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Liang W, Nunes R, Leong JV, Carvalho APS, Müller CJ, Braby MF, Pequin O, Hoshizaki S, Morinaka S, Peggie D, Badon JAT, Mohagan AB, Beaver E, Hsu YF, Inayoshi Y, Monastyrskii A, Vlasanek P, Toussaint EFA, Benítez HA, Kawahara AY, Pierce NE, Lohman DJ. To and fro in the archipelago: Repeated inter-island dispersal and New Guinea's orogeny affect diversification of Delias, the world's largest butterfly genus. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 194:108022. [PMID: 38325534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The world's largest butterfly genus Delias, commonly known as Jezebels, comprises ca. 251 species found throughout Asia, Australia, and Melanesia. Most species are endemic to islands in the Indo-Australian Archipelago or to New Guinea and nearby islands in Melanesia, and many species are restricted to montane habitats over 1200 m. We inferred an extensively sampled and well-supported molecular phylogeny of the group to better understand the spatial and temporal dimensions of its diversification. The remarkable diversity of Delias evolved in just ca. 15-16 Myr (crown age). The most recent common ancestor of a clade with most of the species dispersed out of New Guinea ca. 14 Mya, but at least six subsequently diverging lineages dispersed back to the island. Diversification was associated with frequent dispersal of lineages among the islands of the Indo-Australian Archipelago, and the divergence of sister taxa on a single landmass was rare and occurred only on the largest islands, most notably on New Guinea. We conclude that frequent inter-island dispersal during the Neogene-likely facilitated by frequent sea level change-sparked much diversification during that period. Many extant New Guinea lineages started diversifying 5 Mya, suggesting that orogeny facilitated their diversification. Our results largely agree with the most recently proposed species group classification system, and we use our large taxon sample to extend this system to all described species. Finally, we summarize recent insights to speculate how wing pattern evolution, mimicry, and sexual selection might also contribute to these butterflies' rapid speciation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijun Liang
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, City University of New York, USA
| | - Renato Nunes
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, City University of New York, USA; PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jing V Leong
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, City University of New York, USA; Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Paula S Carvalho
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Michael F Braby
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia; Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Sugihiko Hoshizaki
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Djunijanti Peggie
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong-Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Jade Aster T Badon
- Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Alma B Mohagan
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, and Center for Biodiversity Research & Extension in Mindanao, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, Philippines
| | - Ethan Beaver
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia; Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Yu-Feng Hsu
- College of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yutaka Inayoshi
- Sritana Condominium 2, 96/173, Huay Kaeo Rd. T. Suthep, A. Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Alexander Monastyrskii
- Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Petr Vlasanek
- T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Hugo A Benítez
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Morfometría Evolutiva, Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Entomology & Nematology Department and Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David J Lohman
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, City University of New York, USA; PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Manila, Philippines.
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2
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Carvalho APS, Owens HL, St Laurent RA, Earl C, Dexter KM, Messcher RL, Willmott KR, Aduse-Poku K, Collins SC, Homziak NT, Hoshizaki S, Hsu YF, Kizhakke AG, Kunte K, Martins DJ, Mega NO, Morinaka S, Peggie D, Romanowski HP, Sáfián S, Vila R, Wang H, Braby MF, Espeland M, Breinholt JW, Pierce NE, Kawahara AY, Lohman DJ. Comprehensive phylogeny of Pieridae butterflies reveals strong correlation between diversification and temperature. iScience 2024; 27:109336. [PMID: 38500827 PMCID: PMC10945170 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Temperature is thought to be a key factor influencing global species richness patterns. We investigate the link between temperature and diversification in the butterfly family Pieridae by combining next generation DNA sequences and published molecular data with fine-grained distribution data. We sampled nearly 600 pierid butterfly species to infer the most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the family and curated a distribution dataset of more than 800,000 occurrences. We found strong evidence that species in environments with more stable daily temperatures or cooler maximum temperatures in the warm seasons have higher speciation rates. Furthermore, speciation and extinction rates decreased in tandem with global temperatures through geological time, resulting in a constant net diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula S. Carvalho
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hannah L. Owens
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ryan A. St Laurent
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Chandra Earl
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Kelly M. Dexter
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rebeccah L. Messcher
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Keith R. Willmott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Nicholas T. Homziak
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sugihiko Hoshizaki
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yu-Feng Hsu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Athulya G. Kizhakke
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India
| | - Dino J. Martins
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Insect Committee of Nature Kenya, The East Africa Natural History Society, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nicolás O. Mega
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Sadaharu Morinaka
- Saitama Study Center, The Open University of Japan, Omiya-ku, Saitama City, Japan
| | - Djunijanti Peggie
- Museum Zoologi Bogor, Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, Research Organization for Life Sciences and Environment, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Helena P. Romanowski
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Szabolcs Sáfián
- African Butterfly Research Institute, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, University of Sopron, Sopron, Hungary
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Houshuai Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Michael F. Braby
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
- Australian National Insect Collection, National Research Collections Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Marianne Espeland
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jesse W. Breinholt
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Intermountain Healthcare, Intermountain Precision Genomics, St. George, UT, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David J. Lohman
- Department of Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Manila, Philippines
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Liénard MA, Baez-Nieto D, Tsai CC, Valencia-Montoya WA, Werin B, Johanson U, Lassance JM, Pan JQ, Yu N, Pierce NE. TRPA5 encodes a thermosensitive ankyrin ion channel receptor in a triatomine insect. iScience 2024; 27:109541. [PMID: 38577108 PMCID: PMC10993193 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
As ectotherms, insects need heat-sensitive receptors to monitor environmental temperatures and facilitate thermoregulation. We show that TRPA5, a class of ankyrin transient receptor potential (TRP) channels absent in dipteran genomes, may function as insect heat receptors. In the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus (order: Hemiptera), a vector of Chagas disease, the channel RpTRPA5B displays a uniquely high thermosensitivity, with biophysical determinants including a large channel activation enthalpy change (72 kcal/mol), a high temperature coefficient (Q10 = 25), and in vitro temperature-induced currents from 53°C to 68°C (T0.5 = 58.6°C), similar to noxious TRPV receptors in mammals. Monomeric and tetrameric ion channel structure predictions show reliable parallels with fruit fly dTRPA1, with structural uniqueness in ankyrin repeat domains, the channel selectivity filter, and potential TRP functional modulator regions. Overall, the finding of a member of TRPA5 as a temperature-activated receptor illustrates the diversity of insect molecular heat detectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A. Liénard
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David Baez-Nieto
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Tsai
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Wendy A. Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Balder Werin
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Urban Johanson
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Neuroethology, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Jen Q. Pan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Knecht RJ, Swain A, Benner JS, Emma SL, Pierce NE, Labandeira CC. Endophytic ancestors of modern leaf miners may have evolved in the Late Carboniferous. New Phytol 2023; 240:2050-2057. [PMID: 37798874 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Endophytic feeding behaviors, including stem borings and galling, have been observed in the fossil record from as early as the Devonian and involve the consumption of a variety of plant (and fungal) tissues. Historically, the exploitation of internal stem tissues through galling has been well documented as emerging during the Pennsylvanian (c. 323-299 million years ago (Ma)), replaced during the Permian by galling of foliar tissues. However, leaf mining, a foliar endophytic behavior that today is exhibited exclusively by members of the four hyperdiverse holometabolous insect orders, has been more sparsely documented, with confirmed examples dating back only to the Early Triassic (c. 252-250 Ma). Here, we describe a trace fossil on seed-fern foliage from the Rhode Island Formation of Massachusetts, USA, representing the earliest indication of a general, endophytic type of feeding damage and dating from the Middle Pennsylvanian (c. 312 Ma). Although lacking the full features of Mesozoic leaf mines, this specimen provides evidence of how endophytic mining behavior may have originated. It sheds light on the evolutionary transition to true foliar endophagy, contributes to our understanding of the behaviors of early holometabolous insects, and enhances our knowledge of macroevolutionary patterns of plant-insect interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Knecht
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Anshuman Swain
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Jacob S Benner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Steve L Emma
- Independent Researcher, Providence, RI, 02908, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Conrad C Labandeira
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
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5
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Gutiérrez-García K, Whitaker MRL, Bustos-Díaz ED, Salzman S, Ramos-Aboites HE, Reitz ZL, Pierce NE, Cibrián-Jaramillo A, Barona-Gómez F. Gut microbiomes of cycad-feeding insects tolerant to β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) are rich in siderophore biosynthesis. ISME Commun 2023; 3:122. [PMID: 37993724 PMCID: PMC10665472 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00323-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Ingestion of the cycad toxins β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and azoxyglycosides is harmful to diverse organisms. However, some insects are specialized to feed on toxin-rich cycads with apparent immunity. Some cycad-feeding insects possess a common set of gut bacteria, which might play a role in detoxifying cycad toxins. Here, we investigated the composition of gut microbiota from a worldwide sample of cycadivorous insects and characterized the biosynthetic potential of selected bacteria. Cycadivorous insects shared a core gut microbiome consisting of six bacterial taxa, mainly belonging to the Proteobacteria, which we were able to isolate. To further investigate selected taxa from diverging lineages, we performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing of co-cultured bacterial sub-communities. We characterized the biosynthetic potential of four bacteria from Serratia, Pantoea, and two different Stenotrophomonas lineages, and discovered a suite of biosynthetic gene clusters notably rich in siderophores. Siderophore semi-untargeted metabolomics revealed a broad range of chemically related yet diverse iron-chelating metabolites, including desferrioxamine B, suggesting the occurrence of an unprecedented desferrioxamine-like biosynthetic pathway that remains to be identified. These results provide a foundation for future investigations into how cycadivorous insects tolerate diets rich in azoxyglycosides, BMAA, and other cycad toxins, including a possible role for bacterial siderophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Gutiérrez-García
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Km 9.6 Libramiento Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Melissa R L Whitaker
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
| | - Edder D Bustos-Díaz
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Km 9.6 Libramiento Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Shayla Salzman
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- University of Georgia, Entomology Department, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Hilda E Ramos-Aboites
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Km 9.6 Libramiento Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
| | - Zachary L Reitz
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Angélica Cibrián-Jaramillo
- Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Km 9.6 Libramiento Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francisco Barona-Gómez
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Cinvestav-IPN, Km 9.6 Libramiento Irapuato - León, Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, México.
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands.
