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1,854 results for “Host plant”
Data from: Survival relative to new and ancestral host plants, phytoplasma infection and genetic constitution in host races of a polyphagous insect disease vector
Dissemination of vectorborne diseases depends strongly on the vector's host range and the pathogen's reservoir range. Because vectors interact with pathogens, the direction and strength of a vector's host shift is vital for understanding epidemiology and is embedded in the framework of ecological specialization. This study investigates survival in host-race evolution of a polyphagous insect disease vector, Hyalesthes obsoletus, whether survival is related to the direction of the host shift (from field bindweed to stinging nettle), the interaction with plant-specific strains of obligate vectored pathogens/symbionts (stolbur phytoplasma), and whether survival is related to genetic differentiation between the host races. We used a twice repeated, identical nested experimental design to study survival of the vector on alternative hosts and relative to infection status. Survival was tested with Kaplan–Meier analyses, while genetic differentiation between vector populations was quantified with microsatellite allele frequencies. We found significant direct effects of host plant (reduced survival on wrong hosts) and sex (males survive longer than females) in both host races and relative effects of host (nettle animals more affected than bindweed animals) and sex (males more affected than females). Survival of bindweed animals was significantly higher on symptomatic than nonsymptomatic field bindweed, but in the second experiment only. Infection potentially had a positive effect on survival in nettle animals but due to low infection rates the results remain suggestive. Genetic differentiation was not related to survival. Greater negative plant-transfer effect but no negative effect of stolbur in the derived host race suggests preadaptation to the new pathogen/symbiont strain before strong diversifying selection during the specialization process. Physiological maladaptation or failure to accept the ancestral plant will have similar consequences, namely positive assortative mating within host races and a reduction in the likelihood of oviposition on the alternative plant and thus the acquisition of alternative stolbur strains.
Host-plant choices determined by reproductive interference between closely related butterflies
<p>A number of empirical studies have concluded that reproductive interference, RI, contributes to parapatric species distributions or sexual exclusion. However, the possibility that divergent host-plant use in phytophagous insects is due to sexual exclusion has seldom been considered. Here we present evidence that RI is responsible for different host-plant use by two Pierid butterfly species, Pieris napi and P. melete . When a novel host species was introduced about 50 years ago, two Pierid butterfly species at first used both the ancestral host species and the novel one. Subsequently, P. napi shifted to use only the novel host, while P. melete shifted to specialize on the ancestral host. To explain these patterns, we investigated whether the two host species differ in suitability for larval growth and survival. Additionally, we tested whether RI occurred between the two species using large outdoor field cages. Courtship of females by conspecific and heterospecific males reduces the number of eggs laid by approximately half. However, RI is asymmetric and would generate selection on P. melete females to evolve to avoid the more suitable host species preferred by P. napi . Thus, our study suggests that sexual exclusion can explain the shift in host use by these two butterfly species.</p>
Data from: Beyond preference and performance: host plant selection by monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus
The connection between adult preferences and offspring performance is long-standing issue in understanding the evolutionary and ecological forces that dictate host associations and specialization in herbivorous insects. Indeed, decisions made by females about where to lay their eggs have direct consequences for fitness and are influenced by interacting factors including offspring performance, defence, and competition. Nonetheless, in addition to these attributes of the offspring, a female's choices may be affected by her own prior experience. Here we examined oviposition preference, larval performance, and the role of learning in the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, which encounters diverse milkweed host species across its broad range and over the course of migration. Monarch females consistently preferred to oviposit on Asclepias incarnata subspecies pulchra. This plant, however, was associated with poor caterpillar growth, low sequestration of toxins, and the highest plant defences (latex and trichomes). We examined flexibility in this apparently maladaptive preference by testing the impact of previous experience and competition on preference. Experience laying on an alternative plant species enhanced preference for that species in contrast to A. i. pulchra. In addition, presence of a (competing) conspecific caterpillar on A. i. pulchra had a strongly deterrent effect and reversed host plant preferences. Thus, monarch butterflies exhibit preferences contrary to what would be expected based on offspring development and sequestered defences, but their preferences are altered by learning and competition, which may allow butterflies to shift preferences as they encounter diverse milkweeds across the landscape. Learning and perception of threats (i.e., competition or predation) may be critical for most herbivorous insects, which universally experience heterogeneity among their potential host plants.
