1
|
Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Roux J, Vivas M, Burgess TI. Phytophthora Species Associated with Roots of Native and Non-native Trees in Natural and Managed Forests. Microb Ecol 2021; 81:122-133. [PMID: 32740757 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01563-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Roots act as a biological filter that exclusively allows only a portion of the soil-associated microbial diversity to infect the plant. This microbial diversity includes organisms both beneficial and detrimental to plants. Phytophthora species are among the most important groups of detrimental microbes that cause various soil-borne plant diseases. We used a metabarcoding approach with Phytophthora-specific primers to compare the diversity and richness of Phytophthora species associated with roots of native and non-native trees, using different types of soil inocula collected from native and managed forests. Specifically, we analysed (1) roots of two non-native tree species (Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mearnsii) and native trees, (2) roots of two non-native tree species from an in vivo plant baiting trial, (3) roots collected from the field versus those from the baiting trial, and (4) roots and soil samples collected from the field. The origin of the soil and the interaction between root and soil significantly influenced Phytophthora species richness. Moreover, species richness and community composition were significantly different between the field root samples and field soil samples with a higher number of Phytophthora species in the soil than in the roots. The results also revealed a substantial and previously undetected diversity of Phytophthora species from South Africa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Bose
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Michael J Wingfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jolanda Roux
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Sappi Forests Pty. Ltd., Research Planning and Nurseries (RPN), Shaw Research Centre, Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Maria Vivas
- Institute for Dehesa Research (INDEHESA), Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Treena I Burgess
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Phytophthora Science and Management, Centre for Climate Impacted Terrestrial Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch, Perth, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Amador-Vargas S, Dyer J, Arnold N, Cavanaugh L, Sánchez-Brenes E. Acacia trees with parasitic ants have fewer and less spacious spines than trees with mutualistic ants. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 107:3. [PMID: 31823014 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1647-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Obligate ant-defended plants provide food and shelter in exchange for protection against herbivores. Mesoamerican acacia trees have an obligate ant mutualism, but parasitic non-defending ants can also nest on the tree. We assessed whether rewards corresponded to ant defense within a plant species. As we expected, we found that parasite-inhabited trees had fewer swollen spines than ant-defended trees. Spine diameter was smaller in parasite-inhabited plants, but there were no differences in spine length, suggesting that spines serve as mechanical protection against herbivory. Parasite-inhabited plants may have reduced rewards because of plant differences when establishing, a plastic response to limited resources, or differential energy allocation when sensing the lack of defense.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jared Dyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Natalie Arnold
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Leah Cavanaugh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kahuthia-Gathu R, Kirubi Thungu D, Wangu L, Kimani R. Wood-boring beetles associated with Acacia xanthophloea in Nairobi and Machakos Counties, Kenya. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0188773. [PMID: 29584732 PMCID: PMC5870935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188773] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Naivasha thorn tree, Acacia xanthophloea, is grown for foliage, timber, shade and rehabilitation of soils in areas with high water tables in Kenya. Its production is threatened by insect pests, which cause major losses. Very little is documented on wood-boring beetles which cause considerable economic damage to lumber used in a variety of applications, and little is known about their natural enemies in Kenya. We conducted the study to evaluate the occurrence of wood-boring beetles on A. xanthophloea in two different regions of Kenya. Infested wood samples of A. xanthophloea with fresh exit holes were collected from three sites in Kenyatta University (KU), Nairobi and Mitaboni in Machakos, Kenya. The samples were placed in clear plastic buckets and kept at ambient temperatures 23±2°C, 65±10% relative humidity and 12L: 12D in a laboratory where they were observed daily for adult emergence. Adult beetles were collected every three days for identification and data recording. The experiment was replicated four times and data collected twice a week for 6 months. Data on abundance was subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software. A total of 5,850 and 4,691 beetles were