularly detected amino acids and cystine, respectively. The intensity of ant-attendance was significantly lower in colonies of first and second instar larvae than in colonies of older age classes. Ant-attendance co...Continue Reading

References

Nov 1, 1989·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·A E Douglas
May 7, 1998·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·A Nakabachi, H Ishikawa

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Citations

Dec 8, 2005·Annual Review of Entomology·Martha R Weiss
Aug 8, 2013·PloS One·Manpreet K DhamiJacqueline R Beggs
Nov 24, 2005·Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology·Claudia HausmannSilvia Dorn
Nov 3, 2007·Journal of Applied Microbiology·A BarataV Loureiro
Jul 22, 2014·Environmental Microbiology·Bart LievensHans Jacquemyn
Jun 19, 2015·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Kathryn M WilliamsJustin C Fay
Dec 2, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jacob A RussellNaomi E Pierce
Jan 19, 2020·Insects·Antonin J J CrumièreJonathan Z Shik
Jul 6, 2012·Natural Product Reports·David DaudéIsabelle André

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