Congruent population genetic structures and divergence histories in anther-smut fungi and their host plants Silene italica and the S. nutans species complex
The study of population genetic structure congruence between hosts and pathogens gives important insights into their shared phylogeographic and coevolutionary histories. We studied the population genetic structure of castrating anther-smut fungi (<i>Microbotryum</i> genus) and of their host plants, the <i>Silene nutans</i> species complex, and the morphologically and genetically close <i>S. italica</i>, which can be found in sympatry. Phylogeographic population genetic structure related to persistence in separate glacial refugia has been recently revealed in the <i>S. nutans</i> plant species complex across Western Europe, identifying several distinct lineages. We genotyped 171 associated plant-pathogen pairs of anther-smut fungi and their host plant individuals using microsatellite markers and plant chloroplastic SNPs. We found clear differentiation between fungal populations parasitizing <i>S. nutans</i> and <i>S. italica</i> plants. The population genetic structure of fungal strains parasitizing the <i>S. nutans</i> plant species complex mirrored the host plant genetic structure, suggesting that the pathogen was isolated in glacial refugia together with its host and/or that it has specialized on the plant genetic lineages. Using random forest approximate Bayesian computation (ABC-RF), we found that the divergence history of the fungal lineages on <i>S. nutans</i> was congruent with the one previously inferred for the host plant and likely occurred with ancient but no recent gene flow. Genome sequences confirmed the genetic structure and the absence of recent gene flow between fungal genetic lineages. Our analyses of host-pathogen individual pairs contribute to a better understanding of co-evolutionary histories between hosts and pathogens in natural ecosystems, in which such studies are still scarce.
Data from: The genetic architecture of ecological adaptation: intraspecific variation in host plant use by the lepidopteran crop pest Chloridea virescens
Intraspecific variation in ecologically important traits is a cornerstone of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. The evolution and maintenance of this variation depends on genetic architecture, which in turn determines responses to natural selection. Some models suggest that traits with complex architectures are less likely to respond to selection than those with simple architectures, yet rapid divergence has been observed in such traits. The simultaneous evolutionary lability and genetic complexity of host plant use in the Lepidopteran subfamily Heliothinae suggest that architecture may not constrain ecological adaptation in this group. Here we investigate the response of Chloridea virescens, a generalist that feeds on diverse plant species, to selection for performance on a novel host, Physalis angulata (Solanaceae). P. angulata is the preferred host of Chloridea subflexa, a narrow specialist on the genus Physalis. In previous experiments, we found that the performance of C. subflexa on P. angulata depends on many loci of small effect distributed throughout the genome, but whether the same architecture would be involved in the generalist's adoption of P. angulata was unknown. Here we report a rapid response to selection in C. virescens for performance on P. angulata, and establish that the genetic architecture of intraspecific variation is quite similar to that of the interspecific differences in terms of the number, distribution, and effect sizes of the QTL involved. We discuss the impact of genetic architecture on the ability of Heliothine moths to respond to varying ecological selection pressures.