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Bittleston LS, Wolock CJ, Maeda J, Infante V, Ané JM, Pierce NE, Pringle A. Carnivorous Nepenthes Pitchers with Less Acidic Fluid House Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0081223. [PMID: 37338413 PMCID: PMC10370301 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00812-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous pitcher plants are uniquely adapted to nitrogen limitation, using pitfall traps to acquire nutrients from insect prey. Pitcher plants in the genus Sarracenia may also use nitrogen fixed by bacteria inhabiting the aquatic microcosms of their pitchers. Here, we investigated whether species of a convergently evolved pitcher plant genus, Nepenthes, might also use bacterial nitrogen fixation as an alternative strategy for nitrogen capture. First, we constructed predicted metagenomes of pitcher organisms from three species of Singaporean Nepenthes using 16S rRNA sequence data and correlated predicted nifH abundances with metadata. Second, we used gene-specific primers to amplify and quantify the presence or absence of nifH directly from 102 environmental samples and identified potential diazotrophs with significant differential abundance in samples that also had positive nifH PCR tests. Third, we analyzed nifH in eight shotgun metagenomes from four additional Bornean Nepenthes species. Finally, we conducted an acetylene reduction assay using greenhouse-grown Nepenthes pitcher fluids to confirm nitrogen fixation is indeed possible within the pitcher habitat. Results show active acetylene reduction can occur in Nepenthes pitcher fluid. Variation in nifH from wild samples correlates with Nepenthes host species identity and pitcher fluid acidity. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are associated with more neutral fluid pH, while endogenous Nepenthes digestive enzymes are most active at low fluid pH. We hypothesize Nepenthes species experience a trade-off in nitrogen acquisition; when fluids are acidic, nitrogen is primarily acquired via plant enzymatic degradation of insects, but when fluids are neutral, Nepenthes plants take up more nitrogen via bacterial nitrogen fixation. IMPORTANCE Plants use different strategies to obtain the nutrients that they need to grow. Some plants access their nitrogen directly from the soil, while others rely on microbes to access the nitrogen for them. Carnivorous pitcher plants generally trap and digest insect prey, using plant-derived enzymes to break down insect proteins and generate a large portion of the nitrogen that they subsequently absorb. In this study, we present results suggesting that bacteria living in the fluids formed by Nepenthes pitcher plants can fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere, providing an alternative pathway for plants to access nitrogen. These nitrogen-fixing bacteria are only likely to be present when pitcher plant fluids are not strongly acidic. Interestingly, the plant's enzymes are known to be more active under strongly acidic conditions. We propose a potential trade-off where pitcher plants sometimes access nitrogen using their own enzymes to digest prey and at other times take advantage of bacterial nitrogen fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonora S. Bittleston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles J. Wolock
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Junko Maeda
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Valentina Infante
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Ané
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anne Pringle
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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7
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Kawahara AY, Storer C, Carvalho APS, Plotkin DM, Condamine FL, Braga MP, Ellis EA, St Laurent RA, Li X, Barve V, Cai L, Earl C, Frandsen PB, Owens HL, Valencia-Montoya WA, Aduse-Poku K, Toussaint EFA, Dexter KM, Doleck T, Markee A, Messcher R, Nguyen YL, Badon JAT, Benítez HA, Braby MF, Buenavente PAC, Chan WP, Collins SC, Rabideau Childers RA, Dankowicz E, Eastwood R, Fric ZF, Gott RJ, Hall JPW, Hallwachs W, Hardy NB, Sipe RLH, Heath A, Hinolan JD, Homziak NT, Hsu YF, Inayoshi Y, Itliong MGA, Janzen DH, Kitching IJ, Kunte K, Lamas G, Landis MJ, Larsen EA, Larsen TB, Leong JV, Lukhtanov V, Maier CA, Martinez JI, Martins DJ, Maruyama K, Maunsell SC, Mega NO, Monastyrskii A, Morais ABB, Müller CJ, Naive MAK, Nielsen G, Padrón PS, Peggie D, Romanowski HP, Sáfián S, Saito M, Schröder S, Shirey V, Soltis D, Soltis P, Sourakov A, Talavera G, Vila R, Vlasanek P, Wang H, Warren AD, Willmott KR, Yago M, Jetz W, Jarzyna MA, Breinholt JW, Espeland M, Ries L, Guralnick RP, Pierce NE, Lohman DJ. A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:903-913. [PMID: 37188966 PMCID: PMC10250192 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02041-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Butterflies are a diverse and charismatic insect group that are thought to have evolved with plants and dispersed throughout the world in response to key geological events. However, these hypotheses have not been extensively tested because a comprehensive phylogenetic framework and datasets for butterfly larval hosts and global distributions are lacking. We sequenced 391 genes from nearly 2,300 butterfly species, sampled from 90 countries and 28 specimen collections, to reconstruct a new phylogenomic tree of butterflies representing 92% of all genera. Our phylogeny has strong support for nearly all nodes and demonstrates that at least 36 butterfly tribes require reclassification. Divergence time analyses imply an origin ~100 million years ago for butterflies and indicate that all but one family were present before the K/Pg extinction event. We aggregated larval host datasets and global distribution records and found that butterflies are likely to have first fed on Fabaceae and originated in what is now the Americas. Soon after the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum, butterflies crossed Beringia and diversified in the Palaeotropics. Our results also reveal that most butterfly species are specialists that feed on only one larval host plant family. However, generalist butterflies that consume two or more plant families usually feed on closely related plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akito Y Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Caroline Storer
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ana Paula S Carvalho
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David M Plotkin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Fabien L Condamine
- CNRS, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, France
| | - Mariana P Braga
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Emily A Ellis
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ryan A St Laurent
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Xuankun Li
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Biodiversity Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Vijay Barve
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Liming Cai
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Chandra Earl
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Paul B Frandsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Hannah L Owens
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kwaku Aduse-Poku
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Perimeter College, Georgia State University, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Emmanuel F A Toussaint
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kelly M Dexter
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tenzing Doleck
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda Markee
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rebeccah Messcher
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Y-Lan Nguyen
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jade Aster T Badon
- Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Hugo A Benítez
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Morfometría Evolutiva, Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Michael F Braby
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | | | - Wei-Ping Chan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Richard A Rabideau Childers
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Even Dankowicz
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rod Eastwood
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zdenek F Fric
- Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Riley J Gott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jason P W Hall
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Winnie Hallwachs
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nate B Hardy
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Rachel L Hawkins Sipe
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alan Heath
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jomar D Hinolan
- Botany and National Herbarium Division, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines
| | - Nicholas T Homziak
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yu-Feng Hsu
- College of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Micael G A Itliong
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel H Janzen
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Gerardo Lamas
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Michael J Landis
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elise A Larsen
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Jing V Leong
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Lukhtanov
- Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Crystal A Maier
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jose I Martinez
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dino J Martins
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Sarah C Maunsell
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicolás Oliveira Mega
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alexander Monastyrskii
- Vietnam Programme, Fauna & Flora International, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ana B B Morais
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | | | - Mark Arcebal K Naive
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Arts and Sciences, Jose Rizal Memorial State University, Tampilisan, Philippines
| | | | - Pablo Sebastián Padrón
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Entomology Laboratory, Museo de Zoología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Djunijanti Peggie
- Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong-Bogor, Indonesia
| | | | - Szabolcs Sáfián
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, University of West Hungary, Sopron, Hungary
| | - Motoki Saito
- The Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Insect Study Division), Setagaya, Japan
| | | | - Vaughn Shirey
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Doug Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Pamela Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrei Sourakov
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Petr Vlasanek
- T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Houshuai Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Andrew D Warren
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Keith R Willmott
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Masaya Yago
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marta A Jarzyna
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jesse W Breinholt
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- RAPiD Genomics, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marianne Espeland
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Leslie Ries
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - David J Lohman
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Manila, Philippines.
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8
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Espeland M, Chazot N, Condamine FL, Lemmon AR, Lemmon EM, Pringle E, Heath A, Collins S, Tiren W, Mutiso M, Lees DC, Fisher S, Murphy R, Woodhall S, Tropek R, Ahlborn SS, Cockburn K, Dobson J, Bouyer T, Kaliszewska ZA, Baker CCM, Talavera G, Vila R, Gardiner AJ, Williams M, Martins DJ, Sáfián S, Edge DA, Pierce NE. Rapid radiation of ant parasitic butterflies during the Miocene aridification of Africa. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10046. [PMID: 37193112 PMCID: PMC10182571 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Africa has undergone a progressive aridification during the last 20 My that presumably impacted organisms and fostered the evolution of life history adaptations. We test the hypothesis that shift to living in ant nests and feeding on ant brood by larvae of phyto-predaceous Lepidochrysops butterflies was an adaptive response to the aridification of Africa that facilitated the subsequent radiation of butterflies in this genus. Using anchored hybrid enrichment we constructed a time-calibrated phylogeny for Lepidochrysops and its closest, non-parasitic relatives in the Euchrysops section (Poloyommatini). We estimated ancestral areas across the phylogeny with process-based biogeographical models and diversification rates relying on time-variable and clade-heterogeneous birth-death models. The Euchrysops section originated with the emerging Miombo woodlands about 22 million years ago (Mya) and spread to drier biomes as they became available in the late Miocene. The diversification of the non-parasitic lineages decreased as aridification intensified around 10 Mya, culminating in diversity decline. In contrast, the diversification of the phyto-predaceous Lepidochrysops lineage proceeded rapidly from about 6.5 Mya when this unusual life history likely first evolved. The Miombo woodlands were the cradle for diversification of the Euchrysops section, and our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that aridification during the Miocene selected for a phyto-predaceous life history in species of Lepidochrysops, with ant nests likely providing caterpillars a safe refuge from fire and a source of food when vegetation was scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Espeland
- Centre for Taxonomy and MorphologyLeibniz Institute for the Analysis of Evolutionary Change – Museum KoenigBonnGermany
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Nicolas Chazot
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Fabien L. Condamine
- CNRSUMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Alan R. Lemmon
- Department of Scientific ComputingFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | | | | | - Alan Heath
- Lepidopterists' Society of AfricaKnysnaSouth Africa
| | | | | | | | - David C. Lees
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History MuseumLondonUK
| | | | | | | | - Robert Tropek
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzechia
- Institute of Entomology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of SciencesCeske BudejoviceCzechia
| | - Svenja S. Ahlborn
- Centre for Taxonomy and MorphologyLeibniz Institute for the Analysis of Evolutionary Change – Museum KoenigBonnGermany
| | | | | | | | - Zofia A. Kaliszewska
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Christopher C. M. Baker
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC‐Ajuntament de Barcelona)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC‐UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | | | | | - Dino J. Martins
- Turkana Basin InstituteStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNew YorkUSA
| | - Szabolcs Sáfián
- Institute of Silviculture and Forest ProtectionUniversity of SopronSopronHungary
| | | | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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9
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Talavera G, García-Berro A, Talla VNK, Ng’iru I, Bahleman F, Kébé K, Nzala KM, Plasencia D, Marafi MAJ, Kassie A, Goudégnon EOA, Kiki M, Benyamini D, Reich MS, López-Mañas R, Benetello F, Collins SC, Bataille CP, Pierce NE, Martins DJ, Suchan T, Menchetti M, Vila R. The Afrotropical breeding grounds of the Palearctic-African migratory painted lady butterflies ( Vanessa cardui). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218280120. [PMID: 37036992 PMCID: PMC10120051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218280120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory insects are key players in ecosystem functioning and services, but their spatiotemporal distributions are typically poorly known. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) may be used to predict species seasonal distributions, but the resulting hypotheses should eventually be validated by field data. The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) performs multigenerational migrations between Europe and Africa and has become a model species for insect movement ecology. While the annual migration cycle of this species is well understood for Europe and northernmost Africa, it is still unknown where most individuals spend the winter. Through ENM, we previously predicted suitable breeding grounds in the subhumid regions near the tropics between November and February. In this work, we assess the suitability of these predictions through i) extensive field surveys and ii) two-year monitoring in six countries: a large-scale monitoring scheme to study butterfly migration in Africa. We document new breeding locations, year-round phenological information, and hostplant use. Field observations were nearly always predicted with high probability by the previous ENM, and monitoring demonstrated the influence of the precipitation seasonality regime on migratory phenology. Using the updated dataset, we built a refined ENM for the Palearctic-African range of V. cardui. We confirm the relevance of the Afrotropical region and document the missing natural history pieces of the longest migratory cycle described in butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia08038, Spain
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Aurora García-Berro
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia08038, Spain
| | - Valery N. K. Talla
- Laboratory of Applied Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Ivy Ng’iru
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki555-10400, Kenya
| | | | - Khadim Kébé
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Biology, Polytechnic Higher School of Dakar, BP 5085Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Dulce Plasencia
- Asociación Española para la Protección de las Mariposas y su Medio - Zerynthia, Sección Tenerife, E-26004Logroño, Spain
| | - Mohammad A. J. Marafi
- Department of Restoration of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, 13075Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Abeje Kassie
- Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, 30726Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eude O. A. Goudégnon
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Appliquée, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, BP 526Cotonou, Benin
| | - Martial Kiki
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Appliquée, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, BP 526Cotonou, Benin
