1
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Pedraza F, Liu H, Gawecka KA, Bascompte J. The Role of Indirect Effects in Coevolution along the Mutualism-Antagonism Continuum. Am Nat 2024; 203:28-42. [PMID: 38207144 DOI: 10.1086/727472] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractThe web of interactions in a community drives the coevolution of species. Yet it is unclear how the outcome of species interactions influences the coevolutionary dynamics of communities. This is a pressing matter, as changes to the outcome of interactions may become more common with human-induced global change. Here, we combine network and evolutionary theory to explore coevolutionary outcomes in communities harboring mutualistic and antagonistic interactions. We show that as the ratio of mutualistic to antagonistic interactions decreases, selection imposed by direct partners outweighs that imposed by indirect partners. This weakening of indirect effects results in communities composed of species with dissimilar traits and fast rates of adaptation. These changes are more pronounced when specialist consumers are the first species to engage in antagonistic interactions. Hence, a shift in the outcome of species interactions may reverberate across communities and alter the direction and speed of coevolution.
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2
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Wang B, Tong ZY, Xiong YZ, Wang XF, Scott Armbruster W, Huang SQ. The evolution of flower-pollinator trait matching, and why do some alpine gingers appear to be mismatched? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1073-1088. [PMID: 37751161 PMCID: PMC10809048 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad141] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Morphological matching between flower and pollinator traits has been documented in diverse plant lineages. Indeed, the matching of corolla tube length and pollinator tongue length has been cited repeatedly as a classic case of coevolution. However, there are many possible evolutionary routes to trait matching. Our aim here is both to review the evolutionary mechanisms of plant-pollinator trait matching and to investigate a specific case of trait matching/mismatching in a genus of alpine gingers. METHODS Roscoea gingers with long corolla tubes in the western Himalayas have pollinators with correspondingly long tongues, but the match between corolla tube and pollinator tongue lengths is not seen in the eastern Himalayas. Six floral traits were measured, including corolla tube depth, an internal trait controlling pollinator access to nectar. We calculated coefficients of variation and phylogenetically controlled correlation patterns of these traits in six Roscoea species in order to gain possible insights into stabilizing selection and modularization of these traits. KEY RESULTS The distal (nectar-containing) portion of the corolla tube exhibited lower coefficients of variations than did the basal portion. This is consistent with the hypothesis that pollinators mediate stabilizing selection on the distal, but not basal, portion of the corolla tube. This result, combined with phylogenetic data, suggests that the elevated liquid level of nectar in the distal tube evolved subsequent to dispersal into the eastern Himalayan region and loss of long-tongue pollinators. After accounting for phylogeny, corolla tube length, anther length, style length and labellum width were all intercorrelated. Corolla-tube depth was not part of this covariational module, however, suggesting separate adaptation to short-tongued pollinators. CONCLUSIONS The reduction in functional corolla tube depth in the Roscoea appears to be related to the loss of long-tongued pollinators associated with dispersal to the eastern Himalayas and pollination by short-tongued pollinators. The apparent mismatch between floral tubes and pollinator tongues is a case of cryptic trait matching between flowers and pollinators, underscoring the importance of combining floral anatomy with pollination ecology in assessing plant-pollinator trait matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, The College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ze-Yu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ying-Ze Xiong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, The College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - W Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO12DY, UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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3
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Bhandary S, Deb S, Sharathi Dutta P. Rising temperature drives tipping points in mutualistic networks. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221363. [PMID: 36756070 PMCID: PMC9890100 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The effect of climate warming on species' physiological parameters, including growth rate, mortality rate and handling time, is well established from empirical data. However, with an alarming rise in global temperature more than ever, predicting the interactive influence of these changes on mutualistic communities remains uncertain. Using 139 real plant-pollinator networks sampled across the globe and a modelling approach, we study the impact of species' individual thermal responses on mutualistic communities. We show that at low mutualistic strength plant-pollinator networks are at potential risk of rapid transitions at higher temperatures. Evidently, generalist species play a critical role in guiding tipping points in mutualistic networks. Further, we derive stability criteria for the networks in a range of temperatures using a two-dimensional reduced model. We identify network structures that can ascertain the delay of a community collapse. Until the end of this century, on account of increasing climate warming many real mutualistic networks are likely to be under the threat of sudden collapse, and we frame strategies to mitigate this. Together, our results indicate that knowing individual species' thermal responses and network structure can improve predictions for communities facing rapid transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhendu Bhandary
