Current project: The chemical ecology of Leptopilina heterotoma

Wasps of the genus Leptopilina (Figitidae, Hymenoptera) are solitary parasitoids of Drosophila larvae. Leptopilina heterotoma is a host specialist, parasitizing only a few Drosophila species, including D. melanogaster, and is widespread in the Holarctic region. Females lay their eggs into early instar larvae of Drosophila. The parasitoid remains as egg or first instar larva until the host pupates. Then the wasp finishes its development and pupates within the host puparium.

In this project we want to investigate the pheromone communication of the Drosophila parasitoids Leptopilina heterotoma, L. boulardi, and L. guineaensis. In the first part of the project we will identify the chemical composition of the volatile female sex pheromone of L. heterotoma and study the context of pheromone release. In the second part of the project we will study the variation of the volatile female sex pheromone within the genus Leptopilina and its putative function in the reproductive isolation of the species. Furthermore, we intend to investigate a female sex pheromone of low volatility eliciting male courtship (“wing fanning”). Finally, we aim at the first identification of a male antennal courtship pheromone in parasitic wasps. These pheromones are assumed to occur in many parasitic Hymenoptera but identification of involved chemicals is still missing. We want to confirm the existence of such an antennal pheromone in Leptopilina by behavioral experiments and determine its chemical composition.

A female of L. heterotoma

Education and academic history

University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
Dec. 2009 to present: Assistant Professor (Akad. Rat auf Zeit) in the Chemical Ecology Group of Prof. Joachim Ruther

Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
Sep. 2007 to Nov. 2009: Post-Doctoral researcher in the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology of Prof. Bill Hansson

University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
PhD (2003 to 2007)
Thesis: “Scent variation, hybridization and sympatric speciation in sexually deceptive orchids of the genus Ophrys”. Financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Diploma in Biology (1996 to 2002)
Thesis: “Pollinator attracting odour: inter- and intraspecific variation in the Ophrys fusca group”

Publications

Ayasse M., Stökl J., Francke W. (2011) Chemical ecology and pollinator-driven speciation in sexually deceptive orchids. Phytochemistry 72: 1667-1677 (doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.03.023)

Stökl J., Brodmann J., Dafni A., Ayasse M., Hansson B. S. (2011) Smells like aphids: orchid flowers mimic aphid alarm pheromones to attract hoverflies for pollination. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278: 1216-1222 (doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1770)

Stökl J., Strutz A., Dafni A., Svatos A., Doubsky J., Knaden M., Sachse S., Hansson B. S., Stensmyr M. C. (2010) A Deceptive Pollination System Targeting Drosophilids through Olfactory Mimicry of Yeast. Current Biology 20: 1846–1852 (doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.033)

Urru I., Stökl J., Linz J., Krügel T., Stensmyr M. C., Hansson B. S. (2010) Pollination strategies in Cretan Arum lilies. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 101: 991-1001(doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01537.x)

Ayasse M., Gögler J., Stökl J. (2010) Pollinator-Driven Speciation in Sexually Deceptive Orchids of the Genus Ophrys. in: Evolution in Action (ed. Glaubrecht, M.) Springer, Berlin, Germany (doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-12425-9_6)

Linz* J., Stökl* J., Urru I., Krügel T., Stensmyr M. C., Hansson B. S. (2010) Molecular phylogeny of the genus Arum (Araceae) inferred from multi-locus sequence data and AFLPs. Taxon 59: 405-415 (* shared first author)

Stökl J., Schlüter P. M., Stuessy T. F., Paulus H., Fraberger R., Erdamnn D. H., Schulz C., Francke W., Assum G., Ayasse M. (2009) Speciation in sexually deceptive orchids: Pollinator driven selection maintains discrete odour-phenotypes in hybridizing species. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 98: 439–451 (doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01279.x)

Gögler J., Stökl J., Sramkova A., Twele R., Francke W., Cozzolino S., Cortis P., Scrugli A., Ayasse M. (2009) Ménage à trois - two endemic species of deceptive orchids and one pollinator species. Evolution 63: 2222-2234 (doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00712.x)

Stökl J., Schlüter P. M., Stuessy T. F., Paulus H. F., Assum G., Ayasse M. (2008) Scent variation and hybridization cause the displacement of sexually deceptive orchid species. American Journal of Botany 95: 472–481 (doi: 10.3732/ajb.95.4.472)