| | - Dubi Benyamini
- The Israeli Lepidopterist Society, Beit Arye7194700, Israel
| | - Megan S. Reich
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5Ottawa, Canada
| | - Roger López-Mañas
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia08038, Spain
| | - Fulvia Benetello
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Clément P. Bataille
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5Ottawa, Canada
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Dino J. Martins
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia08038, Spain
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki555-10400, Kenya
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, NY11794
| | - Tomasz Suchan
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków31-512, Poland
| | - Mattia Menchetti
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia08003, Spain
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia08003, Spain
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10
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Sierra‐Botero L, Calonje M, Robbins RK, Rosser N, Pierce NE, López‐Gallego C, Valencia‐Montoya WA. Cycad phylogeny predicts host plant use of Eumaeus butterflies. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9978. [PMID: 37056692 PMCID: PMC10085819 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Eumaeus butterflies are obligate herbivores of Zamia, the most diverse neotropical genus of cycads. Eumaeus-Zamia interactions have been characterized mainly for species distributed in North and Central America. However, larval host plant use by the southern Eumaeus clade remains largely unknown, precluding a comprehensive study of co-evolution between the genera. Here, we combine fieldwork with museum and literature surveys to expand herbivory records for Eumaeus from 21 to 38 Zamia species. We inferred a time-calibrated phylogeny of Eumaeus to test for distinct macroevolutionary scenarios of larval host plant conservatism and co-evolution. We found a remarkable coincidence between Eumaeus and Zamia diversification, with the butterfly stem group diverging at the same time as the most recent radiation of Zamia in the Miocene. Cophylogenetic reconciliation analyses show a strong cophylogenetic signal between cycads and their butterfly herbivores. Bipartite model-based approaches indicate that this is because closely related Zamia species are used by the same Eumaeus species, suggesting larval host plant resource tracking by the butterfly herbivores. Our results highlight a case of tight evolution between Eumaeus butterflies and cycads, pointing to the generality of correlated evolution and phylogenetic tracking in plant-herbivore interactions across seed plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert K. Robbins
- Department of EntomologySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDistrict of Columbia20013‐7012USA
| | - Neil Rosser
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Wendy A. Valencia‐Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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11
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Childers RAR, Bernard GD, Huang H, Tsai CC, Stoddard MC, Hogan BG, Greenwood JSF, Soucy ER, Cornwall M, Lim MLM, Liénard MA, Yu N, Pierce NE. A hypothesis for robust polarization vision: An example from the Australian Imperial Blue butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297475. [PMID: 36967715 PMCID: PMC10120070 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The Australian lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, has iridescent wings that are sexually dimorphic, spectrally and in their degree of polarization, suggesting that these properties are likely to be important in mate recognition. We first describe the results of a field experiment showing that free-flying individuals of J. evagoras discriminate between visual stimuli that vary in polarization content in blue wavelengths but not in others. We then present detailed reflectance spectrophotometry measurements of the polarization content of male and female wings, showing that female wings exhibit blue-shifted reflectance, with a lower degree of polarization relative to male wings. Finally, we describe a novel method for measuring alignment of ommatidial arrays: By measuring variation of depolarized eyeshine intensity from patches of ommatidia as a function of eye rotation, we show that a) individual rhabdoms contain mutually perpendicular microvilli; b) many rhabdoms in the array have their microvilli misaligned with respect to neighboring rhabdoms by as much as 45°; c) the misaligned ommatidia are useful for robust polarization detection. By mapping the distribution of the ommatidial misalignments in eye patches of J. evagoras, we show that males and females exhibit differences in the extent to which ommatidia are aligned. Both the number of misaligned ommatidia suitable for robust polarization-detection, and the number of aligned ommatidia suitable for edge-detection, vary with respect to both sex and eye-patch elevation. Thus, J. evagoras exhibits finely-tuned ommatidial arrays suitable for perception of polarized signals, likely to match sex-specific life history differences in the utility of polarized signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Rabideau Childers
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Authors for correspondence (; ; )
| | - Gary D. Bernard
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Authors for correspondence (; ; )
| | - Heqing Huang
- Department of Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Tsai
- Department of Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Mary Caswell Stoddard
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Benedict G. Hogan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Joel S. F. Greenwood
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St - room 331, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Neurotechnology Core, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Edward R. Soucy
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St - room 331, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mark Cornwall
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Matthew Lek Min Lim
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore117558
| | - Marjorie A. Liénard
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Authors for correspondence (; ; )
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12
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Salcedo MK, Jun BH, Socha JJ, Pierce NE, Vlachos PP, Combes SA. Complex hemolymph circulation patterns in grasshopper wings. Commun Biol 2023; 6:313. [PMID: 36959465 PMCID: PMC10036482 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04651-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
An insect's living systems-circulation, respiration, and a branching nervous system-extend from the body into the wing. Wing hemolymph circulation is critical for hydrating tissues and supplying nutrients to living systems such as sensory organs across the wing. Despite the critical role of hemolymph circulation in maintaining healthy wing function, wings are often considered "lifeless" cuticle, and flows remain largely unquantified. High-speed fluorescent microscopy and particle tracking of hemolymph in the wings and body of the grasshopper Schistocerca americana revealed dynamic flow in every vein of the fore- and hindwings. The global system forms a circuit, but local flow behavior is complex, exhibiting three distinct types: pulsatile, aperiodic, and "leaky" flow. Thoracic wing hearts pull hemolymph from the wing at slower frequencies than the dorsal vessel; however, the velocity of returning hemolymph (in the hindwing) is faster than in that of the dorsal vessel. To characterize the wing's internal flow mechanics, we mapped dimensionless flow parameters across the wings, revealing viscous flow regimes. Wings sustain ecologically important insect behaviors such as pollination and migration. Analysis of the wing circulatory system provides a template for future studies investigating the critical hemodynamics necessary to sustaining wing health and insect flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary K Salcedo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Brian H Jun
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - John J Socha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pavlos P Vlachos
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Stacey A Combes
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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13
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García-Berro A, Talla V, Vila R, Wai HK, Shipilina D, Chan KG, Pierce NE, Backström N, Talavera G. Migratory behaviour is positively associated with genetic diversity in butterflies. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:560-574. [PMID: 36336800 PMCID: PMC10100375 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Migration is typically associated with risk and uncertainty at the population level, but little is known about its cost-benefit trade-offs at the species level. Migratory insects in particular often exhibit strong demographic fluctuations due to local bottlenecks and outbreaks. Here, we use genomic data to investigate levels of heterozygosity and long-term population size dynamics in migratory insects, as an alternative to classical local and short-term approaches such as regional field monitoring. We analyse whole-genome sequences from 97 Lepidoptera species and show that individuals of migratory species have significantly higher levels of genome-wide heterozygosity, a proxy for effective population size, than do nonmigratory species. Also, we contribute whole-genome data for one of the most emblematic insect migratory species, the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), sampled across its worldwide distributional range. This species exhibits one of the highest levels of genomic heterozygosity described in Lepidoptera (2.95 ± 0.15%). Coalescent modelling (PSMC) shows historical demographic stability in V. cardui, and high effective population size estimates of 2-20 million individuals 10,000 years ago. The study reveals that the high risks associated with migration and local environmental fluctuations do not seem to decrease overall genetic diversity and demographic stability in migratory Lepidoptera. We propose a "compensatory" demographic model for migratory r-strategist organisms in which local bottlenecks are counterbalanced by reproductive success elsewhere within their typically large distributional ranges. Our findings highlight that the boundaries of populations are substantially different for sedentary and migratory insects, and that, in the latter, local and even regional field monitoring results may not reflect whole population dynamics. Genomic diversity patterns may elucidate key aspects of an insect's migratory nature and population dynamics at large spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora García-Berro
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Venkat Talla
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Univ. Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hong Kar Wai
- Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group (NBDD) and Microbiome and Bioresource Research Strength (MBRS), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Daria Shipilina
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kok Gan Chan
- Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,International Genome Centre, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Niclas Backström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Program of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Jenny LA, Shapiro LR, Davis CC, Jonathan Davies T, Pierce NE, Meineke E. Herbarium specimens reveal herbivory patterns across the genus Cucurbita. Am J Bot 2023; 110:e16126. [PMID: 36633920 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Quantifying how closely related plant species differ in susceptibility to insect herbivory is important for understanding the variation in evolutionary pressures on plant functional traits. However, empirically measuring in situ variation in herbivory spanning the geographic range of a plant-insect complex is logistically difficult. Recently, new methods have been developed using herbarium specimens to investigate patterns in plant-insect symbioses across large geographic scales. Such investigations provide insights into how accelerated anthropogenic changes may impact plant-insect interactions that are of ecological or agricultural importance. METHODS Here, we analyze 274 pressed herbarium samples to investigate variation in herbivory damage in 13 different species of the economically important plant genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae). This collection is composed of specimens of wild, undomesticated Cucurbita that were collected from across their native range, and Cucurbita cultivars collected from both within their native range and from locations where they have been introduced for agriculture in temperate North America. RESULTS Herbivory is common on individuals of all Cucurbita species collected throughout their geographic ranges. However, estimates of herbivory varied considerably among individuals, with mesophytic species accruing more insect damage than xerophytic species, and wild specimens having more herbivory than specimens collected from human-managed habitats. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that long-term evolutionary changes in habitat from xeric to mesic climates and wild to human-managed habitats may mediate the levels of herbivory pressure from coevolved herbivores. Future investigations into the potential factors that contribute to herbivory may inform the management of domesticated crop plants and their insect herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Jenny
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
| | - Lori R Shapiro
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, United States
| | - Charles C Davis
- Harvard University Herbaria, Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Departments of Botany, and Forest & Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2028, South Africa
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
| | - Emily Meineke
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States
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15
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Chan WP, Rabideau Childers R, Ashe S, Tsai CC, Elson C, Keleher KJ, Sipe RLH, Maier CA, Sourakov A, Gall LF, Bernard GD, Soucy ER, Yu N, Pierce NE. A high-throughput multispectral imaging system for museum specimens. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1318. [PMID: 36456867 PMCID: PMC9715708 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an economical imaging system with integrated hardware and software to capture multispectral images of Lepidoptera with high efficiency. This method facilitates the comparison of colors and shapes among species at fine and broad taxonomic scales and may be adapted for other insect orders with greater three-dimensionality. Our system can image both the dorsal and ventral sides of pinned specimens. Together with our processing pipeline, the descriptive data can be used to systematically investigate multispectral colors and shapes based on full-wing reconstruction and a universally applicable ground plan that objectively quantifies wing patterns for species with different wing shapes (including tails) and venation systems. Basic morphological measurements, such as body length, thorax width, and antenna size are automatically generated. This system can increase exponentially the amount and quality of trait data extracted from museum specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ping Chan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Richard Rabideau Childers
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Sorcha Ashe
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Tsai
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Caroline Elson
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Kirsten J. Keleher
- grid.40803.3f0000 0001 2173 6074Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Rachel L. Hawkins Sipe
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Crystal A. Maier
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Andrei Sourakov
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Lawrence F. Gall
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Computer Systems Office & Division of Entomology, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Gary D. Bernard
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Edward R. Soucy
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XCenter for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Nanfang Yu
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
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16
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Nunes R, Storer C, Doleck T, Kawahara AY, Pierce NE, Lohman DJ. Predictors of sequence capture in a large-scale anchored phylogenomics project. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.943361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized phylogenomics by decreasing the cost and time required to generate sequence data from multiple markers or whole genomes. Further, the fragmented DNA of biological specimens collected decades ago can be sequenced with NGS, reducing the need for collecting fresh specimens. Sequence capture, also known as anchored hybrid enrichment, is a method to produce reduced representation libraries for NGS sequencing. The technique uses single-stranded oligonucleotide probes that hybridize with pre-selected regions of the genome that are sequenced via NGS, culminating in a dataset of numerous orthologous loci from multiple taxa. Phylogenetic analyses using these sequences have the potential to resolve deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships. Identifying the factors that affect sequence capture success could save time, money, and valuable specimens that might be destructively sampled despite low likelihood of sequencing success. We investigated the impacts of specimen age, preservation method, and DNA concentration on sequence capture (number of captured sequences and sequence quality) while accounting for taxonomy and extracted tissue type in a large-scale butterfly phylogenomics project. This project used two probe sets to extract 391 loci or a subset of 13 loci from over 6,000 butterfly specimens. We found that sequence capture is a resilient method capable of amplifying loci in samples of varying age (0–111 years), preservation method (alcohol, papered, pinned), and DNA concentration (0.020 ng/μl - 316 ng/ul). Regression analyses demonstrate that sequence capture is positively correlated with DNA concentration. However, sequence capture and DNA concentration are negatively correlated with sample age and preservation method. Our findings suggest that sequence capture projects should prioritize the use of alcohol-preserved samples younger than 20 years old when available. In the absence of such specimens, dried samples of any age can yield sequence data, albeit with returns that diminish with increasing age.
