Toshiharu Akino - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Toshiharu Akino

Sociobiology

The Japanese queenless ponerine ant Diacamma sp. from Japan employs tandem running during nest re... more The Japanese queenless ponerine ant Diacamma sp. from Japan employs tandem running during nest relocation, in which a leader ant guides nestmate followers one at a time. We replicated this process by presenting one entire abdominal part of a leader, except for the petiole to followers. When the abdominal part had been rinsed with n-hexane, however, it attracted significantlyfewer followers. This suggests that chemicals on the leader’s abdominal part evoke tandem running. Dissection of abdominal major exocrine glands revealed that the Dufour’s gland was the source of this chemical signal. The chemicals were eluted in the hydrocarbon fraction by silica-gel column chromatography, and the quantitatively major component was estimated as heptadecene (C17:1) through gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS) analysis. The position of the double bond was estimated to be between the 8th and 9th carbons through analysis of the epoxidized compound. Only (Z)-isomers of 8-heptadecene evoked tand...

Applied Entomology and Zoology, 2005

Applied Entomology and Zoology, 2009

The white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis (Niijima et Kinoshita) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)... more The white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis (Niijima et Kinoshita) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is one of the most destructive pests of sugarcane production in the Miyako Islands but it was not recognized as a pest until recently (Sadoyama et al., 2001). It has a two-year life cycle (Oyafuso et al., 2002): larvae hatch in March and April and grow by feeding on sugarcane roots. Third-instar larvae that appear around September vigorously feed on the roots and underground stems of sugar

Chemoecology, Sep 1, 2004

Summary. Polyphagous caterpillars of the giant geometer Biston robustum resemble the twigs of the... more Summary. Polyphagous caterpillars of the giant geometer Biston robustum resemble the twigs of their respective food sources in color and shape. Common predatory ants, including Lasius and Formica, were often observed to freely prowl directly on caterpillars’ bodies, even after antennal contact. This suggests that the cuticular chemicals of the caterpillars resemble those of the twigs of the foodplants, so

Japanese Journal of Applied Entomology and Zoology, 1996

When Myrmecophilous species of cricket are newly introduced to an ant nest, or when the ant colon... more When Myrmecophilous species of cricket are newly introduced to an ant nest, or when the ant colony to which the cricket belongs is disturbed, the cricket is treated in a hostile manner by worker ants in most cases. The cricket escapes ant attack either by swift and nimble running or by using the ant cuticular hydrocarbon components, which serve as the nestmate recognition signal to worker ants. The cricket changes its cuticular hydrocarbon profile frequently according to the ant species it lives with. Lipids on the cricket cuticule mainly consist of hydrocarbons and wax esters, but only the hydrocarbon content decreases when the cricket is isolated from ants, suggesting that the hydrocarbons are acquired from the ants, it cannot change the cuticular hydrocarbon components. It is believed that the cricket acquires the ant cuticular hydrocarbons by direct contact with ant workers.

Zoosymposia, Nov 30, 2022

Because of the strong predation pressure exerted by ants, small arthropods have developed various... more Because of the strong predation pressure exerted by ants, small arthropods have developed various strategies of avoiding ant predation (Way 1963; Jennings 1971; Akino et al. 1999; Otsuki & Yano 2014). Spider mites become easy prey for ants when they leave their protective webs (Otsuki & Yano 2014; Adachi & Yano 2017); therefore, the ability to avoid traces of ongoing ant activity should confer a selective advantage to mites.