Host plant phenology, insect outbreaks and herbivore communities – the importance of timing
1. Climate change may alter the dynamics of outbreak species by changing the phenological synchrony between herbivores and their host plants. As host plant phenology has a genotypic component that may interact with climate, infestation levels among genotypes might change accordingly. When the outbreaking herbivore is active early in the season, its infestation levels may also leave a detectable imprint on herbivores colonizing the plant later in the season. 2. In this study, we first investigated how the spring phenology and genotype of Quercus robur influenced the density of the spring-active, outbreaking leaf miner Acrocercops brongniardellus. We then assessed how intraspecific density affected the performance of A. brongniardellus and how oak genotype and density of A. brongniardellus affected the insect herbivore community. 3. We found that Q. robur individuals of late spring phenology were more strongly infested by A. brongniardellus. Conspecific pupae on heavily infested oaks tended to be lighter, and fewer heterospecific insect herbivores colonized the oak later in the season. Beyond its effects through phenology, plant genotype left an imprint on herbivore species richness and on two insect herbivores. 4. Our results suggest a chain of knock-on effects from plant phenology, through the outbreaking species to the insect herbivore community. Given the finding of how phenological synchrony between the outbreak species and its host plant influences infestation levels, a shift in synchrony may then change outbreak dynamics and cause cascading effects on the insect community. 29-Oct-2019
Data from: The effect of rhizosphere microbes outweighs host plant genotype in reducing insect herbivory
Rhizosphere microbes affect plant performance, including plant resistance against insect herbivores; yet, a direct comparison of the relative influence of rhizosphere microbes vs. plant genotype on herbivory levels and on metabolites related to defense is lacking. In the crucifer Boechera stricta, we tested the effects of rhizosphere microbes and plant genotype on herbivore resistance, the primary metabolome, and select secondary metabolites. Plant populations differed significantly in the concentrations of 6 glucosinolates (GLS), secondary metabolites known to provide herbivore resistance in the Brassicaceae. The population with lower GLS levels experienced ~60% higher levels of aphid (Aphis spp.) attack; no association was observed between GLS and damage by a second herbivore, flea beetles (Altica spp.). Rhizosphere microbiome (disrupted vs. intact native microbiome) had no effect on plant GLS concentrations. However, aphid number and flea beetle damage were respectively ~3-fold and 7-fold higher among plants grown in the disrupted vs. intact native microbiome treatment. These differences may be attributable to shifts in primary metabolic pathways previously implicated in host defense against herbivores, including increases in pentose and glucoronate interconversion among plants grown with an intact microbiome. Further, native microbiomes with distinct community composition (as estimated from 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing) differed 2-fold in their effect on host plant susceptibility to aphids. The findings suggest that rhizosphere microbes, including distinct native microbiomes, can play a greater role than plant genotype in defense against insect herbivores, and act through metabolic mechanisms independent of plant genotype.
Data from: Forest fire severity affects host plant quality and insect herbivore damage
Climate change models predict increased forest fire occurrence and severity in the near future. Forest fire disturbance affects multiple ecological interactions, but there is little evidence for how naturally-occurring fires affect plant quality and herbivore damage, which is important because plants and herbivorous insects comprisemost of the diversity in natural ecosystems and are responsible for a variety of ecosystem services. We surveyed three fires in the Rocky Mountains to investigate the effects of fire severity on wax currant (Ribes cereum), an important source of food and cover for wildlife in Colorado. We measured plant quality and herbivore damage; we found that fire severity had a significant negative effect on both measures. Notably, high severity fires decreased herbivore damage by about 50%. Furthermore, we found that the effect of fire on insect herbivore damage is mostly direct, but that indirect effects mediated through changes in plant quality are also significant. Our results have important implications for the effects of climate-driven increases in fire severity on plant-insect interactions, illustrating strong direct and weaker indirect negative effects of fire severity in a forest ecosystem.
Data from: Horizontal gene acquisitions, mobile element proliferation, and genome decay in the host - restricted plant pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila
Modern industrial agriculture depends on high density cultivation of genetically similar crop plants, creating favorable conditions for the emergence of novel pathogens with increased fitness in managed compared to ecologically intact settings. Here, we present the genome sequence of six strains of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila (Enterobacteriaceae) isolated from infected squash plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Michigan. These genomes exhibit a high proportion of recent horizontal gene acquisitions, invasion and remarkable amplification of mobile genetic elements, and pseudogenization of ~20% of the coding sequences. These genome attributes indicate that E. tracheiphila recently emerged as a host-restricted pathogen. Furthermore, chromosomal rearrangements associated with phage and transposable element proliferation contributes to substantial differences in gene content and genetic architecture between the six E. tracheiphila strains and other Erwinia species. Together, these data lead us to hypothesize that E. tracheiphila has undergone recent evolution via both genome decay (pseudogenization) and genome expansion (horizontal gene transfer and mobile element amplification). Despite evidence of dramatic genomic changes, the six strains are genetically monomorphic, suggesting a recent population bottleneck and emergence into E. tracheiphila's current ecological niche.