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17
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Liénard MA, Valencia-Montoya WA, Pierce NE. Molecular advances to study the function, evolution and spectral tuning of arthropod visual opsins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210279. [PMID: 36058235 PMCID: PMC9450095 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual opsins of vertebrates and invertebrates diversified independently and converged to detect ultraviolet to long wavelengths (LW) of green or red light. In both groups, colour vision largely derives from opsin number, expression patterns and changes in amino acids interacting with the chromophore. Functional insights regarding invertebrate opsin evolution have lagged behind those for vertebrates because of the disparity in genomic resources and the lack of robust in vitro systems to characterize spectral sensitivities. Here, we review bioinformatic approaches to identify and model functional variation in opsins as well as recently developed assays to measure spectral phenotypes. In particular, we discuss how transgenic lines, cAMP-spectroscopy and sensitive heterologous expression platforms are starting to decouple genotype–phenotype relationships of LW opsins to complement the classical physiological-behavioural-phylogenetic toolbox of invertebrate visual sensory studies. We illustrate the use of one heterologous method by characterizing novel LW Gq opsins from 10 species, including diurnal and nocturnal Lepidoptera, a terrestrial dragonfly and an aquatic crustacean, expressing them in HEK293T cells, and showing that their maximum absorbance spectra (λmax) range from 518 to 611 nm. We discuss the advantages of molecular approaches for arthropods with complications such as restricted availability, lateral filters, specialized photochemistry and/or electrophysiological constraints. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A Liénard
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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18
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Pierce NE, Dankowicz E. Behavioral, ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying caterpillar-ant symbioses. Curr Opin Insect Sci 2022; 52:100898. [PMID: 35257969 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
At least 30 different groups in seventeen butterfly and moth families (Lepidoptera) include ant-associated caterpillars. The life histories of more than 900 ant-associated species have been documented from the butterfly families Lycaenidae and Riodinidae, with relationships ranging from parasitism to mutualism. Caterpillars that appear to secrete food rewards for ants are not necessarily mutualists, and a number of species are known to manipulate ants with deceptive chemical and vibratory signals. The functional variability of different exocrine glands deployed as 'ant organs' makes them prone to convergence, and it remains unclear whether ant association originated more than once in lycaenids and riodinids. The relative costs and benefits of caterpillar integration with ants is context dependent: both top-down and bottom-up effects influence the evolution of ant associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Even Dankowicz
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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19
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Shirey V, Larsen E, Doherty A, Kim CA, Al-Sulaiman FT, Hinolan JD, Itliong MGA, Naive MAK, Ku M, Belitz M, Jeschke G, Barve V, Lamas G, Kawahara AY, Guralnick R, Pierce NE, Lohman DJ, Ries L. LepTraits 1.0 A globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits. Sci Data 2022; 9:382. [PMID: 35794183 PMCID: PMC9259668 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01473-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we present the largest, global dataset of Lepidopteran traits, focusing initially on butterflies (ca. 12,500 species records). These traits are derived from field guides, taxonomic treatments, and other literature resources. We present traits on wing size, phenology,voltinism, diapause/overwintering stage, hostplant associations, and habitat affinities (canopy, edge, moisture, and disturbance). This dataset will facilitate comparative research on butterfly ecology and evolution and our goal is to inspire future research collaboration and the continued development of this dataset. Measurement(s) | Wingspan • Habitat Affinity • oviposition • voltinism • phenology • hostplant association | Technology Type(s) | natural language processing | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Lepidoptera | Sample Characteristic - Location | Global |
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20
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Wang Z, Da W, Negi CS, Ghimire PL, Wangdi K, Yadav PK, Pubu Z, Lama L, Yarpel K, Maunsell SC, Liu Y, Kunte K, Bawa KS, Yang D, Pierce NE. Profiling, monitoring and conserving caterpillar fungus in the Himalayan region using anchored hybrid enrichment markers. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212650. [PMID: 35473372 PMCID: PMC9043734 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50–70% of the household income of thousands of Himalayan communities and has an estimated market value of $5–11 billion across Asia. However, Himalayan collectors are at multiple economic disadvantages compared with collectors on the Tibetan Plateau because their product is not legally recognized. Using a customized hybrid-enrichment probe set and market-grade caterpillar fungus (with samples up to 30 years old) from 94 production zones across Asia, we uncovered clear geography-based signatures of historical dispersal and significant isolation-by-distance among caterpillar fungus hosts. This high-throughput approach can readily distinguish samples from major production zones with definitive geographical resolution, especially for samples from the Himalayan region that form monophyletic clades in our analysis. Based on these results, we propose a two-step procedure to help local communities authenticate their produce and improve this multi-national trade-route without creating opportunities for illegal exports and other forms of economic exploitation. We argue that policymakers and conservation practitioners must encourage the fair trade of caterpillar fungus in addition to sustainable harvesting to support a trans-boundary conservation effort that is much needed for this natural commodity in the Himalayan region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Wa Da
- Tibetan Plateau Institute of Biology, Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850001, People's Republic of China
| | - Chandra Singh Negi
- Department of Zoology, M B Government Postgraduate College, Haldwani (Nainital) 263139, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Puspa Lal Ghimire
- Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB), Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Karma Wangdi
- Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research, Lamai Goempa, Bumthang, Jakar 32001, Bhutan
| | - Pramod K Yadav
- Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0735, USA
| | - Zhuoma Pubu
- Tibetan Plateau Institute of Biology, Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850001, People's Republic of China
| | - Laiku Lama
- Himalayan Herbs Traders, Baluwatar-4 Bagta Marga 161, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Sarah C Maunsell
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yong Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610066, People's Republic of China
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Kamaljit S Bawa
- University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA.,Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore 560024, India
| | - Darong Yang
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, People's Republic of China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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21
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Heil JA, Wolock CJ, Pierce NE, Pringle A, Bittleston LS. Sarracenia pitcher plant-associated microbial communities differ primarily by host species across a longitudinal gradient. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3500-3516. [PMID: 35384233 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plant-associated microbial communities can profoundly affect plant health and success, and research is still uncovering factors driving the assembly of these communities. Here, we examine how geography versus host species affect microbial community structure and differential abundances of individual taxa. We use metabarcoding to characterize the bacteria and eukaryotes associated with five, often co-occurring species of Sarracenia pitcher plants (Sarraceniaceae) and three natural hybrids along the longitudinal gradient of the U.S. Gulf Coast, as well as samples from S. purpurea in Massachusetts. To tease apart the effects of geography versus host species, we focus first on sites with co-occurring species and then on species located across different sites. Our analyses show that bacterial and eukaryotic community structures are clearly and consistently influenced by host species identity, with geographic factors also playing a role. Naturally-occurring hybrids appear to also host unique communities, that are in some ways intermediate between their parent species. We see significant effects of geography (site and longitude), but these generally explain less of the variation among pitcher communities. Overall, in Sarracenia pitchers, host plant phenotype significantly affects the pitcher microbiomes and other associated organisms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Heil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University
| | | | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
| | - Anne Pringle
- Departments of Botany and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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22
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Wang Z, Pierce NE. Fine-scale genome-wide signature of Pleistocene glaciation in Thitarodes moths (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), host of Ophiocordyceps fungus in the Hengduan Mountains. Mol Ecol 2022; 32:2695-2714. [PMID: 35377501 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Hengduan Mountains region is a biodiversity hotspot known for its topologically complex, deep valleys and high mountains. While landscape and glacial refugia have been evoked to explain patterns of inter-species divergence, the accumulation of intra-species (i.e. population level) genetic divergence across the mountain-valley landscape in this region has received less attention. We used genome-wide restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to reveal signatures of Pleistocene glaciation in populations of Thitarodes shambalaensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), the host moth of parasitic Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) or "caterpillar fungus" endemic to the glacier of eastern Mt. Gongga. We used moraine history along the glacier valleys to model the distribution and environmental barriers to gene flow across populations of T. shambalaensis. We found that moth populations separated by less than 10 km exhibited valley-based population genetic clustering and isolation-by-distance (IBD), while gene flow among populations was best explained by models using information about their distributions at the local last glacial maximum (LGML , 58 kya), not their contemporary distribution. Maximum likelihood lineage history among populations, and among subpopulations as little as 500 meters apart, recapitulated glaciation history across the landscape. We also found signals of isolated population expansion following the retreat of LGML glaciers. These results reveal the fine-scale, long-term historical influence of landscape and glaciation on the genetic structuring of populations of an endangered and economically important insect species. Similar mechanisms, given enough time and continued isolation, could explain the contribution of glacier refugia to the generation of species diversity among the Hengduan Mountains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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23
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Wang Z, Li Y, Jain A, Pierce NE. Agent-based models reveal limits of mark-release-recapture estimates for the rare butterfly, Bhutanitis thaidina (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Insect Sci 2022; 29:550-566. [PMID: 34263543 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Insect diversity and abundance are in drastic decline worldwide, but quantifying insect populations to better conserve them is a difficult task. Mark-release-recapture (MRR) is widely used as an ecological indicator for insect populations, but the accuracy of MRR estimates can vary with factors such as spatial scale, sampling effort and models of inference. We conducted a 3-year MRR study of B. thaidina in Yanzigou valley, Mt. Gongga but failed to obtain sufficient data for a robust population estimate. This prompted us to integrate B. thaidina life history information to parameterize agent-based models and evaluate the conditions under which successful MRR studies could be conducted. We evaluated: (1) the performance of MRR models under different landscape types, and (2) the influence of experimental design on the accuracy and variance of MRR-based estimates. Our simulations revealed systematic underestimates of true population parameters by MRR models when sampling effort was insufficient. In a total of 2772 simulations, subjective decisions in sampling protocol (e.g., frequency, number of sampling locations, use of spatially explicit models, type of estimands) accounted for nearly half of the variation in estimates. We conclude that MRR-based estimates could be improved with the addition of more field-specific parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yuanheng Li
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anuj Jain
- Nature Society (Singapore), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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24
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Ji Y, Baker CCM, Popescu VD, Wang J, Wu C, Wang Z, Li Y, Wang L, Hua C, Yang Z, Yang C, Xu CCY, Diana A, Wen Q, Pierce NE, Yu DW. Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1555. [PMID: 35322033 PMCID: PMC8943135 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28778-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are key to meeting biodiversity conservation goals, but direct measures of effectiveness have proven difficult to obtain. We address this challenge by using environmental DNA from leech-ingested bloodmeals to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across the 677 km2 Ailaoshan reserve in Yunnan, China. From 30,468 leeches collected by 163 park rangers across 172 patrol areas, we identify 86 vertebrate species, including amphibians, mammals, birds and squamates. Multi-species occupancy modelling shows that species richness increases with elevation and distance to reserve edge. Most large mammals (e.g. sambar, black bear, serow, tufted deer) follow this pattern; the exceptions are the three domestic mammal species (cows, sheep, goats) and muntjak deer, which are more common at lower elevations. Vertebrate occupancies are a direct measure of conservation outcomes that can help guide protected-area management and improve the contributions that protected areas make towards global biodiversity goals. Here, we show the feasibility of using invertebrate-derived DNA to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across entire protected areas. Invertebrate-derived eDNA (iDNA) is an emerging tool for taxonomic and spatial biodiversity monitoring. Here, the authors use metabarcoding of leech-derived iDNA to estimate vertebrate occupancy over an entire protected area, the Ailaoshan Nature Reserve, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinqiu Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Christopher C M Baker
