Necrophoric behavior is essential to colony health in social insects. Little is known about the genes that are responsible for necrophoric behavior. Here, we show that a chemosensory protein gene Si-CSP1 was expressed significantly higher in the antennae than in other tissues such as the legs and heads of Solenopsis invicta Buren workers. Furthermore, Si-CSP1-silenced workers moved significantly fewer corpses of their nestmates than normal workers. Finally, Si-CSP1-silenced workers exhibited weaker antennal responses to oleic acid and linoleic acid than controls. These results suggest that Si-CSP1 functions by sensing oleic acid and linoleic acid associated with dead colony members and regulating the necrophoric behavior of workers in S. invicta
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21 April 2017
A Chemosensory Protein Gene Si-CSP1 Associated With Necrophoric Behavior in Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Hua-Long Qiu,
Dai-Feng Cheng
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Journal of Economic Entomology
Vol. 110 • No. 3
June 2017
Vol. 110 • No. 3
June 2017
fatty acid
necrophoric behavior
RNAi
social insect