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Figures 81-88 from: Stonis JR, Diškus A, Remeikis A, Solis MA, Katinas L (2020) Exotic-looking Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) and their host plants. ZooKeys 970: 117-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.970.54801

Figures 81-88 Male genitalia of Astrotischeria cornuata sp. nov. 81 uncus, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD975, ventral view 82 same, lateral view 83 general view of capsule with phallus removed, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD522 84 same, focused on valvae, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD975 85 apex of phallus, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD975 86 general view of phallus, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD522 87 dorsal processes of valvae and pseudotranstilla, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD975, ventral view 88 same, lateral view (ZIN).

Figures 32-37 from: Stonis JR, Diškus A, Remeikis A, Solis MA, Katinas L (2020) Exotic-looking Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) and their host plants. ZooKeys 970: 117-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.970.54801

Figures 32-37 Bionomics of Paratischeria mesoamericana sp. nov. 32 habitat and host plant Montanoa hibiscifolia Benth., Asteraceae, elevation 1680 m, San Juan del Obispo, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala 33–37 leaf mines with feeding larvae.

Figures 111-115 from: Stonis JR, Diškus A, Remeikis A, Solis MA, Katinas L (2020) Exotic-looking Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) and their host plants. ZooKeys 970: 117-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.970.54801

Figures 111-115 Female genitalia of Paratischeria suprafasciata sp. nov. 111 holotype, genitalia slide no. AD967, general view 112 same, coils of ductus spermathecae 113 same, fragment of corpus bursae 114 same, ovipositor lobes 115 same, apophyses and prela (ZIN).

Figures 127-137 from: Stonis JR, Diškus A, Remeikis A, Solis MA, Katinas L (2020) Exotic-looking Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) and their host plants. ZooKeys 970: 117-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.970.54801

Figures 127-137 Paratischeria neotropicana (Diškus & Stonis, 2015). 127 male genitalia, capsule with phallus inside, Rio Dulce, Guatemala, genitalia slide no. RA492 (USNM) 128 host plant Sida L., Malvaceae129 distribution map (for the localities see Material examined) 130–137 leaf mines, Coroico, Bolivia.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Generalised host-plant feeding can hide sterol specialised foraging behaviours in bee-plant interactions

Host-plant selection is a key factor driving the ecology and evolution of insects. While the majority of phytophagous insects are highly host specific, generalist behaviour is quite widespread among bees and presumably involves physiological adaptations that remain largely unexplored. However floral visitation patterns suggest that generalist bees do not forage randomly on all available resources. While resource availability and accessibility as well as nectar composition have been widely explored, pollen chemistry could also have an impact on the range of suitable host-plants. This study focuses on particular pollen nutrients that cannot be synthesised de novo by insects but are key compounds of cell membranes and the precursor for moulting process: the sterols. We compared the sterol composition of pollen from the main host-plants of three generalist bees: Anthophora plumipes,Colletes cuniculariusand Osmia cornuta, as well as one specialist bee Andrena vaga. We also analysed the sterols of their brood cell provisions, the tissues of larvae and non-emerged females to determine which sterols are used by the different species. Our results show that sterols are not used accordingly to foraging strategy: Both the specialist species Andrena vagaand the generalist species Colletes cuniculariusmight metabolise a rare C27sterol, while the two generalist species Anthophora plumipesand Osmiacornutamight rather use a very common C28sterol. Our results suggest that shared sterolic compounds among plant species could facilitate the exploitation of multiple host-plants by A. plumipesand O. cornutawhereas the generalist C. cuniculariusmight be more constrained due to its physiological requirements of a more uncommon dietary sterol. Our findings suggest that a bee displaying a generalist foraging behaviour may sometimes hide a sterol-specialised species. This evidence challenges the hypothesis that all generalist free-living bee species are all able to develop on a wide range of different pollen types.

opennotspecifiedOct 2020View details →

FIGURES 11–14 in Thysanoptera host-plant associations, with an account of species living on Tamarix, and a new species of Lissothrips (Phlaeothripidae)

FIGURES 11–14. Liothrips reuteri (female), variation in antenna.

opencc-zeroJan 2021View details →

Context-dependent reproductive isolation: host plant variability drives fitness of hybrid herbivores

