scholarly journals A primer of host-plant specialization in bees

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Rasmussen ◽  
Michael S. Engel ◽  
Nicolas J. Vereecken
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Narrow Range ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystems ◽  
Host Plant Specialization ◽  
Diet Behavior ◽  
Floral Specialization

The bee-flower biological association is one of the most famous examples of insect-plant interactions, and it is axiomatic that these are of critical importance for sustaining thriving terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, the most familiar associations are often artificially managed agricultural ecosystems, reflecting an exceptionally narrow range of bee species (often only one) and a concomitantly restricted range of associated behaviors, morphologies, and mechanisms tied to pollination. Here we provide a brief account of the range of bee-floral associations encompassing floral specialization in terms of diet, behavior, and morphology. These natural associations not only promote healthy ecosystems, but also can be integrated in sustainable ways for more efficient pollination of crops by targeting bee species whose diets, behaviors, and pollen-gathering structures evolved precisely to visit such floral species rather than less efficient, and often non-native, generalists that are otherwise exploited for such purposes.

scholarly journals Aphid Species Specializing on Milkweed Have Distinct Bacterial Symbiont Communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laramy Enders ◽  
Thorsten Hansen ◽  
Kirsten Brichler ◽  
John Couture ◽  
Elizabeth French
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Aphid Species ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Specialist Herbivore ◽  
Host Plant Specialization ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Defensive Chemical

Abstract Host plant range is arguably one of the most important factors shaping microbial communities associated with insect herbivores. However, it is unclear whether host plant specialization limits microbial community diversity or to what extent herbivores sharing a common host plant evolve distinct microbiomes. To investigate whether variation in host plant specialization influences the composition of herbivore symbiont populations we compared bacterial diversity across three milkweed aphid species (Aphis nerii, Aphis asclepiadis, Myzocallis asclepiadis) feeding on a common host plant (Asclepias syriaca) using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. Overall, bacterial species richness did not vary with degree of host plant specialization. However, aphid species harbored distinct bacterial communities that varied in composition and relative abundance of key symbionts. Differences in aphid microbiomes were primarily due to strain variation in the obligate symbiont Buchnera and facultative symbiont Arsenophonus, as most of the low-abundant taxa were found in all three species. Interestingly, A. asclepiadis harbored a greater diversity of unique strains of Buchnera and significantly higher Arsenophonus relative abundances compared to the other two aphid species. Although many low abundance microbes were shared across all milkweed aphids, key differences exist in symbiotic partnerships that could influence additional ecological variation, including variation in ant tending observed across milkweed aphid species via microbial induced changes to honeydew or defensive chemical profiles. This study suggests generalist and specialist herbivore microbiomes are similar when feeding on a common host plant and highlights an intriguing potential role for strain level variation of key aphid symbionts in host-plant interactions.

Host Plant Specialization Driven by Sexual Selection

2007 ◽  
Vol 169 (6) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Tiago B. Quental ◽  
Manus M. Patten ◽  
Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Host Plant Specialization

scholarly journals The draft genome of the specialist flea beetle Altica viridicyanea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huai-Jun Xue ◽  
Yi-Wei Niu ◽  
Kari A. Segraves ◽  
Rui-E Nie ◽  
Ya-Jing Hao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Cell Wall ◽  
Flea Beetle ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Ecological Speciation ◽  
Secondary Chemistry ◽  
Host Plant Specialization ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background Altica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a highly diverse and taxonomically challenging flea beetle genus that has been used to address questions related to host plant specialization, reproductive isolation, and ecological speciation. To further evolutionary studies in this interesting group, here we present a draft genome of a representative specialist, Altica viridicyanea, the first Alticinae genome reported thus far. Results The genome is 864.8 Mb and consists of 4490 scaffolds with a N50 size of 557 kb, which covered 98.6% complete and 0.4% partial insect Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Repetitive sequences accounted for 62.9% of the assembly, and a total of 17,730 protein-coding gene models and 2462 non-coding RNA models were predicted. To provide insight into host plant specialization of this monophagous species, we examined the key gene families involved in chemosensation, detoxification of plant secondary chemistry, and plant cell wall-degradation. Conclusions The genome assembled in this work provides an important resource for further studies on host plant adaptation and functionally affiliated genes. Moreover, this work also opens the way for comparative genomics studies among closely related Altica species, which may provide insight into the molecular evolutionary processes that occur during ecological speciation.