collected where 2,187 and 3,097 were Bostrichidae, accounting for 37% and 66% in KU and Mitaboni, respectively. A total of 12 bostrichid species was identified, including Sinoxylon ruficorne, S. doliolum, Xylion adustus, Xyloperthodes nitidipennis, Xyloperthella picea, Xylopsocus castanoptera, Lyctus brunneus, Heterbostrychus brunneus, Xylopsocus sp., and Dinoderus gabonicus. The most abundant species in KU was Xylion adustus with 1,915 beetles accounting for 88.4%, and Sinoxylon ruficorne in Mitaboni with 1,050 beetles accounting for 33.9% of the total. Sinoxylon ruficorne was only recorded in Mitaboni while only 2 specimens of D. gabonicus were found in KU. The mean number of exit holes on A. xanthophloea differed significantly between sites, which corresponded approximately to the amount of economic damage caused by the beetles to the structural integrity of the lumber. In addition, a number of predators in the family Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Histeridae and parasitoids from Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and Chalcididae were recovered, suggesting a need to conduct further studies to document these species' diversity, parasitism rates and efficacy for possible biological control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu
- Kenyatta University, Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
- * E-mail:
| | - Duncan Kirubi Thungu
- Kenyatta University, Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lucy Wangu
- Kenyatta University, Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rachael Kimani
- Kenyatta University, Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kautz S, Ballhorn DJ, Kroiss J, Pauls SU, Moreau CS, Eilmus S, Strohm E, Heil M. Host plant use by competing acacia-ants: mutualists monopolize while parasites share hosts. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37691. [PMID: 22662191 PMCID: PMC3360759 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Protective ant-plant mutualisms that are exploited by non-defending parasitic ants represent prominent model systems for ecology and evolutionary biology. The mutualist Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus is an obligate plant-ant and fully depends on acacias for nesting space and food. The parasite Pseudomyrmex gracilis facultatively nests on acacias and uses host-derived food rewards but also external food sources. Integrative analyses of genetic microsatellite data, cuticular hydrocarbons and behavioral assays showed that an individual acacia might be inhabited by the workers of several P. gracilis queens, whereas one P. ferrugineus colony monopolizes one or more host trees. Despite these differences in social organization, neither of the species exhibited aggressive behavior among conspecific workers sharing a tree regardless of their relatedness. This lack of aggression corresponds to the high similarity of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles among ants living on the same tree. Host sharing by unrelated colonies, or the presence of several queens in a single colony are discussed as strategies by which parasite colonies could achieve the observed social organization. We argue that in ecological terms, the non-aggressive behavior of non-sibling P. gracilis workers — regardless of the route to achieve this social structure — enables this species to efficiently occupy and exploit a host plant. By contrast, single large and long-lived colonies of the mutualist P. ferrugineus monopolize individual host plants and defend them aggressively against invaders from other trees. Our findings highlight the necessity for using several methods in combination to fully understand how differing life history strategies affect social organization in ants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Kautz
- Department of General Botany, Plant Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, FB BioGeo, Essen, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Insect-induced plant galls are predominantly reputed to act as strong carbon sinks, although many types of galls contain chlorophyll and have the potential to photosynthesize. We investigated whether the photosynthetic capacity of bud galls induced by a Pteromalid wasp, Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae, in Acacia longifolia subsidises carbon budgets or provides O(2) to the larvae while concurrently consuming CO(2) in the dense gall tissue, thereby maintaining (O(2)) and (CO(2)) within the range of larval tolerance. Low (O(2)) (<5 % v/v) were found within the internal tissues of galls, and these concentrations responded only marginally to light, suggesting that the photosynthetic activity within the gall is inconsequential in the provision of O(2) to the larvae. The metabolic response of larvae to reduced (O(2)) and elevated (CO(2)) indicated that larvae were tolerant of hypoxia/hypercarbia and also capable of reducing their respiratory rates to cope with hypercarbia. The low mortality of larvae in galls shaded with Al-foil for 20 days showed that photosynthesis was not vital for the survival of the larvae, although growth of shaded galls was substantially reduced. Gas exchange measurements confirmed that, while photosynthesis never fully compensated for the respiratory costs of galls, it contributed substantially to the maintenance and growth, especially of young galls, reducing their impact as carbon sinks on the host. We conclude that, although photosynthesis may contribute to O(2) provision, its main role is to reduce the dependence of the insect-induced gall on the host plant for photosynthates, thereby reducing intra-plant, inter-gall competition and enhancing the probability that each gall will reach maturity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S A Haiden