The role of divergent selection between alternative environments is well-recognized to promote reproductive isolation (RI) between lineages. However, most studies view each divergent environment as homogenous, thereby overlooking the potential role of within environment variation on RI between differentiating lineages. Here we test the importance of microenvironmental variation on RI using individual trees of two host plants each harboring locally adapted populations of the cynipid wasp, Belonocnema treatae. We compared the fitness surrogate (survival) of offspring from hybrid crosses with residents across individuals of each host plant Quercus virginiana and Q. geminata. We found evidence of weak hybrid inviability between host-associated lineages of B. treatae despite strong genomic differentiation. However, averaging across environments, masked great variation in hybrid fitness on individual trees, where hybrids performed worse than, equal to, or better than residents. Considering the environmental context of hybridization is thus critical to improving the predictability of divergence under variable selection.

opencc-zeroDec 2011View details →

Data from: Genome scans reveal candidate regions involved in the adaptation to host plant in the pea aphid complex

A major goal in evolutionary biology is to uncover the genetic basis of adaptation. Divergent selection exerted on ecological traits may result in adaptive population differentiation and reproductive isolation and affect differentially the level of genetic divergence along the genome. Genome-wide scan of large sets of individuals from multiple populations is a powerful approach to identify loci or genomic regions under ecologically divergent selection. Here, we focused on the pea aphid, a species complex of divergent host races, to explore the organization of the genomic divergence associated with host-plant adaptation and ecological speciation. We analyzed 390 microsatellite markers located at variable distances from predicted genes in replicate samples of sympatric populations of the pea aphid collected on alfalfa, red clover and pea, which correspond to three common host-adapted races reported in this species complex. Using a method that accounts for the hierarchical structure of our dataset, we found a set of 11 outlier loci that show higher genetic differentiation between host races than expected under the null hypothesis of neutral evolution. Two of the outliers are close to olfactory receptor genes and three other nearby genes encoding salivary proteins. The remaining outliers are located in regions with genes of unknown functions, or which functions are unlikely to be involved in interactions with the host plant. This study reveals genetic signatures of divergent selection across the genome and provides an inventory of candidate genes responsible for plant specialization in the pea aphid, thereby setting the stage for future functional studies.

opencc-zeroDec 2011View details →

Data from: Use of an exotic host plant affects mate choice in an insect herbivore

The colonization of exotic plants by herbivorous insects has provided opportunities for investigating causes and consequences associated with the evolution of niche breadth. The butterfly Lycaeides melissa utilizes exotic alfalfa, Medicago sativa, which is a relatively poor larval resource, and previous studies have found that caterpillars that consume M. sativa develop into smaller and less fecund adults. Here we investigate the effect of smaller female body size on male mate preference, a previously unexplored consequence of novel host use. Smaller females, which developed on the exotic host, were less likely to be visited by males. This result was confirmed with a second set of choice tests involving females reared on a single plant species, thus ruling out host-specific confounding factors. We suggest that an effect on mate choice be considered as part of the complex suite of factors determining persistence of herbivorous insects following colonization of new habitats or resources.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Plant host identity and soil macronutrients explain little variation in sapling endophyte community composition: is disturbance an alternative explanation?

1. Bacterial endophytes may be fairly host specific; nonetheless, an important subset of taxa may be shared among numerous host species forming a community-wide core microbiome. Moreover, other key factors, particularly the supply of limiting macronutrients and disturbances, may supersede the importance of host identity. 2. We tested the following four non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: 1. The Host Identity Hypothesis: endophytes vary substantially among different host plant species. 2. The Core Microbiome Hypothesis: a subset of microbial taxa will be shared among all host plant species. 3. The Soil Resource Supply Hypothesis: endophytes vary substantially among habitats with experimentally elevated levels of macronutrients. 4. The Disturbance-Disruption Hypothesis: disturbances created by the periodic application of antibiotics structure bacterial endophyte communities. 3. We tested these hypotheses by characterizing endophytes using high-throughput sequencing among seedlings of five phylogenetically diverse tree species nested within a long-term, full factorial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium soil fertilization experiment. We artificially disturbed one of our focal species by applying antibiotics every 10-14 days for 29 months within the soil (N,P,K) fertilization experiment. 4. While we detected a significant effect of host identity and soil nutrient additions, together they explained little variation in endophyte community composition (< 10%). We found unequivocal evidence for a core microbiome shared by all species. Specifically, we found nine OTUs were present among 95% or more of all control saplings, representing a third of the total reads. These bacterial taxa belonged to the Actinobacteria. 5. In contrast, disturbance (antibiotics) explained more endophyte variation than all nutrient addition combinations combined and twice the variation explained by host identity for all five tree species. Synthesis: Our results challenge the idea that host identity is a primary filter shaping bacterial endophyte communities; this suggests that many of the same bacterial taxa occur inside plant hosts even if those host plants are phylogenetically diverse. Moreover, we documented a distinct core microbiome shared among our five focal tree species. Finally, we found that disturbance was an important driver of microbial community composition, which parallels the importance of disturbance in other areas of community ecology.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Generalist insects behave in a jasmonate-dependent manner on their host plants, leaving induced areas quickly and staying longer on distant parts