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. .,US Army ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Viorel D Popescu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Sustainability Studies Theme, Ohio University, 107 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.,Center for Environmental Studies (CCMESI), University of Bucharest, 1 N. Balcescu Blvd., Bucharest, Romania
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chunying Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhengyang Wang
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Yuanheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 666303, Mengla, China.,Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 666303, Mengla, China
| | - Chaolang Hua
- Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, 289 Renmin E Rd, 650028, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhongxing Yang
- Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, 289 Renmin E Rd, 650028, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Charles C Y Xu
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, PQ, H3A2K6, Canada
| | - Alex Diana
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Sibson Building, Canterbury, Kent, CT27FS, UK
| | - Qingzhong Wen
- Yunnan Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, 289 Renmin E Rd, 650028, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Douglas W Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650201, Kunming, Yunnan, China. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR47TJ, UK.
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25
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Bittleston LS, Benson EL, Bernardin JR, Pierce NE. Characterization and Comparison of Convergence Among Cephalotus follicularis Pitcher Plant-Associated Communities With Those of Nepenthes and Sarracenia Found Worldwide. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:887635. [PMID: 35734258 PMCID: PMC9207445 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.887635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The Albany pitcher plant, Cephalotus follicularis, has evolved cup-shaped leaves and a carnivorous habit completely independently from other lineages of pitcher plants. It is the only species in the family Cephalotaceae and is restricted to a small region of Western Australia. Here, we used metabarcoding to characterize the bacterial and eukaryotic communities living in C. follicularis pitchers at two different sites. Bacterial and eukaryotic communities were correlated in both richness and composition; however, the factors associated with richness were not the same across bacteria and eukaryotes, with bacterial richness differing with fluid color, and eukaryotic richness differing with the concentration of DNA extracted from the fluid, a measure roughly related to biomass. For turnover in composition, the variation in both bacterial and eukaryotic communities primarily differed with fluid acidity, fluid color, and sampling site. We compared C. follicularis-associated community diversity with that of Australian Nepenthes mirabilis, as well as a global comparison of Southeast Asian Nepenthes and North American Sarracenia. Our results showed similarity in richness with communities from other pitcher plants, and specific bacterial taxa shared among all three independent lineages of pitcher plants. Overall, we saw convergence in richness and particular clades colonizing pitcher plants around the world, suggesting that these highly specialized habitats select for certain numbers and types of inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonora S. Bittleston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Leonora S. Bittleston,
| | - Elizabeth L. Benson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jessica R. Bernardin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, United States
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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26
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Rabideau‐Childers R, Angier KIW, Dean BZM, Blumstein M, Darling WS, Kennedy‐Yoon A, Ziemke CH, Perez‐Martinez CA, Wu D, Ye W, Yekwayo I, Kimuyu DM, Martins DJ, Pierce NE. Evidence of nutrient translocation in response to smoke exposure by the East African ant acacia, Vachellia drepanolobium. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8244. [PMID: 35126997 PMCID: PMC8794709 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Fire is a major selective force on arid grassland communities, favoring traits such as the smoke-induced seed germination response seen in a wide variety of plant species. However, little is known about the relevance of smoke as a cue for plants beyond the seedling stage.We exposed a fire-adapted savanna tree, Vachellia (=Acacia) drepanolobium, to smoke and compared nutrient concentrations in leaf and root tissues to unexposed controls. Experiments were performed on three age cohorts: 2-year-old, 9-month-old, and 3-month-old plants.For the 2-year-old plants exposed to smoke, carbon and nitrogen concentrations were lower in the leaves and higher in the roots than controls. Less pronounced trends were found for boron and magnesium.In contrast, smoke-exposed 3-month-old plants had lower root nitrogen concentrations than controls. No significant differences were found in the 9-month-old plants, and no significant shifts in other nutrient concentrations were observed between plant tissues for any of the three age cohorts. Synthesis: Our findings are consistent with smoke-induced translocation of nutrients from leaves to roots in 2-year-old V. drepanolobium. This could represent a novel form of fire adaptation, with variation over the course of plant development. The translocation differences between age cohorts highlight the need to investigate smoke response in older plants of other species. Accounting for this adaptation could better inform our understanding of savanna community structure and nutrient flows under fire regimes altered by anthropogenic land use and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Rabideau‐Childers
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Katherine I. W. Angier
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Brendan Z. M. Dean
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Meghan Blumstein
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMITCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Walker S. Darling
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Annina Kennedy‐Yoon
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Clayton H. Ziemke
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Christian A. Perez‐Martinez
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Donghao Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Wenqing Ye
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Inam Yekwayo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- School of Biology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of MpumalangaMbombelaSouth Africa
| | - Duncan M. Kimuyu
- Department of Natural ResourcesKaratina UniversityKaratinaKenya
- Mpala Research CentreNanyukiKenya
| | - Dino J. Martins
- Mpala Research CentreNanyukiKenya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew JerseyUSA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative ZoologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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27
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Grewe F, Kronforst MR, Pierce NE, Moreau CS. Museum genomics reveals the Xerces blue butterfly ( Glaucopsyche xerces) was a distinct species driven to extinction. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210123. [PMID: 34283930 PMCID: PMC8292013 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The last Xerces blue butterfly was seen in the early 1940s, and its extinction is credited to human urban development. This butterfly has become a North American icon for insect conservation, but some have questioned whether it was truly a distinct species, or simply an isolated population of another living species. To address this question, we leveraged next-generation sequencing using a 93-year-old museum specimen. We applied a genome skimming strategy that aimed for the organellar genome and high-copy fractions of the nuclear genome by a shallow sequencing approach. From these data, we were able to recover over 200 million nucleotides, which assembled into several phylogenetically informative markers and the near-complete mitochondrial genome. From our phylogenetic analyses and haplotype network analysis we conclude that the Xerces blue butterfly was a distinct species driven to extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Grewe
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Marcus R Kronforst
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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28
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Talavera G, Lukhtanov V, Pierce NE, Vila R. DNA barcodes combined with multi-locus data of representative taxa can generate reliable higher-level phylogenies. Syst Biol 2021; 71:382-395. [PMID: 34022059 PMCID: PMC8830075 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Taxa are frequently labeled incertae sedis when their placement is debated at ranks above the species level, such as their subgeneric, generic, or subtribal placement. This is a pervasive problem in groups with complex systematics due to difficulties in identifying suitable synapomorphies. In this study, we propose combining DNA barcodes with a multilocus backbone phylogeny in order to assign taxa to genus or other higher-level categories. This sampling strategy generates molecular matrices containing large amounts of missing data that are not distributed randomly: barcodes are sampled for all representatives, and additional markers are sampled only for a small percentage. We investigate the effects of the degree and randomness of missing data on phylogenetic accuracy using simulations for up to 100 markers in 1000-tips trees, as well as a real case: the subtribe Polyommatina (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), a large group including numerous species with unresolved taxonomy. Our simulation tests show that when a strategic and representative selection of species for higher-level categories has been made for multigene sequencing (approximately one per simulated genus), the addition of this multigene backbone DNA data for as few as 5–10% of the specimens in the total data set can produce high-quality phylogenies, comparable to those resulting from 100% multigene sampling. In contrast, trees based exclusively on barcodes performed poorly. This approach was applied to a 1365-specimen data set of Polyommatina (including ca. 80% of described species), with nearly 8% of representative species included in the multigene backbone and the remaining 92% included only by mitochondrial COI barcodes, a phylogeny was generated that highlighted potential misplacements, unrecognized major clades, and placement for incertae sedis taxa. We use this information to make systematic rearrangements within Polyommatina, and to describe two new genera. Finally, we propose a systematic workflow to assess higher-level taxonomy in hyperdiverse groups. This research identifies an additional, enhanced value of DNA barcodes for improvements in higher-level systematics using large data sets. [Birabiro; DNA barcoding; incertae sedis; Kipepeo; Lycaenidae; missing data; phylogenomic; phylogeny; Polyommatina; supermatrix; systematics; taxonomy]
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s/n, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Vladimir Lukhtanov
- Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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29
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Valencia-Montoya WA, Quental TB, Tonini JFR, Talavera G, Crall JD, Lamas G, Busby RC, Carvalho APS, Morais AB, Oliveira Mega N, Romanowski HP, Liénard MA, Salzman S, Whitaker MRL, Kawahara AY, Lohman DJ, Robbins RK, Pierce NE. Evolutionary trade-offs between male secondary sexual traits revealed by a phylogeny of the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202512. [PMID: 33975481 PMCID: PMC8113907 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Male butterflies in the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini possess an unusually complex and diverse repertoire of secondary sexual characteristics involved in pheromone production and dissemination. Maintaining multiple sexually selected traits is likely to be metabolically costly, potentially resulting in trade-offs in the evolution of male signals. However, a phylogenetic framework to test hypotheses regarding the evolution and maintenance of male sexual traits in Eumaeini has been lacking. Here, we infer a comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogeny from 379 loci for 187 species representing 91% of the 87 described genera. Eumaeini is a monophyletic group that originated in the late Oligocene and underwent rapid radiation in the Neotropics. We examined specimens of 818 of the 1096 described species (75%) and found that secondary sexual traits are present in males of 91% of the surveyed species. Scent pads and scent patches on the wings and brush organs associated with the genitalia were probably present in the common ancestor of Eumaeini and are widespread throughout the tribe. Brush organs and scent pads are negatively correlated across the phylogeny, exhibiting a trade-off in which lineages with brush organs are unlikely to regain scent pads and vice versa. In contrast, scent patches seem to facilitate the evolution of scent pads, although they are readily lost once scent pads have evolved. Our results illustrate the complex interplay between natural and sexual selection in the origin and maintenance of multiple male secondary sexual characteristics and highlight the potential role of sexual selection spurring diversification in this lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy A. Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Tiago B. Quental
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Filipe R. Tonini
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - James D. Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gerardo Lamas
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Ana Paula S. Carvalho
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ana B. Morais
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
| | - Nicolás Oliveira Mega
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501970, Brazil
| | - Helena Piccoli Romanowski
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501970, Brazil
| | | | - Shayla Salzman
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa R. L. Whitaker
- Entomological Collection, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - David J. Lohman
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Entomology Section, Zoology Division, Philippine National Museum of Natural History, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Robert K. Robbins
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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30