- Botany Department, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Christensen KL, Gallacher AP, Martin L, Tong D, Elgar MA. Nutrient compensatory foraging in a free-living social insect. Naturwissenschaften 2010; 97:941-4. [PMID: 20689904 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0705-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The geometric framework model predicts that animal foraging decisions are influenced by their dietary history, with animals targeting a combination of essential nutrients through compensatory foraging. We provide experimental confirmation of nutrient-specific compensatory foraging in a natural, free-living population of social insects by supplementing their diet with sources of protein- or carbohydrate-rich food. Colonies of the ant Iridomyrmex suchieri were provided with feeders containing food rich in either carbohydrate or protein for 6 days, and were then provided with a feeder containing the same or different diet. The patterns of recruitment were consistent with the geometric framework: while feeders with a carbohydrate diet typically attracted more workers than did feeders with protein diet, the difference in recruitment between the two nutrients was smaller if the colonies had had prior access to carbohydrate than protein. Further, fewer ants visited feeders if the colony had had prior access to protein than to carbohydrates, suggesting that the larvae play a role in worker foraging behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keri L Christensen
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rosas-García NM, Sarmiento-Benavides SL, Villegas-Mendoza JM, Hernández-Delgado S, Mayek-Pérez N. Genetic differentiation among Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) populations living on different host plants. Environ Entomol 2010; 39:1043-1050. [PMID: 20550821 DOI: 10.1603/en09368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The pink hibiscus mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) is a dangerous pest that damages a wide variety of agricultural, horticultural, and forestry crops. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints were used to characterize the genetic variation of 11 M. hirsutus populations infesting three plant species in Nayarit, Mexico. Analysis was carried out using four primers combinations, producing 590 polymorphic bands. Cluster analysis, as well as bootstrap dendrogram and nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis, grouped M. hirsutus populations according to their host plant. The estimated F(ST) values indicated a high differentiation in M. hirsutus populations among the three host plant species. These results were also supported by a Bayesian analysis, which indicated a population clustering robustness according to their host plant. Genetic variation among populations is not caused by geographic distances, as shown by a Mantel test.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ninfa M Rosas-García
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Ambiental, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica-IPN, Reynosa, Tamp., Mexico.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Aldawood AS. Do cardinal directions in different Acacia tree species affect biological activities of bruchid beetle, Bruchidius buettikeri Decelle (Bruchidae: Coleoptera), in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia. Pak J Biol Sci 2009; 12:1539-1547. [PMID: 20334114 DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2009.1539.1547] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Biological activities of bruchid beetle: Bruchidius buettikeri Decelle (Bruchidae: Coleoptera) were studied in four cardinal directions of Acacia tree species in Huraimila and Salbouk. In Huraimila, two species of Acacia; A. grrrardii, subspecies A. g. negevensis (Iraqi) and A. g. nagednsis (Najdi); and A. ehrenbergiana (Salam) were sampled. In Salbouk, A. tortilis radiana (Samar) was sampled. No significant differences were observed for entrance and exit holes per pod and beetles emergence until 45 days on four cardinal directions of different Acacia tree species, except for entrance holes at Dam and Farm locations on Najdi in Huraimila. However, greater activities were observed in south and east direction in farm locations whereas, in the valley (Abu Gatada, Alyata and Dam locations) more bruchid activities were observed in north and south on Najdi and samar while east and west on Iraqi. Moreover, activities were greater on Acacia trees with greater number of seed per pod. Greater bruchid infestation per pod was found on East direction in the farm locations but in the valley locations no distinct trend was observed. Results showed a significant, positive correlation between bruchid activities and temperature but similar strength negative correlation was observed for rest of various abiotic factors. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was recorded between neonate entrance and number of beetle emergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A S Aldawood