Plants are sessile so have evolved sensitive ways to detect attacking herbivores, and sophisticated strategies to effectively defend themselves. Insect herbivory induces synthesis of the phytohormone jasmonic acid which activates downstream metabolic pathways for various chemical defences such as toxins and digestion inhibitors. Insects are also sophisticated animals, and many have co-evolved physiological adaptations that negate this induced plant defence. Insect behaviour has rarely been studied in the context of induced plant defence, although behavioural adaptation to induced plant chemistry may allow insects to bypass the host's defence system. By visualizing jasmonate-responsive gene expression within whole plants, we uncovered spatial and temporal limits to the systemic spread of plant chemical defence following herbivory. By carefully tracking insect movement, we found induced changes in plant chemistry were detected by generalist Helicoverpa armigera insects which then modified their behaviour in response, moving away from induced parts and staying longer on un-induced parts of the same plant. This study reveals there are plant-wide signals rapidly generated following herbivory that allow insects to detect the heterogeneity of plant chemical defences. Some insects use these signals to move around the plant, avoiding localised sites of induction and staying ahead of induced toxic metabolites.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Preference for outbred host plants and positive effects of inbreeding on egg survival in a specialist herbivore

Inbreeding can profoundly affect the interactions of plants with herbivores as well as with the natural enemies of the herbivores. We studied how plant inbreeding affects herbivore oviposition preference, and whether inbreeding of both plants and herbivores alters the probability of predation or parasitism of herbivore eggs. In a laboratory preference test with the specialist herbivore moth Abrostola asclepiadis and inbred and outbred Vincetoxicum hirundinaria plants, we discovered that herbivores preferred to oviposit on outbred plants. A field experiment with inbred and outbred plants that bore inbred or outbred herbivore eggs revealed that the eggs of the outbred herbivores were more likely to be lost by predation, parasitism or plant hypersensitive responses than inbred eggs. This difference did not lead to differences in the realized fecundity as the number of hatched larvae did not differ between inbred and outbred herbivores. Thus, the strength of inbreeding depression in herbivores decreases when their natural enemies are involved. Plant inbreeding did not alter the attraction of natural enemies of the eggs. We conclude that inbreeding can significantly alter the interactions of plants and herbivores at different life-history stages, and that some of these alterations are mediated by the natural enemies of the herbivores.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Selection mosaics differentiate Rhizobium–host plant interactions across different nitrogen environments

The nature and direction of coevolutionary interactions between species is expected to differentiate among distinct environments. Consequently, locally coevolved symbiotic traits would be well matched in similar environments, but mismatched elsewhere. In a classic mutualistic tradeoff, rhizobia provide nitrogen (N) to legume host plants in return for photosynthates. Despite earlier predictions, there is little evidence so far that spatial differences in soil N content mediate the coevolutionary outcome of the legume–Rhizobium mutualism. To test the existence of such selection mosaics, different genotypes of Vicia cracca and Rhizobium leguminosarum originating from spatially and environmentally highly differentiated sites were cross inoculated across different soil N regimes. In accordance with theoretical predictions, we found highly significant effects of genotype by genotype by environment (G× G × E) interactions, on both nodulation and plant growth, even when R. leguminosarum genotypes showed high genetic similarity. Our results show that the trajectory of the coevolutionary interactions between rhizobia and legumes is differentiated across different environments, and that selection mosaics may play an important role in shaping differences in the genetic composition of rhizobial populations.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Effect of host plant and immune challenge on the levels of chemosensory and odorant-binding proteins in caterpillar salivary glands