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Salzman S, Crook D, Calonje M, Stevenson DW, Pierce NE, Hopkins R. Cycad-Weevil Pollination Symbiosis Is Characterized by Rapidly Evolving and Highly Specific Plant-Insect Chemical Communication. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:639368. [PMID: 33995438 PMCID: PMC8121082 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.639368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Coevolution between plants and insects is thought to be responsible for generating biodiversity. Extensive research has focused largely on antagonistic herbivorous relationships, but mutualistic pollination systems also likely contribute to diversification. Here we describe an example of chemically-mediated mutualistic species interactions affecting trait evolution and lineage diversification. We show that volatile compounds produced by closely related species of Zamia cycads are more strikingly different from each other than are other phenotypic characters, and that two distantly related pollinating weevil species have specialized responses only to volatiles from their specific host Zamia species. Plant transcriptomes show that approximately a fifth of genes related to volatile production are evolving under positive selection, but we find no differences in the relative proportion of genes under positive selection in different categories. The importance of phenotypic divergence coupled with chemical communication for the maintenance of this obligate mutualism highlights chemical signaling as a key mechanism of coevolution between cycads and their weevil pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayla Salzman
- Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Damon Crook
- Otis Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ CPHST, Otis ANGB, MA, United States
| | - Michael Calonje
- Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | | | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Wang Z, Li M, Ju W, Ye W, Xue L, Boufford DE, Gao X, Yue B, Liu Y, Pierce NE. Corrigendum to “The entomophagous caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis is consumed by its lepidopteran host as a plant endophyte” [Fungal Ecol. 47 (2020) 100989]. FUNGAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.101033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Liénard MA, Bernard GD, Allen A, Lassance JM, Song S, Childers RR, Yu N, Ye D, Stephenson A, Valencia-Montoya WA, Salzman S, Whitaker MRL, Calonje M, Zhang F, Pierce NE. The evolution of red color vision is linked to coordinated rhodopsin tuning in lycaenid butterflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2008986118. [PMID: 33547236 PMCID: PMC8017955 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008986118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Color vision has evolved multiple times in both vertebrates and invertebrates and is largely determined by the number and variation in spectral sensitivities of distinct opsin subclasses. However, because of the difficulty of expressing long-wavelength (LW) invertebrate opsins in vitro, our understanding of the molecular basis of functional shifts in opsin spectral sensitivities has been biased toward research primarily in vertebrates. This has restricted our ability to address whether invertebrate Gq protein-coupled opsins function in a novel or convergent way compared to vertebrate Gt opsins. Here we develop a robust heterologous expression system to purify invertebrate rhodopsins, identify specific amino acid changes responsible for adaptive spectral tuning, and pinpoint how molecular variation in invertebrate opsins underlie wavelength sensitivity shifts that enhance visual perception. By combining functional and optophysiological approaches, we disentangle the relative contributions of lateral filtering pigments from red-shifted LW and blue short-wavelength opsins expressed in distinct photoreceptor cells of individual ommatidia. We use in situ hybridization to visualize six ommatidial classes in the compound eye of a lycaenid butterfly with a four-opsin visual system. We show experimentally that certain key tuning residues underlying green spectral shifts in blue opsin paralogs have evolved repeatedly among short-wavelength opsin lineages. Taken together, our results demonstrate the interplay between regulatory and adaptive evolution at multiple Gq opsin loci, as well as how coordinated spectral shifts in LW and blue opsins can act together to enhance insect spectral sensitivity at blue and red wavelengths for visual performance adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A Liénard
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142;
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Gary D Bernard
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Andrew Allen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Siliang Song
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Richard Rabideau Childers
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Dajia Ye
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Adriana Stephenson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Wendy A Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Shayla Salzman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Melissa R L Whitaker
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | | | - Feng Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
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Liu C, Fischer G, Hita Garcia F, Yamane S, Liu Q, Peng YQ, Economo EP, Guénard B, Pierce NE. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. Zookeys 2020; 978:1-171. [PMID: 33192129 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.978.55767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
China's Hengduan Mountain region has been considered one of the most diverse regions in the northern hemisphere. Its stunning topography with many deep valleys and impassable mountain barriers has promoted an astonishing diversification in many groups of organisms including plants, birds, mammals, and amphibians. However, the insect biodiversity in this region is still poorly known. Here, the first checklist of ant species from the Southern Hengduan Mountain region is presented, generated by sampling ant diversity using a wide array of collection methods, including Winkler leaf litter extraction, vegetation beating, and hand collection. 130 species/morphospecies from nine subfamilies and 49 genera were identified. Among them, 17 species from 13 genera represent new records for Yunnan province, and eight species are newly recorded for China. Moreover, we believe 41 novel morphospecies (31% of the total collected taxa) will prove to be new to science. These results highlight the rich ant fauna of this region and strongly support its status as a biodiversity hotspot. The current ant species checklist for the whole of Yunnan Province was updated by recording 550 named species from 99 genera. Taken together, our results suggest that the Yunnan ant fauna still remains under-sampled, and future sampling will likely yield many more species, among them many undescribed ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Liu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutional Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Harvard University Cambridge United States of America
| | - Georg Fischer
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Onna Japan
| | - Francisco Hita Garcia
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Onna Japan
| | - Seiki Yamane
- Kagoshima University Museum, Korimoto 1-21-30, Kagoshima-shi, Japan Kagoshima University Korimoto Japan
| | - Qing Liu
- School of Resources and Environment, Baoshan University, Baoshan city, Yunnan Province, China Baoshan University Baoshan China
| | - Yan Qiong Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan Province, China Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Evan P Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Onna Japan
| | - Benoit Guénard
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutional Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Harvard University Cambridge United States of America
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Wang Z, Li M, Ju W, Ye W, Xue L, Boufford DE, Gao X, Yue B, Liu Y, Pierce NE. The entomophagous caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis is consumed by its lepidopteran host as a plant endophyte. FUNGAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.100989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Wang Z, Yang D, Janak R, Pierce NE. Report on the Emergence Time of a Species of Thitarodes Ghost Moth (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), Host of the Caterpillar Fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Ascomycota: Ophiocordycipitaceae) in Uttarakhand, India. J Econ Entomol 2020; 113:2031-2034. [PMID: 32449769 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ghost moths in the genus Thitarodes Viette, 1968, are hosts of the economically important caterpillar fungus, which is harvested in high mountain meadows across the Hengduan mountains and the Himalayas. In northwestern India, although caterpillar fungus has been collected in the state of Uttarakhand, no adults of Thitarodes species have been recorded. We report the sighting of a female pupa of Thitarodes sp. and its last-instar molt at Munsiyari, Uttarakhand, India, on 5 July 2019 and estimate that the adult emergence time in this habitat should be late July or early August. Although the habitats of caterpillar fungus in Uttarakhand are geographically closer to those in Nepal, they are climatically more similar to habitats of caterpillar fungus in Qinghai province in China. Among records at the same elevation, climatic variables are highly predictive of the emergence date of Thitarodes adults (adjusted-R2: 0.7925, F = 6.27, P = 0.03). Our result highlights the role of the Himalayan mountains as both a north-south climatic barrier and an east-west climatic gradient. We encourage local stakeholders and scientists in Uttarakhand to survey adult emergences of Thitarodes from July to mid-August.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Darong Yang
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Rawal Janak
- Rawal Medherbs Consultants LLP, Ashok Vihar, Delhi, India
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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36
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Gilbert KJ, Bittleston LS, Naive MAK, Kiszewski AE, Buenavente PAC, Lohman DJ, Pierce NE. Investigation of an Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial and Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata. Microb Ecol 2020; 80:334-349. [PMID: 32291478 PMCID: PMC7371667 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01503-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and compare the effect of elevation on community structure to that of regulation by a number of plant factors. Patterns of community structure differed between bacteria and eukaryotes, despite their living together in the same aquatic microhabitats. Elevation influences community composition of eukaryotes to a significantly greater degree than it does bacteria. When examining pitcher characteristics, pitcher dimorphism has an effect on eukaryotes but not bacteria, while variation in pH levels strongly influences both taxa. Consistent with previous ecological studies, arthropod abundance in phytotelmata decreases with elevation, but some patterns of abundance differ between living inquilines and prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadeem J Gilbert
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Leonora S Bittleston
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 1-290, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, 1910 W University Dr, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - Mark Arcebal K Naive
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Andres Bonifacio Ave, 9200, Iligan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines
| | - Anthony E Kiszewski
- Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA
| | | | - David J Lohman
- Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Manila, Philippines
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Salzman S, Crook D, Crall JD, Hopkins R, Pierce NE. An ancient push-pull pollination mechanism in cycads. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaay6169. [PMID: 32582845 PMCID: PMC7292639 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay6169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Most cycads engage in brood-site pollination mutualisms, yet the mechanism by which the Cycadales entice pollination services from diverse insect mutualists remains unknown. Here, we characterize a push-pull pollination mechanism between a New World cycad and its weevil pollinators that mirrors the mechanism between a distantly related Old World cycad and its thrips pollinators. The behavioral convergence between weevils and thrips, combined with molecular phylogenetic dating and a meta-analysis of thermogenesis and coordinated patterns of volatile attraction and repulsion suggest that a push-pull pollination mutualism strategy is ancestral in this ancient, dioecious plant group. Hence, it may represent one of the earliest insect/plant pollination mechanisms, arising long before the evolution of visual floral signaling commonly used by flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayla Salzman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- The Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02131, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Damon Crook
- USDA-APHIS-PPQ CPHST, Otis Laboratory, Building 1398, Otis ANGB, MA 02542, USA
| | - James D. Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- The Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02131, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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38
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Crall JD, Brokaw J, Gagliardi SF, Mendenhall CD, Pierce NE, Combes SA. Wind drives temporal variation in pollinator visitation in a fragmented tropical forest. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200103. [PMID: 32315595 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind is a critical factor in the ecology of pollinating insects such as bees. However, the role of wind in determining patterns of bee abundance and floral visitation rates across space and time is not well understood. Orchid bees are an important and diverse group of neotropical pollinators that harvest pollen, nectar and resin from plants. In addition, male orchid bees collect volatile scents that they store in special chambers in their hind legs, and for which the wind-based dispersal of odours may play a particularly crucial role. Here, we take advantage of this specialized scent foraging behaviour to study the effects of wind on orchid bee visitation at scent sources in a fragmented tropical forest ecosystem. Consistent with previous work, forest cover increased orchid bee visitation. In addition, we find that temporal changes in wind speed and turbulence increase visitation to scent stations within sites. These results suggest that the increased dispersal of attractive scents provided by wind and turbulence outweighs any biomechanical or energetic costs that might deter bees from foraging in these conditions. Overall, our results highlight the significance of wind in the ecology of these important pollinators in neotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Julia Brokaw
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Susan F Gagliardi
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chase D Mendenhall
- Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Stacey A Combes