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Webber BL, McKey D. Cyanogenic myrmecophytes, redundant defence mechanisms and complementary defence syndromes: revisiting the neotropical ant-acacias. New Phytol 2009; 182:792-794. [PMID: 19383104 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02804.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Doyle McKey
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS (UMR 5175), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Min H, Daxu L, Wenliang X, Jianhua G, Jian Z, Jie Z, Zhirong Y, Qun S. [Transformation of core Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligene insecticidal protein gene and its insecticidal expression in tobacco]. Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 2008; 48:1198-202. [PMID: 19062644] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We studied the effect of the signal peptide sequence (SPS) on the expression of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes insecticidal protein gene (ppip). METHODS We obtained the core pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes insecticidal protein gene (cppip, ppip without the UTR and SPS) by PCR and ligated it into pCAMBIA2301 to generate plant express vector pCPPIP, which was then transformed into tobacco to investigate the insecticidal activity of cppip expression products by locust bioassays. The Kanamycin resistance segregation ratio was determined by the germination rate of T0-generation seeds of the transgenic tobacco. Integration of ppip into genomic DNA was detected by PCR and confirmed by Southern blotting. RESULTS The bioassay with the 2nd and 3rd instar larvae of Locusta orthoptera showed that the crude proteins extracted from cppip transformed plants caused an average mortality of 83.37%. In contrast, the protein extracts from ppip transformed plants caused a much lower mortality (15.65%). The growth of locust was highly inhibited by the expression products of cppip when compared with the locusts fed with the protein extracts from wild type tobacco or tobacco transformed with intact ppip gene. CONCLUSION The results indicated that the SPS might affect the insecticidal activity of ppip expressed in plants. The data of this study are helpful for cost-effective genetic engineering of plants with ppip gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huang Min
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
McLeish MJ, Crespi BJ, Chapman TW, Schwarz MP. Parallel diversification of Australian gall-thrips on Acacia. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2007; 43:714-25. [PMID: 17467300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2006] [Revised: 03/12/2007] [Accepted: 03/14/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The diversification of gall-inducing Australian Kladothrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) on Acacia has produced a pair of sister-clades, each of which includes a suite of lineages that utilize virtually the same set of 15 closely related host plant species. This pattern of parallel insect-host plant radiation may be driven by cospeciation, host-shifting to the same set of host plants, or some combination of these processes. We used molecular-phylogenetic data on the two gall-thrips clades to analyze the degree of concordance between their phylogenies, which is indicative of parallel divergence. Analyses of phylogenetic concordance indicate statistically-significant similarity between the two clades. Their topologies also fit with a hypothesis of some degree of host-plant tracking. Based on phylogenetic and taxonomic information regarding the phylogeny of the Acacia host plants in each clade, one or more species has apparently shifted to more-divergent Acacia host-plant species, and in each case these shifts have resulted in notable divergence in aspects of the phenotype including morphology, life history and behaviour. Our analyses indicate that gall-thrips on Australian Acacia have undergone parallel diversification as a result of some combination of cospeciation, highly restricted host-plant shifting, or both processes, but that the evolution of novel phenotypic diversity in this group is a function of relatively few shifts to divergent host plants. This combination of ecologically restricted and divergent radiation may represent a microcosm for the macroevolution of host plant relationships and phenotypic diversity among other phytophagous insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J McLeish
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
McLeish MJ, Chapman TW, Schwarz MP. Host-driven diversification of gall-inducing Acacia thrips and the aridification of Australia. BMC Biol 2007; 5:3. [PMID: 17257412 PMCID: PMC1796849 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-5-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2006] [Accepted: 01/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insects that feed on plants contribute greatly to the generation of biodiversity. Hypotheses explaining rate increases in phytophagous insect diversification and mechanisms driving speciation in such specialists remain vexing despite considerable attention. The proliferation of plant-feeding insects and their hosts are expected to broadly parallel one another where climate change over geological timescales imposes consequences for the diversification of flora and fauna via habitat modification. This work uses a