Entomological Accuracy in the Popular Press:

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Elinor Anissa Lane
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1 Entomological Accuracy in the Popular Press: Hornets stirred up by make up By Ania Lichtarowicz August 7, Submitted To: Dr. Houseman Submitted By: BIO 3323 Student #: February 9, 2004

2 2 Humans are afraid of many things but perhaps some things that virtually everyone tries to avoid are bees, wasps and hornets. However, humans are not the only organisms on Earth that react to danger. Bees, wasps, hornets and other social insects also sense danger and try to avoid it. In fact, one of the many important activities that must be coordinated in social insects is the response to danger (Clarke, S. R., et. al., 1999). It is how the Japanese hornets, especially Vespa mandarinia, has learned to respond to danger that has caught the interest of Japanese scientists. Ania Lichtarowicz, a BBC News health reporter, reported that hornets [are] stirred up by make up (2003) and because the hornets feel threatened they respond with aggression towards humans. Hornets Stirred Up By Make Up, by Ania Lichtarowicz In Lichtarowicz s article on Japanese hornets, she accurately reports the information that Dr. Ono and associates of The Research Institute and Department of Applied Biological Chemistry at Tamagawa University in Tokyo Japan, researched and presented in their paper; Components of Giant Hornet Alarm Pheromone. In fact, upon reading the journal article published in Nature by Dr. Ono and associates, it appears that Lichtarowicz read the article, took the main points from the article and compiled them into a short news story for BBC. Thus, everything that Lichtarowicz reported in her paper was one hundred percent accurate, with respect to the article she used to gather the information. However, there could have been more reported on the topic to clarify certain issues to the reader. For example, she does not give any indication of what chemicals cause this alarm response even though it is mentioned in the journal article, nor does she indicate why the hornets behave the way they do in response to the alarm

3 3 pheromone. Perhaps, if she had reported such facts, the reader would have a more complete understanding about these hornets and why they are responding to humans with aggression. Possible Improvements for Hornets Stirred Up by Make Up In her article, Lichtarowicz wrote, It appears that a common ingredient of cosmetics, fragrances and some manufactured foods can throw hornets into what the scientists describe as a defensive rage (2003). It seems that from this statement if you are wearing or consuming anything that may contain compounds similar to those found in the alarm pheromone of the Japanese hornets you will be attacked by these vicious insects. However, Chemical and Engineering News also reported on this topic and they interviewed entomology professor Dr. Richard Fell of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Fell said, it would be hard to tell whether hornets attracted to artificial fragrances would actually sting someone wearing them if the insects were not otherwise threatened (2003). Thus, Lichtarowicz s statement is a bit misleading and it gives the impression that if you do attract a Japanese hornet because you are unknowingly wearing artificial pheromones that you will undoubtedly get stung, but this is not necessarily the case. Perhaps what is of the greatest concern is that Lichtarowicz reported that certain chemicals in cosmetics, fragrances and food, provoke the hornets but nowhere in her article does she report what these chemicals are or what foods, fragrances or cosmetics they may be found in. In the journal article that Lichtarowicz used to gather information for the story, Dr. Ono reported that it appears to be certain alcohols and esters within

4 4 foods and fragrances that are similar to those in the hornet venom that may attract the hornets. Also, because Lichtarowicz did not explain what chemicals attract the hornets, she was also not able to inform the reader as to why the fragrances and cosmetics contain such compounds. Alcohols and esters are volatile substances, which makes them ideal for the food and fragrance industry because they are released into the air rapidly, thus allowing those around to smell them and be attracted to them. The same goes for the alarm pheromones of the hornet, or any Hymenoptera species (Voith, 2003). Their pheromones contain alcohols and esters because they vaporize rapidly and then summon to the other hornets that there is a problem so that they can come and help the one in trouble (Voith, 2003). This leads me to the next aspect of Lichtarowicz s report that I felt she did not give the reader enough information on and thus the reader is left to discern for themselves why hornets act the way they do. Lichtarowicz said, ingredients in the cosmetics or food might confuse the hornets and make then more likely to sting (2003). Hornets, as well as wasps, bees and ants, are social insects, which means that they must be able to communicate with each other (Clarke et al., 1999). They do so by releasing pheromones. It is these pheromones that are sensed by the other hornets and tells them what they must do (Clarke et. al., 1999). A specific example of this is the mass predation of the giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia japonica, of other social bees and wasps. The hornets release a pheromone around the beehive and this signals other hornets to come to that location en masse and attack the beehive (Igarashi et al., 1995). Thus, I feel that if Lichtarowicz had have added a bit more information on the natural behaviors of hornets, the reader would

5 5 have a better appreciation for why the hornets are responding with such aggression toward humans. General Conclusions Overall, I feel that Lichtarowicz s article was very informative in spite of the fact that it was a bit vague. Her report at least informs the general public of what is causing the hornets to attack and thus humans can adjust their behavior accordingly so that they are less likely to be stung. However, after reading the journal article in Nature that Lichtarowicz based her news story on, I feel that reporting it to the general public may have been a bit premature because the researchers that wrote the paper were not even sure exactly what foods, cosmetics and fragrances were provoking the hornets to respond with aggression. Therefore, I feel that when the general public reads this article they will become more alarmed than is actually necessary. Also, the scientists even suggest that it may be beneficial to screen these commercial products for the presence of pheromones that might act as an alarm signal to dangerous insects (Hori et al., 2003). Given the relatively few number of individuals that die each year because of such attacks by dangerous insects, I feel that the cost of screening products for pheromones would be better spent elsewhere. Instead, because the exact substances that are provoking the aggression in the hornets is unknown, people should just take Dr. Fell s advice if they venture outside; If you [do not] want to attract hornets and bees, [do not] try to smell like a flower (Voith, 2003).

6 6 References Clarke, S., Dani, F., et al. Venom induces alarm behaviour in the social wasp Polybioides raphigastra (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): an investigation of alarm behaviour, venom volatiles and sting autotomy. Physiological Entomology 24 (1999): Hori, H., Ono, M. et al. Components of giant hormone alarm pheromone. Nature 424 (2003): Igarashi, T., Ohno, E., et al. Unusual thermal defense by a honeybee against mass attack by hornets. Nature 377 (1995): Lichtarowicz, A. Hornets stirred up by make up. BBC News Aug < Voith, M. Gee, Your Hair Smells Dangerous. Chemical and Engineering News 81 (2003): online exclusive. <

Monday February 13, 2006

Analysis of the CBC news article: Empty stomach, visual memory guides ants to food Professor: Dr. Houseman Monday February 13, 2006 Department of Biology Faculty of Science University of Ottawa 1 Introduction