Parasitic beetle infiltrates bee nests by imitating the perfume of local females
Blister beetles are chemical con artists, and according to new research,
they can adapt their trickery to dupe a variety of bee species.
During one of several larval stages, Meloe franciscanus beetles
infiltrate bee nests by mimicking the chemicals emitted by female bees
-- perfume-like compounds called pheromones. The perfume attracts males,
which the larvae attach themselves to, hitching a ride back to the
nest.
Once in the nest, the beetle larvae can subsist on pollen, nectar and bee eggs, emerging as adult bees the following winter.
New analysis of the parasite's chicanery showed blister beetle larvae
adapt their chemical ploy to match the perfume of the local bees
species.
When scientists exposed two different bees species -- Habropoda pallida
from California's Mojave Desert and H. miserabilis from Oregon's coastal
dunes -- to local blister beetles, they found the beetles were more
attracted to larvae sourced from their home turf.
"Male bees of both species were more attracted to local parasite larvae
than larvae from the distant locale because the larvae tailored their
pheromone-mimicking blends to the pheromones of their local hosts,"
Leslie Saul-Gershenz, a graduate student in entomology at the University
of California, Davis, said in a news release. "Additionally, the larval
aggregation adapted their perching height at each location to the
patrolling height of local male bees."
Chemical signaling is a vital communication tool for many insects. And
as insects evolve and diversify, chemical coding helps species
differentiate themselves. The latest research -- published this week in
the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- suggests
parasites evolve their chemical repertoire alongside their preferred
hosts.
The latest analysis showed blister beetles also adapt to the behavioral patterns of their host species.
"They are locally adapted to different hosts both chemically and
behaviorally; and their emergence times are plastic across their
geographic range," Saul-Gershenz said. "It has been fantastic to unravel
this species' puzzle."
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