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Start Over Descriptor "Gonyleptidae" Journal journal of chemical ecology
2 results on '"Gonyleptidae"'

1. The Scent Glands of the Neotropical Harvestman Discocyrtus pectnifemur: Morphology, Behavior and Chemistry.

Author

Segovia, Júlio, Hara, Marcos, Pagoti, Guilherme, Sannomiya, Miriam, Santos, Deborah, and Willemart, Rodrigo

Subjects
*OPILIONES, *INVERTEBRATE morphology, *ARACHNIDA behavior, *ANIMAL defenses, *PREDATORY animals
Abstract

Harvestmen have a pair of scent glands that open through ozopores. The literature suggests a link between the morphology of the ozopore area and the emission of a defensive secretion. A previous study on a species that aggregates in open areas, where individuals are probably more easily spotted by predators, showed that this defensive secretion causes conspecifics to flee. However, it is unknown whether this behavior occurs in species that aggregate in sheltered areas, where prey are harder to find. Herein, we describe the morphology of the ozopore area, the mode of emission of the defensive secretion, and its chemical composition in the harvestman Discocyrtus pectinifemur. We also tested if the defensive secretion is used as an alarm pheromone. We found that D. pectinifemur releases the defensive secretion in different ways, one of them being as a jet. Emission as a jet contrasts with that known for all congeners previously studied, and is in accord with the expected morphology of the ozopore. We found that the defensive secretion of D. pectinifemur does not function as an alarm pheromone. The composition of the defensive secretion, a mixture of quinones, is congruent with those already described for the clade that includes Discocyrtus. Our results support the link between the morphology of the scent glands area and the emission behavior of the defensive secretion, and they suggest that the alarm pheromone function in harvestmen may be dependent on ecological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2015
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2. Chemical Defense in Harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones): Do Benzoquinone Secretions Deter Invertebrate and Vertebrate Predators?

Author

Anita J. Marsaioli, Glauco Machado, Armando M. Pomini, and Patricia C. Carrera

Subjects
Gonyleptidae, Time Factors, ANTIPREDATOR DEFENSE, Scent gland, Allomone, PROCERATOPHRYS, Opiliones, Hymenoptera, Biochemistry, Predation, Ciencias Biológicas, FORMICIDAE, Arachnida, Cyclohexenes, Benzoquinones, Animals, Scent Glands, Predator, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, PREDATION, biology, Ecology, CHEMICAL SHIELD, Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, Etología, General Medicine, biology.organism_classification, Adaptation, Physiological, Invertebrates, Animal Communication, CHEMICAL DEFENSE, 1,4-BENZOQUINONES, ALLOMONE, Predatory Behavior, Vertebrates, Chemical defense, PHILANDER, CIENCIAS NATURALES Y EXACTAS
Abstract

Two alkylated 1,4-benzoquinones were identified from the defensive secretion produced by the neotropical harvestman Goniosoma longipes (Gonyleptidae). They were characterized as 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone and 2-ethyl-3-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone. We tested the effectiveness of these benzoquinone secretions against several predator types, including invertebrates and vertebrates. Different predators were exposed to the harvestmen's gland secretion or to distilled water in laboratory bioassays. Our results indicate that secretions containing the 1,4-benzoquinones released by G. longipes can be an effective defense against predation, and that the effectiveness of the secretion is dependent on the predator type. The scent gland secretion repelled seven ant species, two species of large wandering spiders, and one frog species, but was not an effective defense against an opossum. Our study also demonstrates that the scent gland secretion of G. longipes can work as a chemical shield preventing the approach of three large predatory ants for at least 10 min. The chemical shield may protect the harvestman against successive attacks of the same ant worker and also allow the harvestman to flee before massive ant recruitment. Our data support the suggestion that chemical defenses may increase survival with some but not all potential predators. This variation in defense effectiveness may result from many interacting factors, including the attack strategy, size, learning ability, and physiology of the predators, as well as the chemical nature of the defensive compounds, type of emission, and amount of effluent released by the prey. Fil: Machado, Glauco. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasil Fil: Carrera, Patricia Cristina. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasil. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Cátedra de Diversidad Animal I; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Pomini, Armando M.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasil Fil: Marsaioli, Anita J.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasil

Published
2005
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