Data from: Implications of a temperature increase for host plant range: predictions for a butterfly
Although changes in phenology and species associations are relatively well-documented responses to global warming, the potential interactions between these phenomena are less well understood. In this study, we investigate the interactions between temperature, phenology (in terms of seasonal timing of larval growth) and host plant use in the polyphagous butterfly Polygonia c-album. We found that the hierarchy of larval performance on three natural host plants was not modified by a temperature increase as such. However, larval performance on each host plant and temperature treatment was affected by rearing season. Even though larvae performed better at the higher temperature regardless of the time of the rearing, relative differences between host plants changed with the season. For larvae reared late in the season, performance was always better on the herbaceous plant than on the woody plants. In this species, it is likely that a prolonged warming will lead to a shift from univoltinism to bivoltinism. The demonstrated interaction between host plant suitability and season means that such a shift is likely to lead to a shift in selective regime, favoring specialization on the herbaceous host. Based on our result, we suggest that host range evolution in response to temperature increase would in this species be highly contingent on whether the population undergoes a predicted shift from one to two generations. We discuss the effect of global warming on species associations and the outcome of asynchrony in rates of phenological change.
Data from: Sequential horizontal gene transfers from different hosts in a widespread Eurasian parasitic plant, Cynomorium coccineum
Premise of the study: Parasites with large geographic ranges, and different hosts in parts of their range, might acquire horizontally-transferred genes (HGTs), which might sometimes leave a footprint of gradual host and range expansion. Cynomorium coccineum, the only member of the Saxifragales family Cynomoriaceae, is a root holoparasite that occurs in water-stressed habitats from western China to the Canary Islands. It parasitizes at least ten angiosperm families from different orders, some of them only in parts of its range. This parasite therefore offers an opportunity to trace HGTs as long as parasite/host pairs can be obtained and sequenced. Methods: By sequencing mitochondrial, plastid, and nuclear loci from parasite/host pairs from throughout the parasite's range and with prior information from completely assembled mitochondrial and plastid genomes, we detected ten HGTs of five mitochondrial genes. Key Results: The ten HGTs appear to have occurred sequentially as C. coccineum expanded from East to West. Molecular-clock models yield Cynomorium stem ages between 66 and 156 Myr, with relaxed clocks converging on 66–67 Myr. Chinese Sapindales, probably Nitraria, were the first source of transferred genes, followed by Iranian and Mediterranean Caryophyllales. The most recently acquired gene appears to come from a Tamarix host in the Iberian Peninsula. Conclusion: Data on HGTs that have accumulated over the past 15 years, along with this discovery of multiple HGTs within a single widespread species, underline the need for more whole-genome data from parasite/host pairs to investigate if and how transferred copies coexist with, or replace, native functional genes. In compliance with data protection regulations, you may request that we remove your personal registration details at any time. (Use the following URL: https://www.editorialmanager.com/ajb/login.asp?a=r) Please contact the publication office if you have any questions.
