Species-specific antennal responses to tibial fragrances by male orchid bees

Journal of Chemical Ecology
Thomas EltzKlaus Lunau

Abstract

Male neotropical orchid bees (Euglossini) collect odoriferous substances from orchids and other sources and store them in tibial pouches, accumulating complex and species-specific bouquets. These fragrances are later exposed at display sites, presumably to attract females or conspecific males or both. We hypothesized that the necessity to detect and recognize specific fragrance bouquets has led to peripheral chemosensory specializations in different species of orchid bees. To test this, excised male antennae of four species of Euglossa were stimulated with complete tibial extracts of the same four species in a crosswise experiment. In the majority of the tested extracts, the amplitude of the electroantennogram (EAG) response was significantly different between species and always maximal in males of the extracted species. This effect did not appear to result from a given species' increased sensitivity toward certain attractive components: gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) of one extract of Euglossa tridentata evoked similar and generalized response patterns in all four species, encompassing a total of 34 peaks that elicited antennal responses. Therefore, the species effect in EAG responses to compl...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1997·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·S I Cromarty, C D Derby
Mar 22, 2003·Journal of Chemical Ecology·F P Schiestl, D W Roubik
Jun 24, 2004·Cell·Elissa A HallemJohn R Carlson
Apr 21, 2005·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Thomas EltzKlaus Lunau
Dec 1, 1993·Journal of Chemical Ecology·W M WhittenD L Stern
Mar 1, 1972·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Norris H Williams, Calaway H Dodson

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Citations

Jun 1, 2016·Annals of Botany·Molly C Hetherington-Rauth, Santiago R Ramírez
Sep 4, 2008·Annals of Botany·Elza GuimarãesRita de Cassia Sindrônia Maimoni-Rodella
May 22, 2016·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Lukasz MitkoThomas Eltz
Aug 10, 2021·Ecology and Evolution·Elektra L GrantSteven M Ogbourne
Sep 24, 2021·The Journal of Physical Chemistry. a·Bradley F ParsonsHunter J Warder

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