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Talavera G, Kaliszewska ZA, Heath A, Pierce NE. Recent diversification of Chrysoritis butterflies in the South African Cape (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 148:106817. [PMID: 32289447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although best known for its extraordinary radiations of endemic plant species, the South African fynbos is home to a great diversity of phytophagous insects, including butterflies in the genus Chrysoritis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). These butterflies are remarkably uniform morphologically; nevertheless, they comprise 43 currently accepted species and 68 currently valid taxonomic names. While many species have highly restricted, dot-like distributions, others are widespread. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic and biogeographic history underlying their diversification by analyzing molecular markers from 406 representatives of all described species throughout their respective ranges. We recover monophyletic clades for both C. chrysaor and C. thysbe species-groups, and identify a set of lineages that fall between them. The estimated age of divergence for the genus is 32 Mya, and we document significantly rapid diversification of the thysbe species-group in the Pleistocene (~2 Mya). Using ancestral geographic range reconstruction, we show that West Fynbos is the most likely region of origin for the radiation of the thysbe species-group. The colonization of this region occurred 9 Mya and appears to have been followed by a long period of relative stasis before a recent increase in diversification. Thus, the thysbe radiation does not appear to have resulted from the colonization of new biogeographic areas. Rather, the impact of species interactions (with ants and plants), the appearance of key innovations, and/or the opening of new ecological niche space in the region might explain the sudden burst of speciation that occurred in this group 2 Mya. The biogeographic model suggests two different diversification processes with few historical cross-colonisations, one in eastern South Africa for the C. chrysaor group and the other in western South Africa for the remaining taxa. Distributional range assessments and ecological niche models for each species show important niche overlap, and in a few cases, complete overlap. However, these shared traits are not explained by phylogenetic history. Chrysoritis taxa frequently fly in sympatry and gene tree reticulation appears to be widespread at the species level, suggesting that several episodes of range shifts might have led to secondary sympatries, allowing limited gene flow that challenges species delimitation efforts. In addition, the unusually high diversification rate for the thysbe clade of 1.35 [0.91-1.81] lineages per million years also suggests the possibility of taxonomic oversplitting. The phylogeny presented here provides a framework for a taxonomic revision of the genus. We highlight cases of potential synonymy both in allopatry and sympatry, and stress the importance of dedicated studies to assess potential pre- and post-zygotic barriers giving rise to species delimitations of the thysbe group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Talavera
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States.
| | - Zofia A Kaliszewska
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Alan Heath
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States; Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States.
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Tsai CC, Childers RA, Nan Shi N, Ren C, Pelaez JN, Bernard GD, Pierce NE, Yu N. Physical and behavioral adaptations to prevent overheating of the living wings of butterflies. Nat Commun 2020; 11:551. [PMID: 31992708 PMCID: PMC6987309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The wings of Lepidoptera contain a matrix of living cells whose function requires appropriate temperatures. However, given their small thermal capacity, wings can overheat rapidly in the sun. Here we analyze butterfly wings across a wide range of simulated environmental conditions, and find that regions containing living cells are maintained at cooler temperatures. Diverse scale nanostructures and non-uniform cuticle thicknesses create a heterogeneous distribution of radiative cooling that selectively reduces the temperature of structures such as wing veins and androconial organs. These tissues are supplied by circulatory, neural and tracheal systems throughout the adult lifetime, indicating that the insect wing is a dynamic, living structure. Behavioral assays show that butterflies use wings to sense visible and infrared radiation, responding with specialized behaviors to prevent overheating of their wings. Our work highlights the physiological importance of wing temperature and how it is exquisitely regulated by structural and behavioral adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chia Tsai
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Richard A Childers
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Norman Nan Shi
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Western Digital, San Jose, CA, 95119, USA
| | - Crystal Ren
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Julianne N Pelaez
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Gary D Bernard
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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41
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Wang Z, Zhuang H, Wang M, Pierce NE. Thitarodes shambalaensis sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Hepialidae): a new host of the caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis supported by genome-wide SNP data. Zookeys 2019; 885:89-113. [PMID: 31736619 PMCID: PMC6848235 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.885.34638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of ghost moth, Thitarodesshambalaensissp. nov., is described from Yanzigou glacier, Mt. Gongga, Sichuan, China. The species is a host of the economically important caterpillar fungus Ophiocordycepssinensis. Establishment of this new species is supported by morphology and genetic differentiation measured in a CO1 phylogeny and in genome-wide SNP coverage. A summary tree from 538 sequences of different genetic markers from Thitarodes (including sequences extracted from caterpillar fungus sclerotium samples) support the genus Thitarodes as a monophyletic group, and indicate that Thitarodes is the host genus for O.sinensis. Sampling efforts so far have centered on half of the known phylogenetic diversity of Thitarodes, with some species-level clusters (separated by < 2.5% genetic distance) containing 17 described species. Fifteen clusters are known from either a single “orphan taxon” or a single sequence from a caterpillar fungus sclerotium sample. We provide suggestions for building a more robust phylogeny of the genus Thitarodes and highlight some of the conservation threats that species from this genus face due to unprecedented habitat exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyang Wang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Harvard University Cambridge United States of America
| | - Hailing Zhuang
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510642, China South China Agricultural University Guangzhou China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510642, China South China Agricultural University Guangzhou China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Harvard University Cambridge United States of America
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Cheng D, Chen S, Huang Y, Pierce NE, Riegler M, Yang F, Zeng L, Lu Y, Liang G, Xu Y. Symbiotic microbiota may reflect host adaptation by resident to invasive ant species. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007942. [PMID: 31323076 PMCID: PMC6668852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Exotic invasive species can influence the behavior and ecology of native and resident species, but these changes are often overlooked. Here we hypothesize that the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum, living in areas that have been invaded by the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, displays behavioral differences to interspecific competition that are reflected in both its trophic position and symbiotic microbiota. We demonstrate that T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded areas are less aggressive towards workers of S. invicta than those inhabiting non-invaded areas. Nitrogen isotope analyses reveal that colonies of T. melanocephalum have protein-rich diets in S. invicta invaded areas compared with the carbohydrate-rich diets of colonies living in non-invaded areas. Analysis of microbiota isolated from gut tissue shows that T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded areas also have different bacterial communities, including a higher abundance of Wolbachia that may play a role in vitamin B provisioning. In contrast, the microbiota of workers of T. melanocephalum from S. invicta-free areas are dominated by bacteria from the orders Bacillales, Lactobacillales and Enterobacteriales that may be involved in sugar metabolism. We further demonstrate experimentally that the composition and structure of the bacterial symbiont communities as well as the prevalence of vitamin B in T. melanocephalum workers from S. invicta invaded and non-invaded areas can be altered if T. melanocephalum workers are supplied with either protein-rich or carbohydrate-rich food. Our results support the hypothesis that bacterial symbiont communities can help hosts by buffering behavioral changes caused by interspecies competition as a consequence of biological invasions. Insects display a wide range of dependence on symbiotic bacteria for basic functions. Responses by resident species to selective pressures imposed by invasive species, as well as specific underlying mechanisms that give rise to these responses are still poorly understood. Here we investigate the role of the symbiotic bacteria of the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum, to changes in host behavior associated with interspecies competition in areas invaded by fire ants, Solenopsis invicta. We show that Wolbachia is significantly enriched in workers of T. melanocephalum from S. invicta infested areas, and that these bacteria also increase in abundance in colonies that have been supplied with protein-rich food. Our results suggest that bacterial symbiont communities can play an important role in enabling ants to tolerate changes in behavior and diet as a result of biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daifeng Cheng
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siqi Chen
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuquan Huang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, United States of America
| | - Markus Riegler
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Zeng
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyue Lu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangwen Liang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijuan Xu
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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43
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Boyle JH, Martins D, Musili PM, Pierce NE. Population Genomics and Demographic Sampling of the Ant-Plant Vachellia drepanolobium and Its Symbiotic Ants From Sites Across Its Range in East Africa. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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44
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Crall JD, Switzer CM, Oppenheimer RL, Ford Versypt AN, Dey B, Brown A, Eyster M, Guérin C, Pierce NE, Combes SA, de Bivort BL. Neonicotinoid exposure disrupts bumblebee nest behavior, social networks, and thermoregulation. Science 2018. [PMID: 30409882 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat1598%jscience] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect bee colonies, but the behavioral mechanisms by which these compounds impair colony growth remain unclear. Here, we investigate imidacloprid's effects on bumblebee worker behavior within the nest, using an automated, robotic platform for continuous, multicolony monitoring of uniquely identified workers. We find that exposure to field-realistic levels of imidacloprid impairs nursing and alters social and spatial dynamics within nests, but that these effects vary substantially with time of day. In the field, imidacloprid impairs colony thermoregulation, including the construction of an insulating wax canopy. Our results show that neonicotinoids induce widespread disruption of within-nest worker behavior that may contribute to impaired growth, highlighting the potential of automated techniques for characterizing the multifaceted, dynamic impacts of stressors on behavior in bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Planetary Health Alliance, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Callin M Switzer
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Ashlee N Ford Versypt
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Biswadip Dey
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Andrea Brown
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mackay Eyster
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Claire Guérin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stacey A Combes
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin L de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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45
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Crall JD, Switzer CM, Oppenheimer RL, Ford Versypt AN, Dey B, Brown A, Eyster M, Guérin C, Pierce NE, Combes SA, de Bivort BL. Neonicotinoid exposure disrupts bumblebee nest behavior, social networks, and thermoregulation. Science 2018; 362:683-686. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aat1598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect bee colonies, but the behavioral mechanisms by which these compounds impair colony growth remain unclear. Here, we investigate imidacloprid’s effects on bumblebee worker behavior within the nest, using an automated, robotic platform for continuous, multicolony monitoring of uniquely identified workers. We find that exposure to field-realistic levels of imidacloprid impairs nursing and alters social and spatial dynamics within nests, but that these effects vary substantially with time of day. In the field, imidacloprid impairs colony thermoregulation, including the construction of an insulating wax canopy. Our results show that neonicotinoids induce widespread disruption of within-nest worker behavior that may contribute to impaired growth, highlighting the potential of automated techniques for characterizing the multifaceted, dynamic impacts of stressors on behavior in bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Planetary Health Alliance, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Callin M. Switzer
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Ashlee N. Ford Versypt
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Biswadip Dey
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Andrea Brown
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mackay Eyster
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Claire Guérin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stacey A. Combes
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin L. de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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46
