Coevolutionary fine-tuning: evidence for genetic tracking between a specialist wasp parasitoid and its aphid host in a dual metapopulation interaction

In the interaction between two ecologically-associated species, the population structure of one species may affect the population structure of the other. Here, we examine the population structures of the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride, a specialist on tansy Tanacetum vulgare, and its specialist primary hymenopterous parasitoid Lysiphlebus hirticornis, both of which are characterized by multivoltine life histories and a classic metapopulation structure. Samples of the aphid host and the parasitoid were collected from eight sites in and around Jena, Germany, where both insect species co-occur, and then were genotyped using suites of polymorphic microsatellite markers. The host aphid was greatly differentiated in terms of its spatial population genetic patterning, while the parasitoid was, in comparison, only moderately differentiated. There was a positive Mantel test correlation between pairwise shared allele distance (DAS) of the host and parasitoid, i.e. if host subpopulation samples were more similar between two particular sites, so were the parasitoid subpopulation samples. We argue that while the differences in the levels of genetic differentiation are due to the differences in the biology of the species, the correlations between host and parasitoid are indicative of dependence of the parasitoid population structure on that of its aphid host. The parasitoid is genetically tracking behind the aphid host, as can be expected in a classic metapopulation structure where host persistence depends on a delay between host and parasitoid colonization of the patch. The results may also have relevance to the Red Queen hypothesis, whereupon in the 'arms race' between parasitoid and its host, the latter 'attempts' to evolve away from the former.

Why are there so few aphid clones?

In Europe, aphids contribute significantly to the so-called 'aerial plankton' during the spring to autumn months (growing season), although individual flight behaviour has been found, especially from molecular ecological studies, to be species-specific in terms of migratory range (ambit). Many of these species individuals may be assumed to be clonal in origin, that is, derived from a single asexual foundress. We are presently studying two specialist aphid species on Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare L. from samples collected in Jena, Germany - Macrosiphoniella tanacetaria (Kaltenbach) and Metopeurum fuscoviride Stroyan, using microsatellite markers. On plotting the number of sets of different multilocus genotypes or MLGs (i.e. multiple clonal repeats: 1, 2, 3 copies, etc.), against the frequency of their occurrence, a negative exponential relationship was found, with populations of both species consisting mostly of single (i.e. unique) or low number repeats rather than larger multiple copy (clonal) MLG repeats. To test this further, microsatellite data collected from a previous study on M. tanacetaria in Jena in the year 2000 and on samples of the Grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), collected in the UK in 1997/8, the latter both in the field and from 12.2 m high suction traps, were examined in the same way. Again, similar relations were found, with most MLGs occurring as unique or low copy number repeats. The data are briefly discussed in the light of our evidence, as well as that of other similar studies on other aphid species, relating aphid molecular genetic data to aphid life cycle, behaviour and ecology.