Ants use partner specific odors to learn to recognize a mutualistic partner

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 29;9(1):e86054. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086054. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Regulation via interspecific communication is an important for the maintenance of many mutualisms. However, mechanisms underlying the evolution of partner communication are poorly understood for many mutualisms. Here we show, in an ant-lycaenid butterfly mutualism, that attendant ants selectively learn to recognize and interact cooperatively with a partner. Workers of the ant Pristomyrmex punctatus learn to associate cuticular hydrocarbons of mutualistic Narathura japonica caterpillars with food rewards and, as a result, are more likely to tend the caterpillars. However, the workers do not learn to associate the cuticular hydrocarbons of caterpillars of a non-ant-associated lycaenid, Lycaena phlaeas, with artificial food rewards. Chemical analysis revealed cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of the mutualistic caterpillars were complex compared with those of non-ant-associated caterpillars. Our results suggest that partner-recognition based on partner-specific chemical signals and cognitive abilities of workers are important mechanisms underlying the evolution and maintenance of mutualism with ants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Communication*
  • Animals
  • Ants / physiology*
  • Biological Evolution
  • Butterflies / chemistry
  • Butterflies / physiology*
  • Hydrocarbons / isolation & purification
  • Odorants / analysis*
  • Reward
  • Species Specificity
  • Symbiosis / physiology*

Substances

  • Hydrocarbons

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (No. 223146). M.K.H. was supported by JSPS Research Fellowship for young scientists. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.