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar 140 001, Punjab, India
| | - Smita Deb
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar 140 001, Punjab, India
| | - Partha Sharathi Dutta
- Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar 140 001, Punjab, India
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4
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Amorim FW, Marino S, Sanz‐Veiga PA, Ollerton J, Oliveira PE. Short flowers for long tongues: Functional specialization in a nocturnal pollination network of an asclepiad in long‐tongued hawkmoths. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Felipe W. Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações (LEPI) Programa de Pós‐graduação em Botânica Programa de Pós‐graduação em Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - Salvador Marino
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV) CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
| | - Priscila Andre Sanz‐Veiga
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações (LEPI) Programa de Pós‐graduação em Botânica Programa de Pós‐graduação em Zoologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology University of Northampton Northampton UK
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5
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Baruah G. The impact of individual variation on abrupt collapses in mutualistic networks. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:26-37. [PMID: 34672068 PMCID: PMC9297894 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Individual variation is central to species involved in complex interactions with others in an ecological system. Such ecological systems could exhibit tipping points in response to changes in the environment, consequently leading to abrupt transitions to alternative, often less desirable states. However, little is known about how individual trait variation could influence the timing and occurrence of abrupt transitions. Using 101 empirical mutualistic networks, I model the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of such networks in response to gradual changes in strength of co‐evolutionary interactions. Results indicated that individual variation facilitates the timing of transition in such networks, albeit slightly. In addition, individual variation significantly increases the occurrence of large abrupt transitions. Furthermore, topological network features also positively influence the occurrence of such abrupt transitions. These findings argue for understanding tipping points using an eco‐evolutionary perspective to better forecast abrupt transitions in ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Baruah
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag,, Kastanienbaum, CH, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH, Switzerland
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6
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Wang H, Zhou W, Li Z, Niklas KJ, Sun S. Plant volatiles mediate evolutionary interactions between plants and tephritid flies and are evolutionarily more labile than non-volatile defenses. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:846-858. [PMID: 33340098 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13414] [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: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studies show that plant defenses influence the host-use of herbivores and tend to be evolutionarily more labile than herbivore traits (e.g. feeding preferences). However, all previous studies have focused exclusively on non-volatile plant defenses thereby overlooking the roles of plant volatiles. We hypothesized that volatiles are equally important determinants of herbivore host-use and are evolutionarily more labile than herbivore traits. To test these hypotheses, the following experiments were conducted. We identified the volatiles and non-volatiles of 17 Asteraceae species and measured their relative contents. We also used a highly resolved bipartite trophic network of the 17 host species and 20 herbivorous (pre-dispersal seed predator) tephritid fly species to determine the evolutionary interactions between plants and herbivores. The chemical data showed that interspecific similarity in volatiles-but not non-volatiles and phylogenetic distance-significantly accounted for the herbivore community across the plant species; this implies that plant volatiles-but not non-volatile compounds and species identity-dictate plant-tephritid fly interactions. Moreover, we observed phylogenetic signal for non-volatiles but not for volatiles; therefore closely related herbivores do not necessarily use closely related host species with similar non-volatiles, but do tend to attack plants producing similar volatiles. Thus, plant volatiles are evolutionarily more labile than non-volatiles and herbivore traits associate with host use. These results show that the interactions between plants and herbivores are evolutionary asymmetric, shed light on the role of plant volatiles in plant-herbivore interactions, and highlight the need to include data for both volatiles and non-volatiles when investigating plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenlong Zhou
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhao Li
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Karl J Niklas
- Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Shucun Sun
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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7