Research Square (Research Square), Sep 27, 2022

The phytophagous spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai and Tetranychus urticae can be as small as < 0... more The phytophagous spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai and Tetranychus urticae can be as small as < 0.5 mm; thus, they are often incidentally consumed along with food plant leaves by voracious lepidopteran larvae (hereafter, 'caterpillars'). Therefore, the ability to avoid such intraguild predation should confer a selective advantage to mites. We experimentally demonstrated that adult females of both mite species avoided settling on food plant leaves with traces of all tested caterpillar species (Bombyx mori, Papilio xuthus, Spodoptera litura and Theretra oldenlandiae). We examined additional interactions using B. mori and T. kanzawai and found that B. mori trace avoidance by T. kanzawai lasted for more than 48 h. Tetranychus kanzawai also avoided B. mori traces on plant stems, along which mites access leaves. Moreover, T. kanzawai avoided acetone extracts of B. mori traces applied to filter paper, indicating that chemical substances of caterpillar traces are responsible for the avoidance. This study is the first demonstration of a repellent effect of herbivore trace chemicals on heterospecific herbivores. Although spider mites have developed resistance against many synthetic pesticides, these results predict that natural compounds simulating caterpillar traces may repel spider mites from agricultural crops. Some predators exposed to intraguild predation (IGP) have developed strategies to avoid it 1-4. By contrast, tiny herbivores are sometimes consumed along with plants by much larger herbivores 5-7 , which can be considered incidental IGP. Therefore, the ability to avoid such incidental IGP should confer a selective advantage to tiny herbivores. However, little is known about IGP avoidance by tiny herbivores except for examples of aphids that immediately drop off a plant in response to the breath of a mammalian herbivore 5. The spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida and Tetranychus urticae Koch are typically < 0.5 mm in size, and feed on a variety of wild and cultivated plant species 8-10. These mites construct protective webs on host plant leaves and usually live beneath them 11,12. Lepidopteran caterpillars such as Papilio xuthus L. and Theretra oldenlandiae Fabricius that share host plants with these mites 10,13-15 grow to 30-100 mm, and indiscriminately consume spider mite-infested and uninfested leaves 6. For example, a final instar T. oldenlandiae consumes approximately 20 Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. leaflets per day (Kinto, personal observation). Even if some mites can successfully escape caterpillar attack, all eggs and quiescent mites along with webs will be lost 6. Therefore, any trait that prevents such loss should confer a selective advantage to the mites. Host plant use by T. kanzawai and T. urticae is ultimately determined by adult females that disperse from their webs and found new webs on uninfested leaves 14-17 Moreover, adult females of these mites exhibit the ability to detect predator traces on leaves 18-21. Therefore, we hypothesized that adult female spider mites should avoid caterpillar traces on host plants, which would indicate ongoing caterpillar activity. Here, we provide the first report of spider mite avoidance of caterpillar traces on host plants as well as chemical extracts of these traces. Materials and methods All the materials followed relevant institutional and national guidelines and legislation. Mites. We used a T. kanzawai population collected from trifoliate orange trees (Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf.) in 2018 in Kyoto, Japan, and a T. urticae population collected from chrysanthemum plants (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) in 1998 in Nara, Japan. These populations were reared on adaxial surfaces of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) primary leaves, which were pressed onto water-saturated cotton in Petri dishes (90 mm

Experimental and Applied Acarology

Spider mites become easy prey for ants when they leave their protective webs; therefore, the abil... more Spider mites become easy prey for ants when they leave their protective webs; therefore, the ability to avoid traces of ongoing ant activity should confer a selective advantage to mites. We examined avoidance of ant traces by the spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai and Tetranychus urticae. Both mite species avoided host plant leaves with active traces of Pristomyrmex punctatus or Formica japonica ants. Pristomyrmex punctatus trace avoidance by T. kanzawai lasted for more than 1 h, but not more than 3 h. Tetranychus kanzawai also avoided P. punctatus traces on plant stems, along which the mites access leaves. Moreover, T. kanzawai avoided hexane extracts of P. punctatus or F. japonica applied to a filter paper pathway. This study represents the first demonstration of a repellent effect of ant chemical traces on spider mites. Considering the substantial abundance and global distribution of ants in nature, such repellent effects may help to answer the long-standing question of why only a...