Data from: Unravelling the role of host plant expansion in the diversification of a Neotropical butterfly genus
Background: Understanding the processes underlying diversification is a central question in evolutionary biology. For butterflies, access to new host plants provides opportunities for adaptive speciation. On the one hand, locally abundant host species can generate ecologically significant selection pressure. But a diversity of host plant species within the geographic range of each population and/or species might also eliminate any advantage conferred by specialization. This paper focuses on four Melinaea species, which are oligophagous on the family Solanaceae: M. menophilus, M. satevis, M. marsaeus, and finally, M. mothone. We examined both female preference and larval performance on two host plant species that commonly occur in this butterfly's native range, Juanulloa parasitica and Trianaea speciosa, to determine whether the different Melinaea species show evidence of local adaptation. Result: In choice experiments, M. mothone females used both host plants for oviposition, whereas all other species used J. parasitica almost exclusively. In no choice experiment, M. mothone was the only species that readily accepted T. speciosa as a larval host plant. Larval survival was highest on J. parasitica (82.0 % vs. 60.9 %) and development took longer on T. speciosa (14.12 days vs. 13.35 days), except for M. mothone, which did equally well on both host plants. For all species, average pupal weight was highest on J. parasitica (450.66 mg vs. 420.01 mg), although this difference was least apparent in M. mothone. Conclusion: We did not find that coexisting species of Melinaea partition host plant resources as expected if speciation is primarily driven by host plant divergence. Although M. mothone shows evidence of local adaptation to a novel host plant, T. speciosa, which co-occurs, it does not preferentially lay more eggs on or perform better on this host plant than on host plants used by other Melinaea species and not present in its distributional range. It is likely that diversification in this genus is driven by co-occurring Müllerian mimics and the resulting predation pressure, although this is also likely made possible by greater niche diversity as a consequence of plasticity for potential hosts.
Data from: Bumble bee nest abundance, foraging distance, and host-plant reproduction: implications for management and conservation
Recent reports of global declines in pollinator species imply an urgent need to assess the abundance of native pollinators and density-dependent benefits for linked plants. In this study, we investigated (1) pollinator nest distributions and estimated colony abundances, (2) the relationship between abundances of foraging workers and the number of nests they represent, (3) pollinator foraging ranges, and (4) the relationship between pollinator abundance and plant reproduction. We examined these questions in an alpine ecosystem in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, focusing on four alpine bumble bee species (Bombus balteatus, B. flavifrons, B. bifarius, and B. sylvicola), and two host plants that differ in their degrees of pollinator specialization (Trifolium dasyphyllum and T. parryi). Using microsatellites, we found that estimated colony abundances among Bombus species ranged from ~18 to 78 colonies/0.01 km2. The long-tongued species B. balteatus was most common, especially high above treeline, but the subalpine species B. bifarius was unexpectedly abundant for this elevation range. Nests detected among sampled foragers of each species were correlated with the number of foragers caught. Foraging ranges were smaller than expected for all Bombus species, ranging from 25 to 110 m. Fruit set for the specialized plant, Trifolium parryi, was positively related to the abundance of its Bombus pollinator. In contrast, fruit set for the generalized plant, T. dasyphyllum, was related to abundance of all Bombus species. Because forager abundance was related to nest abundance of each Bombus species and was an equally effective predictor of plant fecundity, forager inventories are probably suitable for assessing the health of outcrossing plant populations. However, nest abundance, rather than forager abundance, better reflects demographic and genetic health in populations of eusocial pollinators such as bumble bees. Development of models incorporating the parameters we have measured here (nest abundance, forager abundance, and foraging distance) could increase the usefulness of foraging worker inventories in monitoring, managing, and conserving pollinator populations.
Data from: Host plants of the non-swarming edible bush cricket Ruspolia differens
The edible Ruspolia differens (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) is a widely-consumed insect in East Africa but surprisingly little is known of its host plant use in the field. We studied host plants used by non-swarming R. differens for 15 months, in central Uganda. In particular, we assessed the use of host plant species with respect to host cover in the field and host parts used by R. differens, also recording their sex, developmental stages, and colour morph. Ruspolia differens were found on 19 grass and two sedge species and they were observed predominantly (99% of 20,915 observations) on seven grasses (namely, Panicum maximum, Brachiaria ruziziensis, Chloris gayana, Hyparrhenia rufa, Cynodon dactylon, Sporobolus pyramidalis, and Pennisetum purpureum). Ruspolia differens was most frequently observed on the most common grass of each study site but P. maximum, and S. pyramidalis were used more frequently than expected from their cover in the field. Furthermore, R. differens were observed predominantly on inflorescences (97% of feeding observations) and much less frequently on the leaves (3.0%), stems (0.1%), and inflorescence stalks (0.1%) of grasses and sedges. Host use was not independent of sex, developmental stage, or colour morph. Panicum maximum was the preferred host of the youngest nymphs of R. differens. Overall, our findings indicate that a continuous supply of diverse grass resources with inflorescences is necessary for the management and conservation of wild populations of R. differens.