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Bisch G, Neuvonen MM, Pierce NE, Russell JA, Koga R, Sanders JG, Lukasik P, Andersson SGE. Genome Evolution of Bartonellaceae Symbionts of Ants at the Opposite Ends of the Trophic Scale. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:1687-1704. [PMID: 29982531 PMCID: PMC6044324 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects rely on bacterial symbionts to supply essential amino acids and vitamins that are deficient in their diets, but metabolic comparisons of closely related gut bacteria in insects with different dietary preferences have not been performed. Here, we demonstrate that herbivorous ants of the genus Dolichoderus from the Peruvian Amazon host bacteria of the family Bartonellaceae, known for establishing chronic or pathogenic infections in mammals. We detected these bacteria in all studied Dolichoderus species, and found that they reside in the midgut wall, that is, the same location as many previously described nutritional endosymbionts of insects. The genomic analysis of four divergent strains infecting different Dolichoderus species revealed genes encoding pathways for nitrogen recycling and biosynthesis of several vitamins and all essential amino acids. In contrast, several biosynthetic pathways have been lost, whereas genes for the import and conversion of histidine and arginine to glutamine have been retained in the genome of a closely related gut bacterium of the carnivorous ant Harpegnathos saltator. The broad biosynthetic repertoire in Bartonellaceae of herbivorous ants resembled that of gut bacteria of honeybees that likewise feed on carbohydrate-rich diets. Taken together, the broad distribution of Bartonellaceae across Dolichoderus ants, their small genome sizes, the specific location within hosts, and the broad biosynthetic capability suggest that these bacteria are nutritional symbionts in herbivorous ants. The results highlight the important role of the host nutritional biology for the genomic evolution of the gut microbiota-and conversely, the importance of the microbiota for the nutrition of hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle Bisch
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Minna-Maria Neuvonen
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
| | | | - Ryuichi Koga
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Jon G Sanders
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Piotr Lukasik
- Department of Biology, Drexel University.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana
| | - Siv G E Andersson
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Molecular Evolution, Uppsala University, Sweden
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47
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Kocher SD, Mallarino R, Rubin BER, Yu DW, Hoekstra HE, Pierce NE. The genetic basis of a social polymorphism in halictid bees. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4338. [PMID: 30337532 PMCID: PMC6194137 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of eusociality represents a major evolutionary transition from solitary to group reproduction. The most commonly studied eusocial species, honey bees and ants, represent the behavioral extremes of social evolution but lack close relatives that are non-social. Unlike these species, the halictid bee Lasioglossum albipes produces both solitary and eusocial nests and this intraspecific variation has a genetic basis. Here, we identify genetic variants associated with this polymorphism, including one located in the intron of syntaxin 1a (syx1a), a gene that mediates synaptic vesicle release. We show that this variant can alter gene expression in a pattern consistent with differences between social and solitary bees. Surprisingly, syx1a and several other genes associated with sociality in L. albipes have also been implicated in autism spectrum disorder in humans. Thus, genes underlying behavioral variation in L. albipes may also shape social behaviors across a wide range of taxa, including humans. The halictid bee Lasioglossum albipes has both solitary and eusocial individuals, making it a model for social evolution. Here, Kocher et al. identify a genetic variation associated with this social polymorphism, including a variant that can regulate the expression of an autism-associated gene, syntaxin 1a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D Kocher
- Department of Ecology and Evoutionary Biology, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA. .,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 28 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 28 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 01238, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Benjamin E R Rubin
- Department of Ecology and Evoutionary Biology, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Douglas W Yu
- Kunming Institute for Zoology, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 28 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, 52 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 01238, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 28 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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48
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Shapiro LR, Paulson JN, Arnold BJ, Scully ED, Zhaxybayeva O, Pierce NE, Rocha J, Klepac-Ceraj V, Holton K, Kolter R. An Introduced Crop Plant Is Driving Diversification of the Virulent Bacterial Pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila. mBio 2018; 9:e01307-18. [PMID: 30279283 PMCID: PMC6168856 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01307-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Erwinia tracheiphila is the causal agent of bacterial wilt of cucurbits, an economically important phytopathogen affecting an economically important phytopathogen affecting few cultivated Cucurbitaceae few cultivated Cucurbitaceae host plant species in temperate eastern North America. However, essentially nothing is known about E. tracheiphila population structure or genetic diversity. To address this shortcoming, a representative collection of 88 E. tracheiphila isolates was gathered from throughout its geographic range, and their genomes were sequenced. Phylogenomic analysis revealed three genetic clusters with distinct hrpT3SS virulence gene repertoires, host plant association patterns, and geographic distributions. Low genetic heterogeneity within each cluster suggests a recent population bottleneck followed by population expansion. We showed that in the field and greenhouse, cucumber (Cucumis sativus), which was introduced to North America by early Spanish conquistadors, is the most susceptible host plant species and the only species susceptible to isolates from all three lineages. The establishment of large agricultural populations of highly susceptible C. sativus in temperate eastern North America may have facilitated the original emergence of E. tracheiphila into cucurbit agroecosystems, and this introduced plant species may now be acting as a highly susceptible reservoir host. Our findings have broad implications for agricultural sustainability by drawing attention to how worldwide crop plant movement, agricultural intensification, and locally unique environments may affect the emergence, evolution, and epidemic persistence of virulent microbial pathogens.IMPORTANCEErwinia tracheiphila is a virulent phytopathogen that infects two genera of cucurbit crop plants, Cucurbita spp. (pumpkin and squash) and Cucumis spp. (muskmelon and cucumber). One of the unusual ecological traits of this pathogen is that it is limited to temperate eastern North America. Here, we complete the first large-scale sequencing of an E. tracheiphila isolate collection. From phylogenomic, comparative genomic, and empirical analyses, we find that introduced Cucumis spp. crop plants are driving the diversification of E. tracheiphila into multiple lineages. Together, the results from this study show that locally unique biotic (plant population) and abiotic (climate) conditions can drive the evolutionary trajectories of locally endemic pathogens in unexpected ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori R Shapiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph N Paulson
- Department of Biostatistics, Product Development, Genentech Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Brian J Arnold
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin D Scully
- Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research Unit, USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Olga Zhaxybayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jorge Rocha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- CIDEA Consortium Conacyt-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Vanja Klepac-Ceraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristina Holton
- Department of Biostatistics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roberto Kolter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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49
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Schär S, Eastwood R, Arnaldi KG, Talavera G, Kaliszewska ZA, Boyle JH, Espeland M, Nash DR, Vila R, Pierce NE. Ecological specialization is associated with genetic structure in the ant-associated butterfly family Lycaenidae. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1158. [PMID: 30209224 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of specialization in diversification can be explored along two geological axes in the butterfly family Lycaenidae. In addition to variation in host-plant specialization normally exhibited by butterflies, the caterpillars of most Lycaenidae have symbioses with ants ranging from no interactions through to obligate and specific associations, increasing niche dimensionality in ant-associated taxa. Based on mitochondrial sequences from 8282 specimens from 967 species and 249 genera, we show that the degree of ecological specialization of lycaenid species is positively correlated with genetic divergence, haplotype diversity and an increase in isolation by distance. Nucleotide substitution rate is higher in carnivorous than phytophagous lycaenids. The effects documented here for both micro- and macroevolutionary processes could result from increased spatial segregation as a consequence of reduced connectivity in specialists, niche-based divergence or a combination of both. They could also provide an explanation for the extraordinary diversity of the Lycaenidae and, more generally, for diversity in groups of organisms with similar multi-dimensional ecological specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sämi Schär
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, Barcelona 08003, Spain.,Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø 2100, Denmark
| | - Rodney Eastwood
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Institute for Agricultural Sciences Biocommunication and Entomology, Weinbergstrasse 56-58, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Kimberly G Arnaldi
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Zofia A Kaliszewska
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John H Boyle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marianne Espeland
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Arthropoda Department, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauer Allee 160, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | - David R Nash
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø 2100, Denmark
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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50
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Bittleston LS, Wolock CJ, Yahya BE, Chan XY, Chan KG, Pierce NE, Pringle A. Convergence between the microcosms of Southeast Asian and North American pitcher plants. eLife 2018; 7:36741. [PMID: 30152327 PMCID: PMC6130972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The ‘pitchers’ of carnivorous pitcher plants are exquisite examples of convergent evolution. An open question is whether the living communities housed in pitchers also converge in structure or function. Using samples from more than 330 field-collected pitchers of eight species of Southeast Asian Nepenthes and six species of North American Sarracenia, we demonstrate that the pitcher microcosms, or miniature ecosystems with complex communities, are strikingly similar. Compared to communities from surrounding habitats, pitcher communities house fewer species. While communities associated with the two genera contain different microbial organisms and arthropods, the species are predominantly from the same phylogenetic clades. Microbiomes from both genera are enriched in degradation pathways and have high abundances of key degradation enzymes. Moreover, in a manipulative field experiment, Nepenthes pitchers placed in a North American bog assembled Sarracenia-like communities. An understanding of the convergent interactions in pitcher microcosms facilitates identification of selective pressures shaping the communities. The ecosystems found across the Earth, including in forests, lakes and prairies, consist of communities of plants, animals and microbes. How these organisms interact with each other determines which ones grow and thrive. We still do not understand how communities form: why different species exist where they do, and what enables them to survive in different locations. This knowledge is particularly limited with regard to communities of microbes because they are hard to see and count. Pitcher plants are an ideal system for studying how communities and ecosystems assemble. The pitcher-shaped leaves of these plants each contain small aquatic communities of microbes and arthropods (including insects and mites) that can be relatively easily studied. Because unrelated groups of plants have evolved pitchers at different times and on different continents, these communities can also be used to explore how evolutionary history and the current environment determine which species thrive in a particular location. Bittleston et al. sampled the DNA of the communities living within 330 pitchers from various North American and Southeast Asian pitcher plant species. This revealed that very distantly related plants on opposite sides of the planet have pitchers that host similar communities, with the organisms found in one pitcher plant often closely related to the organisms found in others. The genes within the community’s DNA also shared many functions, with the majority of shared genes devoted to digesting captured insect prey. Bittleston et al. also relocated pitcher plants from Southeast Asia to grow alongside North American species and found the same microbes and arthropods colonizing both groups, indicating that the different types of pitchers present a similar habitat. Overall, the results of the experiments performed by Bittleston et al. suggest that certain kinds of interactions between species (such as between the pitcher plants and their microbes) can evolve independently in different parts of the world. Researchers can use these interactions to learn more about how communities and ecosystems form. With a greater understanding of the Earth’s ecosystems, it will be easier to protect them and predict how they will fare as global conditions change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonora S Bittleston
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Charles J Wolock
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Bakhtiar E Yahya
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Xin Yue Chan
- Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kok Gan Chan
- Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,International Genome Centre, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Anne Pringle
- Departments of Botany and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, United States
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