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 2004

Olfactory and visual cues were shown to mediate short-distance orientation in Anoplophora malasia... more Olfactory and visual cues were shown to mediate short-distance orientation in Anoplophora malasiaca (Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). In a laboratory test, more than 80% (n = 42) of males walked straight upward when presented with an untreated surface with a 75° slope. When ...

Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata, May 22, 2003

ABSTRACT Abstract Two active fractions were found during the isolation of contact sex pheromone o... more ABSTRACT Abstract Two active fractions were found during the isolation of contact sex pheromone of female elytra of the white-spotted longicorn beetle, Anoplophora malasiaca (Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in addition to fraction of hydrocarbons that had previously been identified. One fraction was essential to evoke a series of precopulatory behaviors of males toward a glass dummy when coated together with the hydrocarbon blend. The other fraction enhanced this activity when added to the mixture. From the latter synergistic fraction, we isolated five novel compounds and identified them as 10-heptacosanone, (Z)-18-heptacosen-10-one, (18Z,21Z)-heptacosa-18,21-dien-10-one, (18Z,21Z,24Z)-heptacosa-18,21,24-trien-10-one, and 12-heptacosanone by GC-MS and NMR analyses. A blend of four of these synthetic ketones, without 12-heptacosanone, in the ratio and concentration found in female elytra extract (250 : 400 : 1000 : 180 ng FE−1) showed greater synergistic effect than the natural fraction containing the ketones. This effect was canceled out by further addition of 12-heptacosanone (100 ng FE−1), which was still comparable to the effect of the natural ketone fraction.

Entomological Science, 2002

Ethology, 2018

The immobile pupal stage of a holometabolous insect is vulnerable to attack by natural enemies. I... more The immobile pupal stage of a holometabolous insect is vulnerable to attack by natural enemies. In place of escape, the pupae of coccinellid beetles have a variety of defensive traits to avoid predation and parasitism. For example, coccinellid pupae of the subfamilies Chilocorinae, Scymninae and Ortaliinae maintain their final-instar larval exuviae; the exuviae split lengthwise on the dorsal side during pupation so that they cover most parts of the pupal bodies (Nedvěd & Honěk, 2012; Richards, 1980). In Epilachninae, only the posterior part of the abdomen (fourth, fifth and sixth abdominal segments) of pupae is covered with the larval exuviae (Nedvěd & Honěk, 2012; Richards, 1980). Nedvěd and Honěk (2012) hypothesised that the exuviae physically protect the pupae from predators, especially when the larvae are spiny (Chilocorinae, Epilachninae) or covered with waxy structures (Scymninae). A recent study clarified that the spiny structure in the larval stage functions as a defence against predatory ladybirds (Hautier, San Martin, Jansen, Branquart, & Grégoire, 2017), which would support the hypothesis. Additionally, in some species of Epilachninae, Microweisinae and Scymninae, transparent droplets are secreted from the tips of glandular hairs distributed on their pupal body surfaces (Attygalle,

Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2019

The elytra of females of the white-spotted longhorn beetle, Anoplophora malasiaca (Coleoptera: Ce... more The elytra of females of the white-spotted longhorn beetle, Anoplophora malasiaca (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), are coated with a contact sex pheromone, which was previously shown to be composed of at least three chemical groups. Individually, the chemical groups had little pheromonal activity, but a blend of all three exhibited activity equal to that of the crude female extract. Two groups are female-specific aliphatic hydrocarbons and ketones, which were previously synthesized and confirmed to elicit mating behavior. The third group consists of three lactones, gomadalactones A, B, and C, whose chemical structures were previously identified. These have now been synthesized, and the contact sex pheromone activities of synthetic gomadalactones A, B, and C, and the diastereomer of gomadalactone C, were tested in bioassays in this study. When tested in combination with synthetic hydrocarbons and ketones at the same doses as found in female elytra extract, the individual gomadalactones and a blend showed potent pheromonal activity equivalent to that of the crude extract of the elytra of female beetles. This completes the identification of the essential components of the contact sex pheromone of A. malasiaca. Redundancy of components in the hydrocarbon and ketone groups required to elicit mating behavior was observed previously, and this was also true for the gomadalactones.

