Transgenerational Behavioral Plasticity in a Parthenogenetic Insect in Response to Increased Predation Risk

Carl N. Keiser, Edward B. Mondor

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reliable cues of increased predation risk can induce phenotypic changes in an organism's offspring (i.e. transgenerational phenotypic plasticity). While induction of defensive morphologies in naïve offspring in response to maternal predation risk is widespread, little is known about transgenerational changes in offspring behavior. Here we provide evidence for transgenerational behavioral plasticity in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. When pre-reproductive individuals of two genotypes ("pink" and "green") were exposed to the alarm pheromone (E)-β-Farnesene (EBF), a reliable cue of increased predation risk, next-generation offspring altered their feeding site choices relative to the location of the maternal aphids. Offspring of EBF-treated aphids occupied "safer" feeding sites: green offspring occupied "safer" feeding sites in the natal colony, while pink offspring dispersed to occupy sites on neighboring plant leaves.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)603-613
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Insect Behavior
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2013

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Insect Science

Keywords

  • Acyrthosiphon pisum
  • alarm pheromone
  • inducible defense
  • maternal effects
  • predation risk
  • transgenerational phenotypic plasticity

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