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Ferrari A, Polidori C. Temperature differently affects body pigmentation of the paper wasp Polistes dominula along an urban and a wider geographical gradient. J Therm Biol 2024; 121:103840. [PMID: 38552445 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
In insects, different pigments, such as melanins and pterins, are involved in thermoregulation. The degree of melanisation often varies along geographical gradients, according to the so-called thermal melanism hypothesis, i.e. darker forms are found in colder places because they can warm up more quickly. Similarly, pterins work as heat sinks and thus are expected to be more abundant in colder sites. Cities, which are warmer than surrounding areas (Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect), might also be expected to influence pigmentation, although studies are lacking. Here, we sampled workers of the social paper wasp Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Vespidae) across an urbanisation gradient in an Italian metropolis and used iNaturalist pictures of this species across Italy to study pigmentation patterns at both urban and larger geographical scales. We found a lower yellow intensity of abdominal spots at warmer locations. Scanning Electron Microscopy strongly suggested that yellow colouration is due xanthopterin, known to be the heat sink molecule in other social vespids. Thus, wasps from warmer (i.e., urban) environments are likely to have fewer xanthopterin granules, in line with the lack of need for heat storage due to the local thermal gradient (UHI effect). At the country level, we found that wasps at higher latitudes had smaller yellow spots on the thorax and only two spots instead of four at higher altitudes, in full accordance with the thermal melanism hypothesis. In conclusion, climatic conditions seem to affect insect colour patterns both along urban and wider geographical gradients, although colour changes may affect different body parts and pigments likely according to different needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferrari
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Polidori
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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2
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Narah J, Streinzer M, Chakravorty J, Megu K, Spaethe J, Brockmann A, Schmitt T. Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles of Himalayan Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Bombus Latreille) are Species-Specific and Show Elevational Variation. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01486-x. [PMID: 38470528 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01486-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Bumble bees are important pollinators in natural environments and agricultural farmlands, and they are in particular adapted to harsh environments like high mountain habitats. In these environments, animals are exposed to low temperature and face the risk of desiccation. The Eastern Himalayas are one of the recognized biodiversity hotspots worldwide. The area covers subtropical rainforest with warm temperature and high precipitation as well as high mountain ranges with peaks reaching up to 7,000 m, shaping a diverse floral and faunal community at the different elevational zones. To identify possible adaptation strategies, we investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of four bumble bee species occurring at different elevational ranges in Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern most state in India. At 17 locations along an elevational gradient, we collected workers of two species from lower elevations (B. albopleuralis and B. breviceps; ~ 100 m - 3,000 m asl) and two species from higher elevations (B. prshewalskyi and B. mirus; ~ 2,800 m - 4,500 m asl). The CHC profiles of all four species showed a significant degree of variation in the composition of hydrocarbons, indicating species specificity. We also found clear correlation with elevation. The weighted mean chain length of the hydrocarbons significantly differed between the low and high elevation species, and the proportion of saturated hydrocarbons in CHC profiles significantly increased with the elevational range of the bumble bee species. Our results indicate that bumble bees living at high elevations reduce the risk of water loss by adapting their CHC composition on their cuticle, a phenomenon that has also been found in other insects like ants and fruit flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Narah
- Rajiv Gandhi University, Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Karsing Megu
- Rajiv Gandhi University, Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India
| | - Johannes Spaethe
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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3
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Cheng R, Luo A, Orr M, Ge D, Hou Z, Qu Y, Guo B, Zhang F, Sha Z, Zhao Z, Wang M, Shi X, Han H, Zhou Q, Li Y, Liu X, Shao C, Zhang A, Zhou X, Zhu C. Cryptic diversity begets challenges and opportunities in biodiversity research. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38263700 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