phylogenetic approach to investigate the premise that the aridification of Australia, and subsequent expansion and modification of arid-adapted host flora, has implications for the diversification of insects that specialise on them. RESULTS Likelihood ratio tests indicated the possibility of hard molecular polytomies within two co-radiating gall-inducing species complexes specialising on the same set of host species. Significant tree asymmetry is indicated at a branch adjacent to an inferred transition to a Plurinerves ancestral host species. Lineage by time diversification plots indicate gall-thrips that specialise on Plurinerves hosts differentially experienced an explosive period of speciation contemporaneous with climatic cycling during the Quaternary period. Chronological analyses indicated that the approximate age of origin of gall-inducing thrips on Acacia might be as recent as 10 million years ago during the Miocene, as truly arid landscapes first developed in Australia. CONCLUSION Host-plant diversification and spatial heterogeneity of hosts have increased the potential for specialisation, resource partitioning, and unoccupied ecological niche availability for gall-thrips on Australian Acacia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J McLeish
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont, Cape Town, 7735, Republic of South Africa
| | - Thomas W Chapman
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Derbel S, Noumi Z, Werner Anton K, Chaieb M. Life cycle of the coleopter Bruchidius raddianae and the seed predation of the Acacia tortilis Subsp. raddiana in Tunisia. C R Biol 2007; 330:49-54. [PMID: 17241947 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2006.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2006] [Revised: 07/25/2006] [Accepted: 08/29/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Seeds of Acacia tortilis (Forsskal) Hayne ssp. raddiana (Save) Brenan, a savannah tree of great potential for forestry and an excellent browse for game and livestock, is heavily infested by the bruchid beetle Bruchidius raddianae Anton & Delobel. The development from egg to beetle, and the various development stages were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The adult B. raddianae lays eggs on the green pod in the autumn. The first instar larva hatches from five to seven weeks and develops outside the host seed. From the second instar onwards development took place inside the host seed. Pupation takes about three weeks, late in the summer. The beetle of B. raddianae is univoltine and the newly emerged adult makes an exit hole to leave the seed. During the development from first instar lava to imago, all embryonic tissue is destroyed. This results in a weakness of its soil seed stock, which reduces the possibilities of natural regeneration of the species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Salma Derbel
- Department of Biology, Science Faculty of Sfax, BP 802, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Amarillo-Suárez AR, Fox CW. Population differences in host use by a seed-beetle: local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects. Oecologia 2006; 150:247-58. [PMID: 16915403 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-006-0516-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2005] [Accepted: 07/15/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
For insects that develop inside discrete hosts, both host size and host quality constrain offspring growth, influencing the evolution of body size and life history traits. Using a two-generation common garden experiment, we quantified the contribution of maternal and rearing hosts to differences in growth and life history traits between populations of the seed-feeding beetle Stator limbatus that use a large-seeded host, Acacia greggii, and a small-seeded host, Pseudosamanea guachapele. Populations differed genetically for all traits when beetles were raised in a common garden. Contrary to expectations from the local adaptation hypothesis, beetles from all populations were larger, developed faster and had higher survivorship when reared on seeds of A. greggii (the larger host), irrespective of their native host. We observed two host plant-mediated maternal effects: offspring matured sooner, regardless of their rearing host, when their mothers were reared on P. guachapele (this was not caused by an effect of rearing host on egg size), and females laid larger eggs on P. guachapele. This is the first study to document plasticity by S. limbatus in response to P. guachapele, suggesting that plasticity is an ancestral trait in S. limbatus that likely plays an important role in diet expansion. Although differences between populations in growth and life history traits are likely adaptations to their host plants, host-associated maternal effects, partly mediated by maternal egg size plasticity, influence growth and life history traits and likely play an important role in the evolution of the breadth of S. limbatus' diet. More generally, phenotypic plasticity mediates the fitness consequences of using novel hosts, likely facilitating colonization of new hosts, but also buffering herbivores from selection post-colonization. Plasticity in response to novel versus normal hosts varied among our study populations such that disentangling the historical role of plasticity in mediating diet evolution requires the consideration of evolutionary history.
