Do pygidial secretions of dung beetles have the potential to repel urban pest ants?

Various organisms emit malodorous secretions against competitors, and the potential use of these secretions in pest management should be investigated. For example, some ant species feed on similar resources as dung beetles, which might have led to counter chemical defences in dung beetles. We tested...

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Veröffentlicht in:Entomologia experimentalis et applicata 2018-07, Vol.166 (7), p.517-527
Hauptverfasser: Carvalho, R., Ferreira Châline, R.S., Audino, L.D., Louzada, J., Châline, N.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Various organisms emit malodorous secretions against competitors, and the potential use of these secretions in pest management should be investigated. For example, some ant species feed on similar resources as dung beetles, which might have led to counter chemical defences in dung beetles. We tested whether pygidial secretions of the dung beetle Canthon smaragdulus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) alter the locomotor behaviour of the exotic urban pest ant Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), specifically whether these secretions repel those ants. We also tested whether the disturbance in the locomotor behaviour of T. melanocephalum increases with the amount of pygidial secretion. We found that individual T. melanocephalum displayed changes in their locomotor behaviour when exposed to pygidial secretions of coupled dung beetles, single males, and single females. Additionally, the pygidial secretions from male and female dung beetles could repel ants. The change in the locomotor behaviour of T. melanocephalum increased with the amount of pygidial secretion. Our results suggest that the pygidial secretions of dung beetles have potential as a biological repellent of T. melanocephalum. Hence, pygidial secretions from dung beetles may be used in the future for the development of urban pest management strategies. We tested whether pygidial secretions of the dung beetle Canthon smaragdulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) could work as repellents against the exotic urban pest ant Tapinoma melanocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The locomotor behaviour of individual ants was affected by pygidial secretions from C. smaragdulus males, females, or male‐female couples. Female secretions had a stronger effect than male secretions, and the changes in locomotor behaviour were dose dependent. Hence, pygidial secretions from dung beetles may be explored further in future urban pest management strategies.
ISSN:0013-8703
1570-7458
DOI:10.1111/eea.12706