How many species of life are there on Earth? This is a question that we want to know but cannot yet answer. Some scholars speculate that the number of species may reach 2.2 billion when considering cryptic diversity and that each morphology-based insect species may contain an average of 3.1 cryptic species. With nearly two million described species, such high estimates of cryptic diversity would suggest that cryptic species are widespread. The development of molecular species delimitation has led to the discovery of a large number of cryptic species, and cryptic biodiversity has gradually entered our field of vision and attracted more attention. This paper introduces the concept of cryptic species, how they evolve, and methods by which they may be discovered and confirmed, and provides theoretical and methodological guidance for the study of hidden species. A workflow of how to confirm cryptic species is provided. In addition, the importance and reliability of multi-evidence-based integrated taxonomy are reaffirmed as a way to better standardize decision-making processes. Special focus on cryptic diversity and increased funding for taxonomy is needed to ensure that cryptic species in hyperdiverse groups are discoverable and described. An increased focus on cryptic species in the future will naturally arise as more difficult groups are studied, and thereby, we may finally better understand the rules governing the evolution and maintenance of cryptic biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Arong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael Orr
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Entomologie, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Deyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong'e Hou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baocheng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongli Sha
- Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhe Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingqiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoyu Shi
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxiang Han
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingsong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanning Li
- Institute of Oceanography, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xingyue Liu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Shao
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Aibing Zhang
- College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chaodong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences/International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Bell KL, Turo KJ, Lowe A, Nota K, Keller A, Encinas‐Viso F, Parducci L, Richardson RT, Leggett RM, Brosi BJ, Burgess KS, Suyama Y, de Vere N. Plants, pollinators and their interactions under global ecological change: The role of pollen DNA metabarcoding. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6345-6362. [PMID: 36086900 PMCID: PMC10947134 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are triggering global changes in the environment, causing entire communities of plants, pollinators and their interactions to restructure, and ultimately leading to species declines. To understand the mechanisms behind community shifts and declines, as well as monitoring and managing impacts, a global effort must be made to characterize plant-pollinator communities in detail, across different habitat types, latitudes, elevations, and levels and types of disturbances. Generating data of this scale will only be feasible with rapid, high-throughput methods. Pollen DNA metabarcoding provides advantages in throughput, efficiency and taxonomic resolution over traditional methods, such as microscopic pollen identification and visual observation of plant-pollinator interactions. This makes it ideal for understanding complex ecological networks and their responses to change. Pollen DNA metabarcoding is currently being applied to assess plant-pollinator interactions, survey ecosystem change and model the spatiotemporal distribution of allergenic pollen. Where samples are available from past collections, pollen DNA metabarcoding has been used to compare contemporary and past ecosystems. New avenues of research are possible with the expansion of pollen DNA metabarcoding to intraspecific identification, analysis of DNA in ancient pollen samples, and increased use of museum and herbarium specimens. Ongoing developments in sequencing technologies can accelerate progress towards these goals. Global ecological change is happening rapidly, and we anticipate that high-throughput methods such as pollen DNA metabarcoding are critical for understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that support biodiversity, and predicting and responding to the impacts of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bell
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity and CSIRO Land & WaterFloreatWAAustralia
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Katherine J. Turo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | | | - Kevin Nota
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Alexander Keller
- Organismic and Cellular Networks, Faculty of BiologyBiocenter, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlaneggGermany
| | - Francisco Encinas‐Viso
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity ResearchCSIROBlack MountainAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Laura Parducci
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Rodney T. Richardson
- Appalachian LaboratoryUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceFrostburgMarylandUSA
| | | | - Berry J. Brosi
- Department of BiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Kevin S. Burgess
- Department of BiologyCollege of Letters and Sciences, Columbus State University, University System of GeorgiaAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku UniversityOsakiMiyagiJapan
| | - Natasha de Vere
- Natural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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5