Gögler J., Stökl J., Sramkova A., Twele R., Wittko F., Ayasse M. (2008) The role of pollinator attracting scent in the sexually deceptive orchids Ophrys chestermanii, O. normanii and O. tenthredinifera. Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie 16: 175-178

Stökl J., Twele R., Erdmann, D. H., Francke W., Ayasse M. (2007) Comparison of the flower scent of the sexually deceptive orchid Ophrys iricolor and the female sex pheromone of its pollinator Andrena morio. Chemoecology 17: 231-233 (doi: 10.1007/s00049-007-0383-y)

Stökl J., Paulus H. F., Dafni A., Schulz C., Francke W., Ayasse M. (2005) Pollinator attracting odour signals in sexually deceptive orchids of the Ophrys fusca group. Plant Systematics and Evolution 254: 105-120 (doi: 10.1007/s00606-005-0330-8)

Conference contributions

Stökl J., Hofferberth J., Ruther J. (2011) Chemoecology of Leptopilina heterotoma (Figitidea, Hymenoptera), a parasitoid of Drosophila. Talk presented at the 104rd annual meeting of the German Zoological Society in Saarbrücken, Germany

Stökl J., Hofferberth J., Schöllhorn B., Ruther J. (2011) Enantioselective pheromone communication in the genus Leptopilina. Talk presented at the Entomologentagung 2011, Berlin, Germany

Stökl J., Strutz A., Dafni A., Svatos A., Doubsky J., Knaden M., Sachse S., Hansson B. S., Stensmyr M. C. (2010) Yeast mimicry? – Olfactory mimicry in the Solomon’s lily (Arum palaestinum). Talk presented at the 103rd annual meeting of the German Zoological Society in Hamburg, Germany

Stökl J., Strutz A., Dafni A., Svatos A., Doubsky J., Knaden M., Sachse S., Hansson B. S., Stensmyr M. C. (2010) Yeast mimicry? – Deceptive pollination of Arum palaestinum. Talk presented at the Rank Prize Symposium on Sensory Aspects of Pollination, Grasmere, UK

Stökl J., Dafni A., Knaden M., Strutz A., Sachse S., Svatos A., Urru I., Hansson B. S., Stensmyr M. (2009) Lambrusco mimicry? - The chemical ecology of the Drosophila-pollinated Arum palaestinum. Poster presented at the 11th European Symposium for Insect Taste and Olfaction, Villasimius, Italy

Stökl J., Urru I., Linz J., Stensmyr M. C., Krügel T., Hansson, B. S. (2009) Old wine or faeces ? Ecotype evolution in Arum lilies. Poster presented at the Pollination meeting of the Royal Entomological Society, Harpenden, UK

Stökl J., Schlüter P. M., Stuessy T. F., Paulus H. F., Ayasse M. (2007) Consequences of hybridization on the pollinator attracting odour, genetic variation, and radiation of three Ophrys species on Majorca. Talk presented at the 23nd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2007) Bestäuberanlockung und Artisolation bei Sexualtäuschorchideen der Gattung Ophrys auf Sardinien. Talk presented at the Entomologentagung 2007, Innsbruck, Austria

Stökl J., Schlüter P. M., Stuessy T. F., Ayasse M. (2006) Scent variation, hybridization and speciation in sexually deceptive orchids of the genus Ophrys. Poster presented at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, Barcelona, Spain

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2006) Variation des Bestäuber anlockenden Blütendufts, Hybridisierung und Artbildung bei Sexualtäuschorchideen der Gattung Ophrys. Talk presented at the Hymenopterlogen-Tagung Stuttgart 2006, Stuttgart, Germany

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2005) Scent variation and its role in hybridisation and speciation of sexually deceptive orchids of the genus Ophrys. Talk presented at the 17th International Botanical Congress, Vienna, Austria

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2004) Comparison of pollinator attracting scent in sexually deceptive orchids of the Ophrys fusca-group. Poster presented at the 12th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships, Berlin, Germany

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2004) Inter- und intraspezifische Variation der bestäuberanlockenden Duftstoffe bei Sexualtäuschorchideen der Ophrys fusca Gruppe. Talk presented at the Hymenopterlogen-Tagung Stuttgart 2004, Stuttgart, Germany

Stökl J. and Ayasse M. (2003) Pollinator attracting odour signals in sexually deceptive orchids of the Ophrys fusca group. 96. Talk presented at the 103rd annual meeting of the German Zoological Society in Berlin, Germany