Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2019) 167, 220-230

Tamara Babcock, John H. Borden, Regine Gries, Cassandra Carroll, Jean Pierre Lafontaine, Margo Moore and Gerhard Gries (2019)
Inter-kingdom signaling — symbiotic yeasts produce semiochemicals that attract their yellowjacket hosts
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 167 (3), 220-230
Abstract: In recent studies, the yeast species Hanseniaspora uvarum and Lachancea thermotolerans were isolated from the digestive tract of four North American yellowjacket species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), and attraction of yellowjackets to brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (all Saccharomycetaceae), growing on fruit powder was demonstrated. We tested the hypothesis that Vespula spp. are attracted to cultures of H. uvarum and L. thermotolerans and their respective volatiles. In field experiments, we found that H. uvarum and L. thermotolerans are attractive to three species of yellowjacket, but only when grown on grape juice-infused yeast peptone dextrose (YPD) agar. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analyzed the headspace volatiles produced by these yeasts, and field tested an 18-component yeast synthetic semiochemical blend. This synthetic blend attracted western yellowjackets, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure), but no other yellowjacket species. Acetic acid or ethanol added to the synthetic blend at biologically relevant doses either had no effect or significantly lowered trap captures. Our results demonstrate that yeast symbionts isolated from the digestive tract of yellowjackets are attractive to their hosts. Further research is needed to identify the volatiles mediating attraction of species other than V. pensylvanica to the yeast cultures.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): John H. Borden, Gerhard Gries

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Vespula pensylvanica