More than half of the proteome from mandibular glands in caterpillars is represented by chemosensory proteins. Based on sequence similarity, these proteins are putative transporters of ligands to gustatory receptors in sensory organs of insects. We sought to determine whether these proteins are inducible by comparing, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the salivary (mandibular and labial) proteomes from caterpillars (Vanessa cardui) reared on different plants and artificial diet containing either bacteria or bacterial cell-walls. We included a treatment where the caterpillars were switched from feeding on artificial diet to plant material at some point in their development. Additionally, we evaluated the degree of overlap between the proteomes in the hemolymph-filled coelom and salivary glands of caterpillars reared on plant material. We found that the quality and quantity of the identified proteins differed clearly between hemolymph-filled coelom, labial and mandibular glands. Our results indicated that even after molting and two-day feeding on a new diet, protein production is affected by the previous food source used by the caterpillar. Candidate proteins involved in chemosensory perception by insects were detected: three chemosensory (CSPs) and two odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). Using the relative amounts of these proteins across tissues and treatments as criteria for their classification, we detected hemolymph- and mandibular gland-specific CSPs and observed that their levels were affected by caterpillar diet. Moreover, we could compare the protein and transcript levels across tissues and treatment for at least one CSP and one OBP. Therefore, we have identified specific isoforms for testing the role of CSPs and OBPs in plant and pathogen recognition. We detected catalase, immune-related protein and serine proteases and their inhibitors in high relative levels in the mandibular glands in comparison to the labial glands. These findings suggest that the mandibular glands of caterpillars may play an important role protecting the caterpillar from oxidative stress, pathogens and aiding in digestion. Contamination with hemolymph proteins during dissection of salivary glands from caterpillars may occur but it is not substantial since the proteomes from hemolymph, mandibular and labial glands were easily discriminated from each other by principal component analysis of proteomic data.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: When mutualisms matter: Rhizobia effects on plant communities depend on host plant population and soil nitrogen availability

1.Mutualistic interactions, such as the relationship between legumes and rhizobia, can affect community properties, yet there needs to be greater understanding of when these interactions may be most important to communities. Resource mutualism theory provides predictions based on variation in abiotic and biotic factors. First, there is substantial intraspecific genetic variation in how legumes interact with rhizobia, including variation in legume growth response to rhizobia, number of rhizobia-housing nodules, and nitrogen fixation. Rhizobia likely have greater community impacts when associating with hosts that benefit greatly from rhizobia, produce many nodules, and fix a lot of nitrogen. Second, increased soil nutrient availability typically reduces the partner benefits of legume-rhizobium interactions. As a result, the legume-rhizobium resource mutualism may have greater effects on communities in low nitrogen environments. 2.We first conducted a common garden study of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata to explore intraspecific variation in focal traits related to competition and mutualistic interactions with rhizobia. Then, we manipulated the presence of rhizobia, nitrogen fertilization, and population identity of C. fasciculata in mesocosms simulating native plant communities. We measured plant diversity, assessed changes in community composition, and measured soil nutrient availability. 3.We detected significant genetically-based intraspecific variation in growth and mutualism related traits across C. fasciculata populations. From the experimental mesocosms, we found that although rhizobia consistently reduced diversity, rhizobia most strongly reduced diversity when associating with C. fasciculata populations that were highly dependent on rhizobia and when nitrogen was most limiting. We also detected greater variation among populations in their effects on communities in the absence of rhizobia; the presence of rhizobia dramatically minimized effects of population identity on the surrounding community. 4.Synthesis. These findings show that abiotic environmental factors and intraspecific variation in a dominant host plant can influence the magnitude of mutualism effects on communities and, reciprocally, how the presence of key mutualists can influence the importance of genetically-based variation among populations to community outcomes. While prior studies have detected both strong and weak effects of mutualism on plant communities, our study illustrates that mutualism theory may predict when strong mutualism effects are most likely to occur and also shows how theories developed for particular species interactions may make studies investigating the ecological impacts of genetic variation a more predictive science.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Do mites evolving in alternating host plants adapt to host switch?

A fluctuating environment may be perceived as a composition of different environments, or as an environment per se, in which it is the fluctuation itself that poses a selection pressure. If so, then organisms may adapt to this alternation. We tested this using experimental populations of spider mites that have been evolving for 45 generations in a homogeneous environment (pepper or tomato plants), or in a heterogeneous environment composed of an alternation of these two plants approximately at each generation. The performance (daily oviposition rate and juvenile survival) of individuals from these populations was tested in each of the homogeneous environments, and in two alternating environments, one every three days and the other between generations. To discriminate between potential genetic interactions between alleles conferring adaptation to each host plant and environmental effects of evolving in a fluctuating environment, we compared the performance of all lines with that of a cross between tomato and pepper lines. As a control, two lines within each selection regime were also crossed. We found that crosses between alternating lines and between pepper and tomato lines performed worse than crosses between lines evolving in homogeneous environments when tested in that environment. In contrast, alternating lines performed either better or similarly to lines evolving in homogeneous environments when tested in a fluctuating environment. Our results suggest that fluctuating environments are more than the juxtaposition of two environments. Hence, tests for adaptation of organisms evolving in such environments should be done in fluctuating conditions.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Cascading reproductive isolation: plant phenology drives temporal isolation among populations of a host-specific herbivore

