Body Odor and Sex: Do Cuticular Hydrocarbons Facilitate Sexual Attraction in the Small Hairy Maggot Blowfly?

Butterworth, NJ; Byrne, PG; Keller, PA; Wallman, JF

Body Odor and Sex: Do Cuticular Hydrocarbons Facilitate Sexual Attraction in the Small Hairy Maggot Blowfly?

Butterworth, NJ Byrne, PG Keller, PA Wallman, JF

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Publisher:: SPRINGER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Chem Ecol, 2018, 44, (3), pp. 248-256
Issue Date:: 2018-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Butterworth, NJ
dc.contributor.author	Byrne, PG
dc.contributor.author	Keller, PA
dc.contributor.author	Wallman, JF
dc.date.accessioned	2022-08-22T22:31:22Z
dc.date.available	2018-03-06
dc.date.available	2022-08-22T22:31:22Z
dc.date.issued	2018-03
dc.identifier.citation	J Chem Ecol, 2018, 44, (3), pp. 248-256
dc.identifier.issn	0098-0331
dc.identifier.issn	1573-1561
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160701
dc.description.abstract	Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play an important role as contact pheromones in insects, particularly in flies. However, for many fly taxa our understanding of the importance of CHCs in sexual communication is limited. Within the family Calliphoridae (blowflies), sex-specific differences in CHCs have been reported for several species, but there is no evidence that CHCs facilitate sexual behavior. In order to elucidate the function of CHCs in Calliphoridae, studies combining behavioral and chemical analyses are required. The present study used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, along with behavioral assays, to assess whether CHCs facilitate sexual attraction in the small hairy maggot blowfly, Chrysomya varipes. The specific aims were to: 1) determine if CHCs differ between the sexes and 2) assess whether flies exhibit positive chemotaxis to CHCs of the opposite sex. Fifty-two hydrocarbons common to both sexes were identified, and quantitative differences for numerous CHCs were observed between the sexes. However, behavioral assays provided no evidence that flies were attracted to CHCs of the opposite sex, challenging the hypothesis that CHCs facilitate sexual attraction in Ch. varipes. In contrast to other blowflies, Ch. varipes males invest heavily in courtship displays and ornamentation, so we speculate that visual communication in this species may have relaxed sexual selection for chemical communication. More broadly, our findings support suggestions that CHCs may not always facilitate insect sexual communication.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	SPRINGER
dc.relation.ispartof	J Chem Ecol
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10886-018-0943-3
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	03 Chemical Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Entomology
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Diptera
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Hydrocarbons
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Mating Preference, Animal
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Diptera
dc.subject.mesh	Hydrocarbons
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Mating Preference, Animal
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants
dc.title	Body Odor and Sex: Do Cuticular Hydrocarbons Facilitate Sexual Attraction in the Small Hairy Maggot Blowfly?
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	44
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	03 Chemical Sciences
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-08-22T22:31:21Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	44
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play an important role as contact pheromones in insects, particularly in flies. However, for many fly taxa our understanding of the importance of CHCs in sexual communication is limited. Within the family Calliphoridae (blowflies), sex-specific differences in CHCs have been reported for several species, but there is no evidence that CHCs facilitate sexual behavior. In order to elucidate the function of CHCs in Calliphoridae, studies combining behavioral and chemical analyses are required. The present study used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, along with behavioral assays, to assess whether CHCs facilitate sexual attraction in the small hairy maggot blowfly, Chrysomya varipes. The specific aims were to: 1) determine if CHCs differ between the sexes and 2) assess whether flies exhibit positive chemotaxis to CHCs of the opposite sex. Fifty-two hydrocarbons common to both sexes were identified, and quantitative differences for numerous CHCs were observed between the sexes. However, behavioral assays provided no evidence that flies were attracted to CHCs of the opposite sex, challenging the hypothesis that CHCs facilitate sexual attraction in Ch. varipes. In contrast to other blowflies, Ch. varipes males invest heavily in courtship displays and ornamentation, so we speculate that visual communication in this species may have relaxed sexual selection for chemical communication. More broadly, our findings support suggestions that CHCs may not always facilitate insect sexual communication.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160701