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Although insect galls are widely known to influence source-sink relationships in plants, the relationship between photosynthesis and gall activity has not been extensively studied. In this study we used 14CO2, photosynthesis, and respiration measurements to examine the capacity of bud galls induced by the wasp Trichilogaster signiventris (Pteromalidae) as carbon sinks in Acacia pycnantha. Galls of this species develop either in vegetative or reproductive buds, depending on the availability of tissues at different times of the year, and effectively eliminate seed production by the plant. Photosynthetic rates in phyllodes subtending clusters of galls were greater than rates in control phyllodes, a result we attributed to photosynthesis compensating for increased carbon demand by the galls. Contrary to previous studies, we found that photosynthesis within galls contributed substantially to the carbon budgets of the galls, particularly in large, mature galls, which exhibited lower specific respiration rates allowing for a net carbon gain in the light. To determine the sink capacity and competitive potential of galls, we measured the proportion of specific radioactivity in galls originating from either vegetative or reproductive buds and found no difference between them. The proportion of the total amount of phyllode-derived 14C accumulated in both clustered and solitary galls was less than that in fruits. Galls and fruits were predominantly reliant on subtending rather than on distant phyllodes for photosynthate. Solitary galls that developed in vegetative buds constituted considerably stronger sinks than galls in clusters on inflorescences where there was competition between galls or fruits for resources from the subtending phyllode. Wasps developing in solitary vegetative galls were correspondingly significantly larger than those from clustered galls. We conclude that, in the absence of inflorescence buds during summer and fall, the ability of the wasps to cause gall formation in vegetative tissues tempers intraspecific competition and substantially increases the availability of plant resources for the development of wasps in such galls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Netta Dorchin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
We used microsatellite data to estimate levels of inbreeding in four species of solitary gall thrips that are in the same clade as the six species with soldier castes. Three of the four species were highly inbred (Fis 0.54-0.68), and the other apparently mated randomly (Fis near zero). These estimates, combined with previous data from species with soldiers, suggest that inbreeding is a pervasive life-history feature of the gall-inducing thrips on Australian Acacia. Mapping of inbreeding estimates onto the phylogeny of the gall inducers showed that the ancestral lineage that gave rise to soldiers was apparently highly inbred, and therefore, inbreeding could have played a role in the origin of sociality within this group. Moreover, there was a trend from high levels of inbreeding at the origin of soldiers to low levels in the most derived species with soldiers, which exhibits the highest levels of reproductive division of labor and soldier altruism. These patterns are consistent with considerations from population genetics, which show that the likelihood of the origin of soldier altruism is higher in inbreeding populations but that, once soldiers have evolved, a reduction in inbreeding levels may facilitate the evolution of enhanced division of labor and reproductive skew.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J McLeish
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Acacia trees in the Negev desert and the Arava valley of Israel are suffering high levels of mortality due to water stress. Additionally, recruitment is negatively affected by bruchid beetles. We hypothesized that water-stressed trees would be less able to produce secondary defense compounds, such as the nonprotein amino acids, pipecolic acid and djenkolic acid, in their seeds to decrease seed herbivory. We further hypothesized that the high seed infestation reported is due to increased fitness of beetles infesting trees that are in a poor physiological state. Contrary to our prediction, pipecolic acid concentration was higher in water-stressed Acacia raddiana trees. We found that infestation rates and beetle fitness were higher in trees in a poor physiological state, despite the higher levels of pipecolic acid in these trees. There was a significant positive correlation between infestation level and the amounts of djenkolic acid in the seeds, indicating that the beetles may have found a means of utilizing djenkolic acid for their own benefit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Or
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institute for Desert Research Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer, Israel
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Moursi KS, Mesbah HA, Mourad AK, el-Damanhouri HI. Survey of insect and non-insect fauna associated with Acacia species in different localities in Egypt. Meded Rijksuniv Gent Fak Landbouwkd Toegep Biol Wet 2003; 66:581-8. [PMID: 12425081] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted throughout the period from May, 1997 up to March 1999 to survey the associated insect and non-insect fauna with Acacia species at some localities in Alexandria and Matrouh Governorates, Egypt. The list of identified species associated with Acacia at different localities revealed that there were many species representing 34 families and relating to 11 insect orders. These collected insects could be grouped into five categories according to their feeding habits as destructive insects, true insect pollinators, saprophytic insects, parasitoids and predators and visitors. Regarding the non-insect fauna, three land snails, pseudoscorpion species and earthworms were recorded associated with Acacia trees and litters under the trees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K S Moursi
- Agricultural Research Center, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
