A Chemosensory Protein Gene Si-CSP1 Associated With Necrophoric Behavior in Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Hua-Long Qiu, Dai-Feng Cheng

Journal of economic entomology 2017 Jun 01

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Necrophoric behavior is essential to colony health in social insects. Little is known about the genes that are responsible for necrophoric behavior. Here, we show that a chemosensory protein gene Si-CSP1 was expressed significantly higher in the antennae than in other tissues such as the legs and heads of Solenopsis invicta Buren workers. Furthermore, Si-CSP1-silenced workers moved significantly fewer corpses of their nestmates than normal workers. Finally, Si-CSP1-silenced workers exhibited weaker antennal responses to oleic acid and linoleic acid than controls. These results suggest that Si-CSP1 functions by sensing oleic acid and linoleic acid associated with dead colony members and regulating the necrophoric behavior of workers in S. invicta. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Citation

Hua-Long Qiu, Dai-Feng Cheng. A Chemosensory Protein Gene Si-CSP1 Associated With Necrophoric Behavior in Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of economic entomology. 2017 Jun 01;110(3):1284-1290