Chemoecology, 2018

Myrmecophilous lycaenid caterpillars have close relationships with their ant hosts by means of va... more Myrmecophilous lycaenid caterpillars have close relationships with their ant hosts by means of various myrmecophilous organs, most of which are usually lost after pupation. However, some lycaenid species, including Lycaeides argyrognomon, maintain such relationships at the pupal stage and go so far as to pupate in ant nests. This invokes the hypothesis that these myrmecophilous lycaenid pupae might have alternative tactics to retain myrmecophilous interactions without ant attacks. Camponotus japonicus, Formica japonica, and Lasius japonicus exhibited distinctive aggressive behaviors against ant cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) from different colonies of the same species but few attacks against the crude extract of L. argyrognomon pupae. GC-MS analysis revealed that the pupal cuticular lipids contain not only CHCs but also several long-chained aliphatic aldehydes, including 1-octacosanal and 1-triacontanal, which are absent from larval cuticular lipids. With the addition of synthesized 1-octacosanal and 1-triacontanal to ant CHCs from different colonies of the same species, the aggressive behavior decreased in C. japonicus, and the duration of physical contact shortened in C. japonicus and F. japonica. However, the behavior of L. japonicus remained unaffected after the addition of those aldehydes. These results suggest that the pupae-specific cuticular aldehydes of L. argyrognomon suppress ant aggression even after the loss of certain myrmecophilous organs, though the effects varied depending on the attending ant species. Since L. argyrognomon occasionally pupate in the nests of C. japonicus in the field, the lycaenids might be better adapted to associations with C. japonicus than with the other two ant species studied. Keywords Ant-lycaenid mutualism • Pupal stage • Facultative myrmecophile • Aldehydes • Lycaeides argyrognomon CHEMOECOLOGY Communicated by Günther Raspotnig.

Seibutsu Butsuri, 2010

Circadian rhythms bTo]ogical osci]lauons with a penod ot 24 hour in vanous metabolic elnd behavio... more Circadian rhythms bTo]ogical osci]lauons with a penod ot 24 hour in vanous metabolic elnd behavioral aLuvities are observed ubiquitousl} from procary otes to eucaryotes Cyanobactenal circadian c]ock proteins KaiA KaiB and KaiC play essential roles in generating Lircadian osLillations KaiC phospho rylates itKelf and

Applied Entomology and Zoology, 2015

Soldiers of the Japanese subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe possess the caste-spe... more Soldiers of the Japanese subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe possess the caste-specific terpenoid hydrocarbon β-selinene in the frontal gland. They secrete the compound as an alarm pheromone when facing danger. Furthermore, while dispersing the nestmate workers it simultaneously recruits the nestmate soldiers and enhances their aggression level. This study aims to confirm that the alarm pheromone might have defensive effects against facultative termite-hunting (termitophagous) ants, such as the Asian needle ant Brachyponera chinensis Emery. According to our behavioral bioassay, which provided fresh termite bodies, the ponerine ants used in the study immediately fed on the termite workers but avoided feeding on the soldiers. However, they avoided feeding on the workers when presented with the soldiers. Furthermore, extracted chemicals from the termite soldiers showed similar effects on the foraging activity of the ponerine ants, while those from the workers had no such effect. Soldier chemicals also clearly repelled the ponerine ants when they were treated at the entrance of a glass tube in which the worker bodies had been placed. It is most likely, therefore, that the termite soldier secretions serve as a chemical defense against the termitophagous ponerine ants.

Journal of chemical ecology, 2016

Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 2017

Biochemistry International, 1992

Entomological Science, Sep 25, 1999