Data from: Allopatric origin of cryptic butterfly species that were discovered feeding on distinct host plants in sympatry
Surveys of tropical insects are increasingly uncovering cryptic species - morphologically similar yet reproductively isolated taxa once thought to comprise a single interbreeding entity. The vast majority of such species are described from a single location. This leaves us with little information on geographic range and intraspecific variation and limits our ability to infer the forces responsible for generating such diversity. For example, in herbivorous and parasitic insects, multiple specialists are often discovered within what were thought to be single more generalized species. Host shifts are likely to have contributed to speciation in these cases. But when and where did those shifts occur, and were they facilitated by geographic isolation? We attempted to answer these questions for two cryptic species within the butterfly Cymothoe egesta that were recently discovered on different host plants in central Cameroon. We first used mtDNA markers to separate individuals collected on the two hosts within Cameroon and then extended our analysis to incorporate individuals collected across the entire pan-Afrotropical range of the original taxon. To our surprise, we found that the species are almost entirely allopatric, dividing the original range and overlapping only in the narrow zone of West-Central Africa where they were first discovered in sympatry. This finding, combined with analyses of genetic variation within each butterfly species, strongly suggests that speciation occurred in allopatry, probably during the Pleistocene. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding speciation among other cryptic species recently discovered in the tropics and argue that more work is needed on geographic patterns and host usage in such taxa.
Data from: Plant host and soil origin influence fungal and bacterial assemblages in the roots of woody plants
Microbial communities in plant roots provide critical links between above and belowground processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Variation in root communities has been attributed to plant host effects and microbial host preferences, as well as to factors pertaining to soil conditions, microbial biogeography and the presence of viable microbial propagules. To address hypotheses regarding the influence of plant host and soil biogeography on root fungal and bacterial communities we designed a trap-plant bioassay experiment. Replicate Populus, Quercus, and Pinus plants were grown in three soils originating from alternate field sites. Fungal and bacterial community profiles in the root of each replicate were assessed through multiplex 454 amplicon sequencing of 4 loci (i.e. 16S, SSU, ITS, LSU rDNA). Soil origin had a larger effect on fungal community composition than did host species, but the opposite was true for bacterial communities. Populus hosted the highest diversity of rhizospheric fungi and bacteria. Root communities on Quercus and Pinus were more similar to each other than to Populus. Overall, fungal root symbionts appear to be more constrained by dispersal and biogeography than by host availability.
Data from: Host plant associations and geography interact to shape diversification in a specialist insect herbivore
Disentangling the processes underlying geographic and environmental patterns of biodiversity challenges biologists as such patterns emerge from eco-evolutionary processes confounded by spatial autocorrelation among sample units. The herbivorous insect, Belonocnema treatae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), exhibits regional specialization on three plant species whose geographic distributions range from sympatry through allopatry across the southern USA. Using range-wide sampling spanning the geographic ranges of the three host plants and genotyping-by-sequencing of 1,217 individuals, we tested whether this insect herbivore exhibited host-plant-associated genomic differentiation while controlling for spatial autocorrelation among the 58 sample sites. Population genomic structure based on 40,699 SNPs was evaluated using the hierarchical Bayesian model ENTROPY to assign individuals to genetic clusters and estimate admixture proportions. To control for spatial autocorrelation, distance-based Moran's eigenvector mapping was used to construct regression variables summarizing spatial structure inherent among sample sites. Distance based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) incorporating the spatial variables was then applied to partition host-plant-associated differentiation (HAD) from spatial autocorrelation. By combining ENTROPY and dbRDA to analyze SNP data we unveiled a complex mosaic of highly structured differentiation within and among gall former populations finding evidence that geography, HAD and spatial autocorrelation all play significant roles in explaining patterns of genomic differentiation in B. treatae. While dbRDA confirmed host association as a significant predictor of patterns of genomic variation, spatial autocorrelation among sites explained the largest proportion of variation. Our results demonstrate the value of combining dbRDA with hierarchical structural analyses to partition spatial/environmental patterns of genomic variation.
