A cuckoo in wolves' clothing? Chemical mimicry in a specialized cuckoo wasp of the European beewolf (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae and Crabronidae)

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Publication Details

Output type: Journal article

Author list: Strohm E, Kroiss J, Herzner G, Laurien-Kehnen C, Boland W, Schreier P, Schmitt T

Publisher: BioMed Central

Publication year: 2008

Journal: Frontiers in Zoology (1742-9994)

Volume number: 5

ISSN: 1742-9994

eISSN: 1742-9994

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Open access status: gold

Full text URL: https://frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/1742-9994-5-2

Abstract

Conclusion: We conclude that H. rutilans females closely mimic the composition of cuticular compounds of their host species P. triangulum. The occurrence of isomeric forms of certain compounds on the cuticles of the cuckoo wasps but their absence on beewolf females suggests that cuckoo wasps synthesize the cuticular compounds rather than sequester them from their host. Thus, the behavioral data and the chemical analysis provide evidence that a specialized cuckoo wasp exhibits chemical mimicry of the odor of its host. This probably allows the cuckoo wasp to enter the nest with a reduced risk of being detected by olfaction and without leaving traitorous chemical traces.

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