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Balducci MG, Van der Niet T, Johnson SD. Diel scent and nectar rhythms of an African orchid in relation to bimodal activity patterns of hawkmoth pollinators. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1155-1164. [PMID: 32674148 PMCID: PMC7684705 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The temporal dimensions of floral adaptation to pollinators are not yet well understood, partly because we lack accurate information on the diel rhythms of flower visitation for many pollinators. We investigated whether diel patterns of pollinator visitation to flowers of the African woodland orchid Bonatea polypodantha are synchronized with rhythms of floral anthesis, scent emission and nectar availability. METHODS Direct observations and motion-activated cameras were used to identify pollinators of B. polypodantha and to document their activity periods. The timing of pollinaria removal from flowers, emission of scent and availability of nectar was also measured. RESULTS We found that B. polypodantha is pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths. Pollinaria of the orchid are affixed between the labial palps of the moths and brush over the protruding stigmatic arms. The flowers also receive visits by long-tongued hawkmoths, but these act as nectar thieves. Tracking of pollinaria removal from flowers confirmed that pollination occurs only at night. Camera footage revealed a striking crepuscular pattern of foraging by short-tongued hawkmoths with peaks of activity during the twilight periods at dusk and at dawn. In contrast, long-tongued hawkmoths were found to visit flowers throughout the night. Flowers of B. polypodantha exhibit unimodal peaks of anthesis, scent emission (dominated by nitrogenous aromatics) and nectar availability before or around dusk. CONCLUSIONS Flowers of B. polypodantha are pollinated exclusively by short-tongued hawkmoths, which show crepuscular foraging activity at dusk and dawn. Floral phenophases of the orchid are closely synchronized with the peak of pollinator activity at dusk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco G Balducci
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Timotheüs Van der Niet
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Steven D Johnson
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
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8
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Are all butterflies equal? Population-wise proboscis length variation predicts flower choice in a butterfly. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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9
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Bauder JAS, Karolyi F. Superlong Proboscises as Co-adaptations to Flowers. INSECT MOUTHPARTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29654-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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10
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Merckx T, Kaiser A, Van Dyck H. Increased body size along urbanization gradients at both community and intraspecific level in macro-moths. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:3837-3848. [PMID: 29791767 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization involves a cocktail of human-induced rapid environmental changes and is forecasted to gain further importance. Urban-heat-island effects result in increased metabolic costs expected to drive shifts towards smaller body sizes. However, urban environments are also characterized by strong habitat fragmentation, often selecting for dispersal phenotypes. Here, we investigate to what extent, and at which spatial scale(s), urbanization drives body size shifts in macro-moths-an insect group characterized by positive size-dispersal links-at both the community and intraspecific level. Using light and bait trapping as part of a replicated, spatially nested sampling design, we show that despite the observed urban warming of their woodland habitat, macro-moth communities display considerable increases in community-weighted mean body size because of stronger filtering against small species along urbanization gradients. Urbanization drives intraspecific shifts towards increased body size too, at least for a third of species analysed. These results indicate that urbanization drives shifts towards larger, and hence, more mobile species and individuals in order to mitigate low connectivity of ecological resources in urban settings. Macro-moths are a key group within terrestrial ecosystems, and since body size is central to species interactions, such urbanization-driven phenotypic change may impact urban ecosystem functioning, especially in terms of nocturnal pollination and food web dynamics. Although we show that urbanization's size-biased filtering happens simultaneously and coherently at both the inter- and intraspecific level, we demonstrate that the impact at the community level is most pronounced at the 800 m radius scale, whereas species-specific size increases happen at local and landscape scales (50-3,200 m radius), depending on the species. Hence, measures-such as creating and improving urban green infrastructure-to mitigate the effects of urbanization on body size will have to be implemented at multiple spatial scales in order to be most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Kaiser
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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11