Data from: Males, but not females, perform strategic mate searching movements between host plants in a leaf beetle with scramble competition polygyny
1. Mate searching is assumed to be performed mostly by males, but when females benefit from multiple mating or are under risk of failing to mate, they may also perform mate searching. This is especially important in scramble competition polygynies, in which mate searching is the main mechanism of mate competition. Typically, more mobile individuals are expected to achieve higher mating success because mobility increases their probability of finding mates. 2. If we assume individual movements are mainly explained by mate searching in scramble competition polygynies, we can investigate searching strategies by asking when individuals should leave their location and where they should go. We hypothesize that individuals will leave their locations when mating opportunities are scarce and will seek spatially close sites with better mating opportunities. 3. We tested these hypotheses for males and females of Leptinotarsa undecimlineata, a leaf beetle with scramble competition polygyny in which both sexes are promiscuous. Individuals mate and feed exclusively on Solanum plants, thus individual movements can be described as switches between plants. 4. Females were less likely than males to leave isolated plants, and both males and females moved preferentially to neighbouring plants. Males were more likely to leave when the local number of females was low, and the number of males was high. They moved to plants with more females, a behaviour consistent with a mate searching strategy. Females were more likely to move to plants with fewer males and many females, a behaviour consistent with male harassment avoidance. 5. Strategic movement is widely considered in foraging context, but seldom in a mate searching context. Considering that selection to minimize searching costs, maximize mating success, and minimize harassment may be ubiquitous in nature, we argue that strategic movements by mate searching individuals are likely to occur in many species.
Data from: Epiphytes improve host plant water use by microenvironment modification
1. Epiphytes have the potential to modify the canopy environments in which they grow. Accurately evaluating the impact of epiphytes can be challenging, since plants without epiphytes may also otherwise differ from host plants, and experimental removal is impractical and difficult to replicate in many forests. 2. We studied the impacts of epiphytes (primarily fruticose lichens and Tillandsia spp.) on host plants (Eulychnia saint-pieana and Caesalpinia spinosa) in two fog ecosystems in Chile (Pan de Azucar) and Peru (Atiquipa). These desert ecosystems sustain very high epiphyte loads and depend heavily on fog-water inputs. Using a combination of artificial substrates and epiphyte removals we show significant impacts of epiphytes on their host plants. 3. The presence of epiphytes reduced throughfall volumes, reducing fog and rainfall inputs to the soil beneath host plant canopies. 4. Soil moisture loss rate was increased below cacti after removal of epiphytes from sun-facing but not shade-facing branches. This suggests epiphyte effects on hosts are microclimatic. 5. Epiphytes also buffered temperature fluctuations and reduced daytime vapour pressure deficit (VPD). 6. Epiphytes can have strong effects on host plant ecophysiology and forest ecosystem processes, making them an important component for models and studies of canopy environments.
Data from: Spatiotemporal variation in local adaptation of a specialist insect herbivore to its long-lived host plant
Local adaptation of interacting species to one another indicates geographically variable reciprocal selection. This process of adaptation is central in the organization and maintenance of genetic variation across populations. Given that the strength of selection and responses to it often vary in time and space, the strength of local adaptation should in theory vary between generations and among populations. However, such spatiotemporal variation has rarely been explicitly demonstrated in nature and local adaptation is commonly considered to be relatively static. We report persistent local adaptation of the short-lived herbivore Abrostola asclepiadis to its long-lived host plant Vincetoxicum hirundinaria over three successive generations in two studied populations and considerable temporal variation in local adaptation in six populations supporting the geographic mosaic theory. The observed variation in local adaptation among populations was best explained by geographic distance and population isolation, suggesting that gene flow reduces local adaptation. Changes in herbivore population size did not conclusively explain temporal variation in local adaptation. Our results also imply that short-term studies are likely to capture only a part of the existing variation in local adaptation.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
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The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
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