All organisms exist within a complex network of interacting species, thus evolutionary change may have reciprocal effects on multiple taxa. Here, we demonstrate "cascading reproductive isolation," whereby ecological differences that reduce gene flow between populations at one trophic level affect reproductive isolation (RI) among interacting species at the next trophic level. Using a combination of field, laboratory and common-garden studies and long-term herbaria records, we estimate and evaluate the relative contribution of temporal RI to overall prezygotic RI between populations of Belonocnema treatae, a specialist gall-forming wasp adapted to sister species of live oak (Quercus virginiana and Q. geminata). We link strong temporal RI between host-associated insect populations to differences between host plant budbreak phenology. Budbreak initiates flowering and the production of new leaves, which are an ephemeral resource critical to insect reproduction. As flowering time is implicated in RI between plant species, budbreak acts as a "multitrophic multi-effect trait," whereby differences in budbreak phenology contribute to RI in plants and insects. These sister oak species share a diverse community of host-specific gall-formers and insect natural enemies similarly dependent on ephemeral plant tissues. Thus, our results set the stage for testing for parallelism in a role of plant phenology in driving temporal cascading RI across multiple species and trophic levels.

opencc-zeroDec 2018View details →

Data from: Host plant phylogeny and abundance predict root-associated fungal community composition and diversity of mutualists and pathogens

• Interactions between plants and their root-associated fungi (RAF) may influence the relative abundance of tree species and determine forest community diversity. Such plant-soil feedbacks in turn depend on the degree to which spatial distance and phylogenetic relatedness of host trees structure pathogen and mutualist communities, but research detailing these aspects of RAF communities is lacking. Here, we characterize plant-RAF associations across a diverse plant community, focusing on the degree to which RAF communities are structured by spatial distance, host phylogenetic relatedness, and host abundance. We compare results for different functional groups, including both putative mutualists and pathogens, an aspect poorly examined hitherto. • We collected roots at regular intervals along ten 50 m by 2 m transects, then used DNA barcoding to identify host plants, and characterize the associated fungal community. Variance partitioning was used to measure the relative contributions of host phylogenetic relatedness and spatial distance to explaining RAF community composition. A weighted linear regression was used to measure the correlation between host abundance and RAF diversity. • Phylogenetic distance among hosts was a better predictor of RAF community composition than spatial distance, but this relationship was stronger for putative pathogens than for mutualists, suggesting that pathogens show stronger host preference than mutualists. Across all functional groups, RAF showed similar levels of spatial structure. Additionally, RAF communities of locally abundant plants were less diverse than RAF communities of rare plants. • Synthesis: We found that RAF communities are structured by the phylogenetic relatedness of hosts and, to a lesser extent, by spatial distance, with pathogens showing stronger host preference than mutualists. Abundant hosts had less diverse RAF communities than rare hosts, which is notable because abundant plants tend to experience weaker negative plant-soil feedback. Going forward, mechanisms underlying the host abundance-RAF diversity relationship warrant further investigation. Additionally, the survey approach presented here could be paired with experiments linking RAF community composition to plant recruitment.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Dipteran larvae and microbes facilitate nutrient sequestration in the Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plant host

The fluid-containing traps of Nepenthes carnivorous pitcher plants (Nepenthaceae) are often inhabited by organisms known as inquilines. Dipteran larvae are key components of such communities and are thought to facilitate pitcher nitrogen sequestration by converting prey protein into inorganic nitrogen, although this has never been demonstrated in Nepenthes. Pitcher fluids are also inhabited by microbes, although the relationship(s) between these and the plant is still unclear. In this study, we examined the hypothesis of digestive mutualism between N. gracilis pitchers and both dipteran larvae and fluid microbes. Using dipteran larvae, prey and fluid volumes mimicking in situ pitcher conditions, we conducted in vitro experiments and measured changes in available fluid nitrogen in response to dipteran larvae and microbe presence. We showed that the presence of dipteran larvae resulted in significantly higher and faster releases of ammonium and soluble protein into fluids in artificial pitchers, and that the presence of fluid microbes did likewise for ammonium. We showed also that niche segregation occurs between phorid and culicid larvae, with the former fragmenting prey carcasses and the latter suppressing fluid microbe levels. These results clarify the relationships between several key pitcher-dwelling organisms, and show that pitcher communities facilitate nutrient sequestration in their host.