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Biddick M, Burns KC. Phenotypic trait matching predicts the topology of an insular plant-bird pollination network. Integr Zool 2018. [PMID: 29537723 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Conceptualizing species interactions as networks has broadened our understanding of ecological communities. However, the factors shaping interaction patterns among species and, therefore, network structure remain unclear. One potentially important factor is the matching of phenotypic traits. Here, we tested for trait matching in a bird-flower visitation network from New Zealand. We first quantified the overall network structure and tested whether flower size could account for differences in the visitation rates of flowering plants. We then explored the relationship between the flower size and bill size. The results showed that the interaction network is nested. Plant species with large flowers received more visits from birds than plant species with small flowers. Moreover, plant species with large flowers were visited more frequently by birds with large bills, while species with smaller flowers were visited more frequently by birds with small bills. Overall, the interaction patterns between birds and flowering plants could be predicted by their morphology, suggesting that phenotypic trait matching is an important predictor of network structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Biddick
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Kevin C Burns
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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12
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Merckx T, Souffreau C, Kaiser A, Baardsen LF, Backeljau T, Bonte D, Brans KI, Cours M, Dahirel M, Debortoli N, De Wolf K, Engelen JMT, Fontaneto D, Gianuca AT, Govaert L, Hendrickx F, Higuti J, Lens L, Martens K, Matheve H, Matthysen E, Piano E, Sablon R, Schön I, Van Doninck K, De Meester L, Van Dyck H. Body-size shifts in aquatic and terrestrial urban communities. Nature 2018; 558:113-116. [PMID: 29795350 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0140-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Body size is intrinsically linked to metabolic rate and life-history traits, and is a crucial determinant of food webs and community dynamics1,2. The increased temperatures associated with the urban-heat-island effect result in increased metabolic costs and are expected to drive shifts to smaller body sizes 3 . Urban environments are, however, also characterized by substantial habitat fragmentation 4 , which favours mobile species. Here, using a replicated, spatially nested sampling design across ten animal taxonomic groups, we show that urban communities generally consist of smaller species. In addition, although we show urban warming for three habitat types and associated reduced community-weighted mean body sizes for four taxa, three taxa display a shift to larger species along the urbanization gradients. Our results show that the general trend towards smaller-sized species is overruled by filtering for larger species when there is positive covariation between size and dispersal, a process that can mitigate the low connectivity of ecological resources in urban settings 5 . We thus demonstrate that the urban-heat-island effect and urban habitat fragmentation are associated with contrasting community-level shifts in body size that critically depend on the association between body size and dispersal. Because body size determines the structure and dynamics of ecological networks 1 , such shifts may affect urban ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Caroline Souffreau
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Kaiser
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Lisa F Baardsen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristien I Brans
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie Cours
- Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maxime Dahirel
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution), CNRS, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Nicolas Debortoli
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology, URBE, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jessie M T Engelen
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council, Institute of Ecosystem Study, Verbania-Pallanza, Italy
| | - Andros T Gianuca
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department of Community Ecology, Halle, Germany
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik Hendrickx
- Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Janet Higuti
- Centre of Research in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture/PEA, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Martens
- Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Limnology Research Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans Matheve
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elena Piano
- Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rose Sablon
- Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isa Schön
- Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,Zoology Research Group, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Karine Van Doninck
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology, URBE, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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13
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Netz C, Renner SS. Long-spurred Angraecum orchids and long-tongued sphingid moths on Madagascar: a time frame for Darwin’s predicted Xanthopan/Angraecum coevolution. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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14