This review discusses studies conducted by the author and his colleagues on mistletoes and root hemiparasites native to Western Australia. Morphological characteristics of haustoria are described and their anatomical features are discussed in relation to uptake, transfer, and metabolism of xylem-borne nitrogenous solutes derived from a host. Experimental approaches used include comparisons of xylem sap composition of parasite and host(s), solute pool analyses and enzymatic properties of haustoria, host xylem feeding of 15N-labelled solutes to follow the fate of label in haustoria and body of the parasite, and studies using species-specific nonprotein amino acids to validate successful uptake from hosts or occasional backflow of xylem-borne solutes to a host. Field studies on promiscuous root hemiparasites assess frequencies of exploitation of different hosts. 15N natural abundance assays of host and parasite dry matter demonstrate marked preference by Santalum acuminatum for N2-fixing as opposed to nonfixing hosts. The ability of Olax phyllanthi to continue to exploit deep-rooted hosts ranks of importance when xylem water potentials of other hosts go out of sucking range during periods of water stress. Comparisons of xylem sap composition of parasites feeding on different hosts indicate remarkable versatility by haustoria in uptake and utilization of the different major nitrogenous solutes received from these hosts. Solute pools in parasites partly reflect metabolic transformations accentuated by haustoria while also indicating direct throughput from xylem of a host. The review concludes by showing how empirically based modelling techniques can be used to estimate proportional gains of N by parasites from single hosts and repercussions on host growth which accompany such exploitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J S Pate
- Botany Department, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6907, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Chapman TW, Crespi BJ, Kranz BD, Schwarz MP. High relatedness and inbreeding at the origin of eusociality in gall-inducing thrips. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2000; 97:1648-50. [PMID: 10660681 PMCID: PMC26489 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.020510097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the haplodiploid eusocial gall-inducing thrips, a species-level phylogeny combined with genetic data for five eusocial species enables an inference of levels of relatedness and inbreeding values for lineages at the origin of eusociality. Character optimization using data from five eusocial species indicates that the lineage or lineages where eusociality is inferred to have originated exhibit relatedness of 0.64-0.92, and F(IS) of 0.33-0.64. The high inbreeding coefficients found in these eusocial thrips have increased relatedness among and within both sexes and have reduced the haplodiploidy-induced relatedness asymmetries [Hamilton, W. D. (1964) J. Theor. Biol. 7, 1-52]. These results indicate that unusually high relatedness is associated with the origin of eusociality, and they suggest a role for inbreeding in the evolution of bisexual helping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T W Chapman
- Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada V5A 1S6
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Crespi BJ, Carmean DA, Mound LA, Worobey M, Morris D. Phylogenetics of social behavior in Australian gall-forming thrips: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequence, adult morphology and behavior, and gall morphology. Mol Phylogenet Evol 1998; 9:163-80. [PMID: 9479705 DOI: 10.1006/mpev.1997.0449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Six species of Australian gall-forming thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) on Acacia exhibit soldier castes, individuals with reduced wings and enlarged forelegs that defend their gall against interspecific invaders. We used data from two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I and 16S rDNA), adult morphology and behavior, and gall morphology to infer a phylogeny for Acacia gall-forming thrips with and without soldiers, and we used this phylogeny to evaluate hypotheses concerning soldier evolution. Phylogenies inferred from each data set analyzed separately yielded large numbers of most-parsimonious trees and weak support for most nodes. However, when analyzed together the data sets complemented and reinforced one another in such a way as to yield a well-resolved phylogeny. Our phylogeny implies that soldiers originated once or twice early in the history of this clade, that soldiers were lost once or twice, and that soldiers evolved from winged dispersers rather than from nonsoldier within-gall reproductive offspring of foundresses. The phylogeny also provides evidence for long-term morphological stasis, an ancient split between eastern and western gall thrips species, and a high degree of conservatism in host-plant affiliations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B J Crespi
- Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abdullah MA, Abulfatih HA. Predation of Acacia seeds by bruchid beetles and its relation to altitudinal gradient in south-western Saudi Arabia. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 1994; 24:107-19. [PMID: 8169432] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of the Acacia trees and their bruchid seed beetles in south-western Saudi Arabia revealed that each of the host-insect pair occupied a specific range along the altitudinal gradient from sea level to 2500 m. At low to intermediate altitudes, between sea level and 1750 m, at hot to worm environments, the following host-insect pairs were recorded: Acacia asak--Bruchidius. sp., A. ehrenbergiana--B.saudicus, A.hamulosa--B.sp., A.oerfota--B.sp., A.seyal--B. sp., A.tortilis--B. aurivilli and A.tortilis--B. sahelicus. At high altitudes between 1750 and 2500m, at cool environment the following host insect pairs were recorded: A.negrii--B.arabicus and A.gerrardii--B.arabicus. The rate of seed predation varied among Acacia spp., but the highest were recorded in A. tortilis and A. ehrenbergiana.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M A Abdullah
- Department of Biology, College of Education, King Saud University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | | |
Collapse
|