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Fernandez De Landa G, Alberoni D, Baffoni L, Fernandez De Landa M, Revainera PD, Porrini LP, Brasesco C, Quintana S, Zumpano F, Eguaras MJ, Maggi MD, Di Gioia D. The gut microbiome of solitary bees is mainly affected by pathogen assemblage and partially by land use. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:38. [PMID: 37098635 PMCID: PMC10131457 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00494-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators, including solitary bees, are drastically declining worldwide. Among the factors contributing to this decline, bee pathogens and different land uses are of relevance. The link between the gut microbiome composition and host health has been recently studied for social pollinators (e.g. honeybees), whereas the information related to solitary bees is sparse. This work aimed at the characterization of the gut microbiome of the solitary bees Xylocopa augusti, Eucera fervens and Lasioglossum and attempted to correlate the gut microbial composition with the presence and load of different pathogens and land uses. Solitary bees were sampled in different sites (i.e. a farm, a natural reserve, and an urban plant nursery) showing different land uses. DNA was extracted from the gut, 16S rRNA gene amplified and sequenced. Eight pathogens, known for spillover from managed bees to wild ones, were quantified with qPCR. The results showed that the core microbiome profile of the three solitary bees significantly varied in the different species. Pseudomonas was found as the major core taxa in all solitary bees analyzed, whereas Lactobacillus, Spiroplasma and Sodalis were the second most abundant taxa in X. augusti, E. fervens and Lasioglossum, respectively. The main pathogens detected with qPCR were Nosema ceranae, Nosema bombi and Crithidia bombi, although differently abundant in the different bee species and sampling sites. Most microbial taxa did not show any correlation with the land use, apart from Snodgrassella and Nocardioides, showing higher abundances on less anthropized sites. Conversely, the pathogens species and load strongly affected the gut microbial composition, with Bifidobacterium, Apibacter, Serratia, Snodgrassella and Sodalis abundance that positively or negatively correlated with the detected pathogens load. Therefore, pathogens presence and load appear to be the main factor shaping the gut microbiome of solitary bees in Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Fernandez De Landa
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Daniele Alberoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Loredana Baffoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mateo Fernandez De Landa
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Pablo Damian Revainera
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Leonardo Pablo Porrini
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Constanza Brasesco
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Silvina Quintana
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Francisco Zumpano
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Funes 3350, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Martìn Javier Eguaras
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Matias Daniel Maggi
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Asociación Simple CIC PBA, Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Abejas Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, , Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Diana Di Gioia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
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Maihoff F, Sahler S, Schoger S, Brenzinger K, Kallnik K, Sauer N, Bofinger L, Schmitt T, Nooten SS, Classen A. Cuticular hydrocarbons of alpine bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Bombus) are species-specific, but show little evidence of elevation-related climate adaptation. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1082559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpine bumble bees are the most important pollinators in temperate mountain ecosystems. Although they are used to encounter small-scale successions of very different climates in the mountains, many species respond sensitively to climatic changes, reflected in spatial range shifts and declining populations worldwide. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) mediate climate adaptation in some insects. However, whether they predict the elevational niche of bumble bees or their responses to climatic changes remains poorly understood. Here, we used three different approaches to study the role of bumble bees’ CHCs in the context of climate adaptation: using a 1,300 m elevational gradient, we first investigated whether the overall composition of CHCs, and two potentially climate-associated chemical traits (proportion of saturated components, mean chain length) on the cuticle of six bumble bee species were linked to the species’ elevational niches. We then analyzed intraspecific variation in CHCs of Bombus pascuorum along the elevational gradient and tested whether these traits respond to temperature. Finally, we used a field translocation experiment to test whether CHCs of Bombus lucorum workers change, when translocated from the foothill of a cool and wet mountain region to (a) higher elevations, and (b) a warm and dry region. Overall, the six species showed distinctive, species-specific CHC profiles. We found inter- and intraspecific variation in the composition of CHCs and in chemical traits along the elevational gradient, but no link to the elevational distribution of species and individuals. According to our expectations, bumble bees translocated to a warm and dry region tended to express longer CHC chains than bumble bees translocated to cool and wet foothills, which could reflect an acclimatization to regional climate. However, chain lengths did not further decrease systematically along the elevational gradient, suggesting that other factors than temperature also shape chain lengths in CHC profiles. We conclude that in alpine bumble bees, CHC profiles and traits respond at best secondarily to the climate conditions tested in this study. While the functional role of species-specific CHC profiles in bumble bees remains elusive, limited plasticity in this trait could restrict species’ ability to adapt to climatic changes.