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Schellenberger Costa D, Classen A, Ferger S, Helbig-Bonitz M, Peters M, Böhning-Gaese K, Steffan-Dewenter I, Kleyer M. Relationships between abiotic environment, plant functional traits, and animal body size at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174157. [PMID: 28319155 PMCID: PMC5358856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect-response framework states that plant functional traits link the abiotic environment to ecosystem functioning. One ecosystem property is the body size of the animals living in the system, which is assumed to depend on temperature or resource availability, among others. For primary consumers, resource availability may directly be related to plant traits, while for secondary consumers the relationship is indirect. We used plant traits to describe resource availability along an elevational gradient on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Using structural equation models, we determined the response of plant traits to changes in precipitation, temperature and disturbance with and assessed whether abiotic conditions or community-weighted means of plant traits are stronger predictors of the mean size of bees, moths, frugivorous birds, and insectivorous birds. Traits indicating tissue density and nutrient content strongly responded to variations in precipitation, temperature and disturbance. They had direct effects on pollination and fruit traits. However, the average body sizes of the animal groups considered could only be explained by temperature and habitat structure, not by plant traits. Our results demonstrate a strong link between traits and the abiotic environment, but suggest that temperature is the most relevant predictor of mean animal body size. Community-weighted means of plant traits and body sizes appear unsuitable to capture the complexity of plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Classen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Ferger
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Marcell Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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15
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Skogen KA, Jogesh T, Hilpman ET, Todd SL, Rhodes MK, Still SM, Fant JB. Land-use change has no detectable effect on reproduction of a disturbance-adapted, hawkmoth-pollinated plant species. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2016; 103:1950-1963. [PMID: 27803000 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1600302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Land-use change is cited as a primary driver of global biodiversity loss, with myriad consequences for species, populations, and ecosystems. However, few studies have examined its impact on species interactions, particularly pollination. Furthermore, when the effects of land-use change on pollination have been studied, the focus has largely been on species pollinated by diurnal pollinators, namely, bees and butterflies. Here, we focus on Oenothera harringtonii, a night-flowering, disturbance-adapted species that has experienced a range-wide gradient of land-use change. We tested the hypothesis that the negative impacts of land-use change are mitigated by long-distance pollination. METHODS Our study included both temporal (4 yr) and spatial (19 populations range-wide, and 1, 2, and 5 km from the population center) data, providing a comprehensive understanding of the role of land-use change on pollination biology and reproduction. KEY RESULTS We first confirmed that O. harringtonii is self-incompatible and reliant on pollinators for reproduction. We then showed that hawkmoths (primarily Hyles lineata) are highly reliable and effective pollinators in both space and time. Unlike other studies, we did not detect an effect of population size, increased isolation, or a reduction in suitable habitat in areas with evidence of land-use change on pollination (visitation, pollen removal and deposition). Furthermore, the proportion of suitable habitat and other fragmentation metrics examined were not associated with population size or density in this plant species. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that nocturnal pollination of Oenothera harringtonii via hawkmoths is robust to the negative impacts of land-use change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krissa A Skogen
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
| | - Tania Jogesh
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
| | - Evan T Hilpman
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
- Washingtion State University, School of Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 644236, Pullman, Washington 99164 USA
| | - Sadie L Todd
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, 2230 S. Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny, Iowa 50023 USA
| | - Matthew K Rhodes
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
| | - Shannon M Still
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
- University of California Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616 USA
| | - Jeremie B Fant
- Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022 USA
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Johnson SD, Moré M, Amorim FW, Haber WA, Frankie GW, Stanley DA, Coccuci AA, Raguso RA. The long and the short of it: a global analysis of hawkmoth pollination niches and interaction networks. Funct Ecol 2016; 31:101-115. [PMID: 28344378 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Proboscis length has been proposed as a key dimension of plant pollination niches, but this niche space has not previously been explored at regional and global scales for any pollination system. Hawkmoths are ideal organisms for exploring pollinator niches as they are important pollinators in most of the biodiverse regions of the earth and vary greatly in proboscis length, with some species having the longest proboscides of all insects. 2. Using datasets for nine biogeographical regions spanning the Old and New World, we ask whether it is possible to identify distinct hawkmoth pollination niches based on the frequency distribution of proboscis length, and whether these niches are reflected in the depths of flowers that are pollinated by hawkmoths. We also investigate the levels of specialization in hawkmoth pollination systems at the regional and community level using data from interaction network studies. 