Host-Plant Specialization Mediates the Influence of Plant Abundance on Host Use by Flower Head-Feeding Insects

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola A. F. Nobre ◽  
Leonardo L. Bergamini ◽  
Thomas M. Lewinsohn ◽  
Leonardo R. Jorge ◽  
Mário Almeida-Neto
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Flower Head ◽  
Host Use ◽  
Plant Abundance ◽  
Host Plant Specialization

scholarly journals Metabolic Capacity Differentiates Plenodomus lingam from P. biglobosus Subclade ‘brassicae’, the Causal Agents of Phoma Leaf Spotting and Stem Canker of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus) in Agricultural Ecosystems

Pathogens ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Magdalena Frąc ◽  
Joanna Kaczmarek ◽  
Małgorzata Jędryczka
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Leptosphaeria Maculans ◽  
Stem Canker ◽  
Metabolic Capacity ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystems ◽  
Effective Growth

In contrast to the long-lasting taxonomic classification of Plenodomus lingam and P. biglobosus as one species, formerly termed Leptosphaeria maculans, both species form separate monophyletic groups, comprising sub-classes, differing considerably with epidemiology towards Brassicaceae plants. Considering the great differences between P. lingam and P. biglobosus, we hypothesized their metabolic capacities vary to a great extent. The experiment was done using the FF microplates (Biolog Inc., Hayward, CA, USA) containing 95 carbon sources and tetrazolium dye. The fungi P. lingam and P. biglobosus subclade ‘brassicae’ (3 isolates per group) were cultured on PDA medium for 6 weeks at 20 °C and then fungal spores were used as inoculum of microplates. The test was carried out in triplicate. We have demonstrated that substrate richness, calculated as the number of utilized substrates (measured at λ490 nm), and the number of substrates allowing effective growth of the isolates (λ750 nm), showed significant differences among tested species. The most efficient isolate of P. lingam utilized 36 carbon sources, whereas P. biglobosus utilized 60 substrates. Among them, 25–29 carbon sources for P. lingam and 34–48 substrates for P. biglobosus were efficiently used, allowing their growth. Cluster analysis based on Senath criteria divided P. biglobosus into two groups and P. lingam isolates formed one group (33% similarity). We deduce the similarities between the tested species help them coexist on the same host plant and the differences greatly contribute to their different lifestyles, with P. biglobosus being less specialized and P. lingam coevolving more strictly with the host plant.

scholarly journals The genetics of resistance to Morinda fruit toxin during the postembryonic stages in Drosophila sechellia

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Huang ◽  
Deniz Erezyilmaz
Keyword(s):  
Host Plant ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Octanoic Acid ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Morinda Citrifolia ◽  
Host Plant Specialization ◽  
Drosophila Sechellia ◽  
Single Host ◽  
High Resolution Analysis ◽  
Resolution Analysis

Many phytophagous insect species are ecologic specialists that have adapted to utilize a single host plant. Drosophila sechellia is a specialist that utilizes the ripe fruit of Morinda citrifolia, which is toxic to its sibling species, D. simulans. Here we apply multiplexed shotgun genotyping and QTL analysis to examine the genetic basis of resistance to M. citrifolia fruit toxin in interspecific hybrids. We find that at least four dominant and four recessive loci interact additively to confer resistance to the M. citrifolia fruit toxin. These QTL include a dominant locus of large effect on the third chromosome (QTL-IIIsima) that was not detected in previous analyses. The small-effect loci that we identify overlap with regions that were identified in selection experiments with D. simulans on octanoic acid and in QTL analyses of adult resistance to octanoic acid. Our high-resolution analysis sheds new light upon the complexity of M. citrifolia resistance, and suggests that partial resistance to lower levels of M. citrifolia toxin could be passed through introgression from D. sechellia to D. simulans in nature. The identification of a locus of major effect, QTL-IIIsima, is an important step towards identifying the molecular basis of host plant specialization by D. sechellia.

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