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7
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Ronchetti F, Polidori C, Schmitt T, Steffan-Dewenter I, Keller A. Bacterial gut microbiomes of aculeate brood parasites overlap with their aculeate hosts', but have higher diversity and specialization. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6832279. [PMID: 36396342 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite growing interest in gut microbiomes of aculeate Hymenoptera, research so far focused on social bees, wasps, and ants, whereas non-social taxa and their brood parasites have not received much attention. Brood parasitism, however, allows to distinguish between microbiome components horizontally transmitted by spill-over from the host with such inherited through vertical transmission by mothers. Here, we studied the bacterial gut microbiome of adults in seven aculeate species in four brood parasite-host systems: two bee-mutillid (host-parasitoid) systems, one halictid bee-cuckoo bee system, and one wasp-chrysidid cuckoo wasp system. We addressed the following questions: (1) Do closely related species possess a more similar gut microbiome? (2) Do brood parasites share components of the microbiome with their host? (3) Do brood parasites have different diversity and specialization of microbiome communities compared with the hosts? Our results indicate that the bacterial gut microbiome of the studied taxa was species-specific, yet with a limited effect of host phylogenetic relatedness and a major contribution of shared microbes between hosts and parasites. However, contrasting patterns emerged between bee-parasite systems and the wasp-parasite system. We conclude that the gut microbiome in adult brood parasites is largely affected by their host-parasite relationships and the similarity of trophic food sources between hosts and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Ronchetti
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Carlo Polidori
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 2. 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Keller
- Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Grosshaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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8
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Graber LC, Ramalho MO, Powell S, Moreau CS. Identifying the Role of Elevation, Geography, and Species Identity in Structuring Turtle Ant (Cephalotes Latreille, 1802) Bacterial Communities. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02128-z. [PMID: 36352137 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02128-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial communities in animals are often necessary for hosts to survive, particularly for hosts with nutrient-limited diets. The composition, abundance, and richness of these bacterial communities may be shaped by host identity and external ecological factors. The turtle ants (genus Cephalotes) are predominantly herbivorous and known to rely on bacterial communities to enrich their diet. Cephalotes have a broad Neotropical distribution, with high diversity in the South American Cerrado, a geologically and biologically diverse savanna. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we examined the bacterial communities of forty-one Cephalotes samples of sixteen different species collected from multiple locations across two sites in the Cerrado (MG, Brazil) and compared the bacterial communities according to elevation, locality, species, and species group, defined by host phylogeny. Beta diversity of bacterial communities differed with respect to all categories but particularly strongly when compared by geographic location, species, and species group. Differences seen in species and species groups can be partially explained by the high abundance of Mesorhizobium in Cephalotes pusillus and Cephalotes depressus species groups, when compared to other clades via the Analysis of Composition of Microbiome (ANCOM). Though the Cephalotes bacterial community is highly conserved, results from this study indicate that multiple external factors can affect and change bacterial community composition and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leland C Graber
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Manuela O Ramalho
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Scott Powell
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 129 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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9
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Abstract
The identification of floral visitation by pollinators provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of the fine-scale ecological interactions between plants and pollinators, contributing to biodiversity conservation and promoting ecosystem health. In this review, we outline the various methods which can be used to identify floral visitation, including plant-focused and insect-focused methods. We reviewed the literature covering the ways in which DNA metabarcoding has been used to answer ecological questions relating to plant use by pollinators and discuss the findings of this research. We present detailed methodological considerations for each step of the metabarcoding workflow, from sampling through to amplification, and finally bioinformatic analysis. Detailed guidance is provided to researchers for utilisation of these techniques, emphasising the importance of standardisation of methods and improving the reliability of results. Future opportunities and directions of using molecular methods to analyse plant–pollinator interactions are then discussed.
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