3. We found that most regional hawkmoth assemblages have bimodal or multimodal distributions of proboscis length, and that these are matched by similar distributions of floral tube lengths. Hawkmoths, particularly those with longer proboscides, are polyphagous and at the network level show foraging specialization equivalent to or less than that of bees and hummingbirds. In the case of plants, shorter-tubed flowers are usually visited by numerous hawkmoth species, while those that are longer-tubed tend to exclude shorter-proboscid hawkmoths and thus become ecologically specialized on longer-proboscid hawkmoth species. Longer-tubed flowers tend to have greater nectar rewards and this promotes short-term constancy by long-proboscid hawkmoths. 4. Our results show that pollinator proboscis length is a key niche axis for plants and can account for patterns of evolution in functional traits such as floral tube length and nectar volume. We also highlight a paradoxical trend for nectar resource niche breadth to increase according to proboscis length of pollinators, while pollinator niche breadth decreases according to the tube length of flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Biologıa Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologıa Vegetal (CONICET-UNCba), CC 495, CP 5000, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Felipe W Amorim
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gordon W Frankie
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, UC Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dara A Stanley
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Andrea A Coccuci
- Laboratorio de Biologıa Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologıa Vegetal (CONICET-UNCba), CC 495, CP 5000, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Sazatornil FD, Moré M, Benitez-Vieyra S, Cocucci AA, Kitching IJ, Schlumpberger BO, Oliveira PE, Sazima M, Amorim FW. Beyond neutral and forbidden links: morphological matches and the assembly of mutualistic hawkmoth-plant networks. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1586-1594. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Federico D. Sazatornil
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba); Córdoba Argentina
| | - Marcela Moré
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba); Córdoba Argentina
| | - Santiago Benitez-Vieyra
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba); Córdoba Argentina
| | - Andrea A. Cocucci
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba); Córdoba Argentina
| | - Ian J. Kitching
- Department of Life Sciences; Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road London UK
| | | | - Paulo E. Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Uberlândia Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Marlies Sazima
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal; Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Felipe W. Amorim
- Departamento de Botânica; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’; Botucatu São Paulo Brazil
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Johnson SD, Raguso RA. The long-tongued hawkmoth pollinator niche for native and invasive plants in Africa. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 117:25-36. [PMID: 26346719 PMCID: PMC4701141 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Unrelated organisms that share similar niches often exhibit patterns of convergent evolution in functional traits. Based on bimodal distributions of hawkmoth tongue lengths and tubular white flowers in Africa, this study hypothesized that long-tongued hawkmoths comprise a pollination niche (ecological opportunity) that is distinct from that of shorter-tongued hawkmoths. METHODS Field observations, light trapping, camera surveillance and pollen load analysis were used to identify pollinators of plant species with very long-tubed (>8 cm) flowers. The nectar properties and spectral reflectance of these flowers were also measured. The frequency distributions of proboscis length for all captured hawkmoths and floral tube length for a representative sample of night-blooming plant species were determined. The geographical distributions of both native and introduced plant species with very long floral tubes were mapped. KEY RESULTS The convolvulus hawkmoth Agrius convolvuli is identified as the most important pollinator of African plants with very long-tubed flowers. Plants pollinated by this hawkmoth species tend to have a very long (approx. 10 cm) and narrow flower tube or spur, white flowers and large volumes of dilute nectar. It is estimated that >70 grassland and savanna plant species in Africa belong to the Agrius pollination guild. In South Africa, at least 23 native species have very long floral tubes, and pollination by A. convolvuli or, rarely, by the closely related hawkmoth Coelonia fulvinotata, has been confirmed for 11 of these species. The guild is strikingly absent from the species-rich Cape floral region and now includes at least four non-native invasive species with long-tubed flowers that are pre-adapted for pollination by A. convolvuli. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the value of a niche perspective on pollination, which provides a framework for making predictions about the ecological importance of keystone pollinators, and for understanding patterns of convergent evolution and the role of floral traits in plant colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa and
