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Wise DH, Mores RM, M. Pajda-De La O J, McCary MA. Pattern of seasonal variation in rates of predation between spider families is temporally stable in a food web with widespread intraguild predation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293176. [PMID: 37903108 PMCID: PMC10615273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraguild predation (IGP)-predation between generalist predators (IGPredator and IGPrey) that potentially compete for a shared prey resource-is a common interaction module in terrestrial food webs. Understanding temporal variation in webs with widespread IGP is relevant to testing food web theory. We investigated temporal constancy in the structure of such a system: the spider-focused food web of the forest floor. Multiplex PCR was used to detect prey DNA in 3,300 adult spiders collected from the floor of a deciduous forest during spring, summer, and fall over four years. Because only spiders were defined as consumers, the web was tripartite, with 11 consumer nodes (spider families) and 22 resource nodes: 11 non-spider arthropod taxa (order- or family-level) and the 11 spider families. Most (99%) spider-spider predation was on spider IGPrey, and ~90% of these interactions were restricted to spider families within the same broadly defined foraging mode (cursorial or web-spinning spiders). Bootstrapped-derived confidence intervals (BCI's) for two indices of web structure, restricted connectance and interaction evenness, overlapped broadly across years and seasons. A third index, % IGPrey (% IGPrey among all prey of spiders), was similar across years (~50%) but varied seasonally, with a summer rate (65%) ~1.8x higher than spring and fall. This seasonal pattern was consistent across years. Our results suggest that extensive spider predation on spider IGPrey that exhibits consistent seasonal variation in frequency, and that occurs primarily within two broadly defined spider-spider interaction pathways, must be incorporated into models of the dynamics of forest-floor food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Wise
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Robin M. Mores
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Pajda-De La O
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Matthew A. McCary
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Plata Á, Gómez-Martínez MA, Beitia FJ, Tena A. Exclusion of Mediterranean ant species enhances biological control of the invasive mealybug Delottococcus aberiae in citrus. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:2056-2065. [PMID: 36693817 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delottococcus aberiae is an invasive mealybug that produces severe damage in Spanish citrus. This mealybug has established a mutualistic relationship with native Mediterranean ant species that may limit biological control of this pest. Herein, we evaluated the effect of tending ants on the biological control of D. aberiae. To do this, we compared: (i) the density of D. aberiae, (ii) the density of its natural enemies, and (iii) the damage produced by the mealybug in trees with (control) and without ants (ants excluded with sticky barriers) in two citrus orchards across two consecutive years. RESULTS Lasius grandis was the most abundant ant species in both orchards and represented more than 95% of the ants tending D. aberiae in control trees. Spiders and lacewings were the most abundant predators observed in mealybug colonies, and the exclusion of mutualistic ants increased their abundance. Moreover, in control trees, ant activity throughout the year was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of predators (number of predators per mealybug). No parasitoids were recovered during field experiments. Ant exclusion reduced the density of D. aberiae and the ratio of damaged fruit at harvest across years and orchards. CONCLUSIONS This work corroborates the previous finding that D. aberiae benefits from its mutualistic relationship with L. grandis, probably because the presence of ants reduced the abundance of generalist predators. This mutualism can be disrupted using physical barriers on on the trunk. Further research should assess other methods of ant control that are more economic and feasible for citrus producers. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Plata
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - María A Gómez-Martínez
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - Francisco J Beitia
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - Alejandro Tena
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
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Saqib HSA, Sun L, Pozsgai G, Liang P, Goraya MU, Akutse KS, You M, Gurr GM, You S. Gut microbiota assemblages of generalist predators are driven by local- and landscape-scale factors. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1172184. [PMID: 37256058 PMCID: PMC10225636 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1172184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiomes of arthropods have significant impact on key physiological functions such as nutrition, reproduction, behavior, and health. Spiders are diverse and numerically dominant predators in crop fields where they are potentially important regulators of pests. Harnessing spiders to control agricultural pests is likely to be supported by an understanding of their gut microbiomes, and the environmental drivers shaping microbiome assemblages. This study aimed to deciphering the gut microbiome assembly of these invertebrate predators and elucidating potential implications of key environmental constraints in this process. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to examine for the first time how the assemblages of bacteria in the gut of spiders are shaped by environmental variables. Local drivers of microbiome composition were globally-relevant input use system (organic production vs. conventional practice), and crop identity (Chinese cabbage vs. cauliflower). Landscape-scale factors, proportion of forest and grassland, compositional diversity, and habitat edge density, also strongly affected gut microbiota. Specific bacterial taxa were enriched in gut of spiders sampled from different settings and seasons. These findings provide a comprehensive insight into composition and plasticity of spider gut microbiota. Understanding the temporal responses of specific microbiota could lead to innovative strategies development for boosting biological control services of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafiz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biology, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Linyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Gabor Pozsgai
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Ce3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of the Azores, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal
| | - Pingping Liang
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Mohsan Ullah Goraya
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Komivi Senyo Akutse
- Plant Health Theme, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Minsheng You
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Geoff M. Gurr
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Shijun You
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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Cuff JP, Kitson JJN, Hemprich‐Bennett D, Tercel MPTG, Browett SS, Evans DM. The predator problem and PCR primers in molecular dietary analysis: Swamped or silenced; depth or breadth? Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:41-51. [PMID: 36017818 PMCID: PMC10087656 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dietary metabarcoding has vastly improved our ability to analyse the diets of animals, but it is hampered by a plethora of technical limitations including potentially reduced data output due to the disproportionate amplification of the DNA of the focal predator, here termed "the predator problem". We review the various methods commonly used to overcome this problem, from deeper sequencing to exclusion of predator DNA during PCR, and how they may interfere with increasingly common multipredator-taxon studies. We suggest that multiprimer approaches with an emphasis on achieving both depth and breadth of prey detections may overcome the issue to some extent, although multitaxon studies require further consideration, as highlighted by an empirical example. We also review several alternative methods for reducing the prevalence of predator DNA that are conceptually promising but require additional empirical examination. The predator problem is a key constraint on molecular dietary analyses but, through this synthesis, we hope to guide researchers in overcoming this in an effective and pragmatic way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P. Cuff
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - James J. N. Kitson
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | | | - Maximillian P. T. G. Tercel
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, La Profonde RueTrinityJersey
| | - Samuel S. Browett
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and EnvironmentUniversity of SalfordSalfordUK
| | - Darren M. Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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Michalko R, Gajski D, Košulič O, Khum W, Michálek O, Pekár S. Association between arthropod densities suggests dominance of top-down control of predator-prey food-webs on pear trees during winter. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Hambäck PA, Cirtwill AR, Grudzinska-Sterno M, Hoffmann A, Langbak M, Åhlén D. Species composition of shoreline wolf spider communities vary with salinity, but their diets vary with wrack inflow. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9701. [PMID: 36590338 PMCID: PMC9797640 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolf spiders are typically the most common group of arthropod predators on both lake and marine shorelines because of the high prey availability in these habitats. However, shores are also harsh environments due to flooding and, in proximity to marine waters, to toxic salinity levels. Here, we describe the spider community, prey availabilities, and spider diets between shoreline sites with different salinities, albeit with comparatively small differences (5‰ vs. 7‰). Despite the small environmental differences, spider communities between lower and higher saline sites showed an almost complete species turnover. At the same time, differences in prey availability or spider gut contents did not match changes in spider species composition but rather changed with habitat characteristics within a region, where spiders collected at sites with thick wrack beds had a different diet than sites with little wrack. These data suggest that shifts in spider communities are due to habitat characteristics other than prey availabilities, and the most likely candidate restricting species in high salinity would be saline sensitivity. At the same time, species absence from low-saline habitats remains unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Alyssa R Cirtwill
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | | | - Alexander Hoffmann
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Marie Langbak
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - David Åhlén
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
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