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Bauder JAS, Morawetz L, Warren AD, Krenn HW. Functional constraints on the evolution of long butterfly proboscides: lessons from Neotropical skippers (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). J Evol Biol 2015; 28:678-87. [PMID: 25682841 PMCID: PMC4402018 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Extremely long proboscides are rare among butterflies outside of the Hesperiidae, yet representatives of several genera of skipper butterflies possess proboscides longer than 50 mm. Although extremely elongated mouthparts can be regarded as advantageous adaptations to gain access to nectar in deep-tubed flowers, the scarcity of long-proboscid butterflies is a phenomenon that has not been adequately accounted for. So far, the scarceness was explained by functional costs arising from increased flower handling times caused by decelerated nectar intake rates. However, insects can compensate for the negative influence of a long proboscis through changes in the morphological configuration of the feeding apparatus. Here, we measured nectar intake rates in 34 species representing 21 Hesperiidae genera from a Costa Rican lowland rainforest area to explore the impact of proboscis length, cross-sectional area of the food canal and body size on intake rate. Long-proboscid skippers did not suffer from reduced intake rates due to their large body size and enlarged food canals. In addition, video analyses of the flower-visiting behaviour revealed that suction times increased with proboscis length, suggesting that long-proboscid skippers drink a larger amount of nectar from deep-tubed flowers. Despite these advantages, we showed that functional costs of exaggerated mouthparts exist in terms of longer manipulation times per flower. Finally, we discuss the significance of scaling relationships on the foraging efficiency of butterflies and why some skipper taxa, in particular, have evolved extremely long proboscides.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A S Bauder
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Low abundance of long-tongued pollinators leads to pollen limitation in four specialized hawkmoth-pollinated plants in the Atlantic Rain forest, Brazil. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:893-905. [PMID: 25204723 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2014] [Revised: 08/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Long-tubed hawkmoth-pollinated species present some of the most remarkable examples of floral specialization depending exclusively on long-tongued hawkmoths for sexual reproduction. Nonetheless, long-tongued hawkmoths do not rely exclusively on specialized plants as nectar sources, which may limit sexual reproduction through pollen limitation. However, very few studies have quantified the level of pollen limitation in plants with highly specialized floral traits in tropical regions. In this context, we studied four sympatric hawkmoth-pollinated species in a highland Atlantic Rain forest and assessed pollen limitation and their dependence on pollinators by analyzing the floral biology, breeding system, pollination mechanisms, and abundance of long-tongued pollinators. We showed that the four species are self-compatible, but are completely dependent on long-tongued hawkmoths to set fruits, and that flower visitation was infrequent in all plant species. Pollen limitation indices ranged from 0.53 to 0.96 showing that fruit set is highly limited by pollen receipt. Long-tongued moths are much less abundant and comprise only one sixth of the hawkmoth fauna. Pollen analyses of 578 sampled moths revealed that hawkmoths visited ca. 80 plant species in the community, but only two of the four species studied. Visited plants included a long-tubed hawkmoth-pollinated species endemic to the lowland forest ca. 15-20 km away from the study site. Specialization index (H 2 ' = 0.20) showed that community-level interactions between hawkmoths and plants are generalized. We suggest that sexual reproduction of these highly specialized hawkmoth-pollinated species is impaired by competition among plants for pollinators, in conjunction with the low abundance and diversity of long-tongued pollinators.
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Clairmont L, Mora EC, Fenton B. Morphology, Diet and Flower-visiting by Phyllostomid Bats in Cuba. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Clairmont
- Department of Biology; University of Western Ontario; 1151 Richmond St London ON N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Emanuel C. Mora
- Department of Animal and Human Biology; Havana University; calle 25 No. 455 J e I Vedado La Habana Cuba
| | - Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology; University of Western Ontario; 1151 Richmond St London ON N6A 5B7 Canada
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Diversification through multitrait evolution in a coevolving interaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:11487-92. [PMID: 23801764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307451110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms between species are interactions in which reciprocal exploitation results in outcomes that are mutually beneficial. This reciprocal exploitation is evident in the more than a thousand plant species that are pollinated exclusively by insects specialized to lay their eggs in the flowers they pollinate. By pollinating each flower in which she lays eggs, an insect guarantees that her larval offspring have developing seeds on which to feed, whereas the plant gains a specialized pollinator at the cost of some seeds. These mutualisms are often reciprocally obligate, potentially driving not only ongoing coadaptation but also diversification. The lack of known intermediate stages in most of these mutualisms, however, makes it difficult to understand whether these interactions could have begun to diversify even before they became reciprocally obligate. Experimental studies of the incompletely obligate interactions between woodland star (Lithophragma; Saxifragaceae) plants and their pollinating floral parasites in the moth genus Greya (Prodoxidae) show that, as these lineages have diversified, the moths and plants have evolved in ways that maintain effective oviposition and pollination. Experimental assessment of pollination in divergent species and quantitative evaluation of time-lapse photographic sequences of pollination viewed on surgically manipulated flowers show that various combinations of traits are possible for maintaining the mutualism. The results suggest that at least some forms of mutualism can persist and even diversify when the interaction is not reciprocally obligate.
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Martins DJ, Johnson SD. Interactions between hawkmoths and flowering plants in East Africa: polyphagy and evolutionary specialization in an ecological context. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dino J. Martins
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Private Bag X01, Scottsville; Pietermaritzburg; 3209; South Africa
| | - Steven D. Johnson
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Private Bag X01, Scottsville; Pietermaritzburg; 3209; South Africa
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von Arx M, Sullivan KA, Raguso RA. Dual fitness benefits of post-mating sugar meals for female hawkmoths (Hyles lineata). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:458-465. [PMID: 23376765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata: Sphingidae) is the most widespread and abundant hawkmoth pollinator in North America and plays a major role in the reproductive biology of many plant species. H. lineata visits a wide range of plants, which differ in the quality and quantity (e.g. caloric content, volume) of the nectar reward that they offer in exchange for pollination services. Some of these plants represent a suitable oviposition substrate as well as a profitable nectar source, allowing mated H. lineata females to mix foraging and oviposition bouts. We investigated the effects of post-mating nectar intake on the reproductive success of female H. lineata. While all experimental females had access to a 20% sucrose solution during the pre-mating phase (avg. 2.7 days) we manipulated the post-mating diet, assigning mated females to three experimental groups (sucrose fed, water fed, or unfed). Mated females with access to sucrose lived twice as long and produced more fertile eggs at double the rate of control moths that were starved or water-fed after mating. Thus, the sugar component of floral nectar positively affects the physiology of mated H. lineata at multiple levels, which translates into strong selection for mated females to continue nectar foraging during or between oviposition bouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin von Arx
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Nuismer SL, Jordano P, Bascompte J. COEVOLUTION AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF MUTUALISTIC NETWORKS. Evolution 2012; 67:338-54. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01801.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Moré M, Amorim FW, Benitez-Vieyra S, Medina AM, Sazima M, Cocucci AA. Armament imbalances: match and mismatch in plant-pollinator traits of highly specialized long-spurred orchids. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41878. [PMID: 22848645 PMCID: PMC3405039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some species of long-spurred orchids achieve pollination by a close association with long-tongued hawkmoths. Among them, several Habenaria species present specialized mechanisms, where pollination success depends on the attachment of pollinaria onto the heads of hawkmoths with very long proboscises. However, in the Neotropical region such moths are less abundant than their shorter-tongued relatives and are also prone to population fluctuations. Both factors may give rise to differences in pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits through time and space. Methodology/Principal Findings We characterized hawkmoth assemblages and estimated phenotypic selection gradients on orchid spur lengths in populations of three South American Habenaria species. We examined the match between hawkmoth proboscis and flower spur lengths to determine whether pollinators may act as selective agents on flower morphology. We found significant directional selection on spur length only in Habenaria gourlieana, where most pollinators had proboscises longer than the mean of orchid spur length. Conclusions/Significance Phenotypic selection is dependent on the mutual match between pollinator and flower morphologies. However, our findings indicate that pollinator-mediated selection may vary through time and space according to local variations in pollinator assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Moré
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Felipe W. Amorim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| | - Santiago Benitez-Vieyra
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A. Martin Medina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marlies Sazima
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Andrea A. Cocucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Biología Floral, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Chown SL, Gaston KJ. Body size variation in insects: a macroecological perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2010; 85:139-69. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00097.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 455] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Krenn HW. Feeding mechanisms of adult Lepidoptera: structure, function, and evolution of the mouthparts. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2010; 55:307-27. [PMID: 19961330 PMCID: PMC4040413 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-112408-085338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The form and function of the mouthparts in adult Lepidoptera and their feeding behavior are reviewed from evolutionary and ecological points of view. The formation of the suctorial proboscis encompasses a fluid-tight food tube, special linking structures, modified sensory equipment, and novel intrinsic musculature. The evolution of these functionally important traits can be reconstructed within the Lepidoptera. The proboscis movements are explained by a hydraulic mechanism for uncoiling, whereas recoiling is governed by the intrinsic proboscis musculature and the cuticular elasticity. Fluid uptake is accomplished by the action of the cranial sucking pump, which enables uptake of a wide range of fluid quantities from different food sources. Nectar-feeding species exhibit stereotypical proboscis movements during flower handling. Behavioral modifications and derived proboscis morphology are often associated with specialized feeding preferences or an obligatory switch to alternative food sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald W Krenn
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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29
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Burkle L, Irwin R. The importance of interannual variation and bottomâup nitrogen enrichment for plantâpollinator networks. OIKOS 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17740.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Agosta SJ. Male Body Size and Mating Success and Their Relation to Larval Host Plant History in the Moth Rothschildia lebeau in Costa Rican Dry Forest. Biotropica 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00556.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Stang M, Klinkhamer PGL, Waser NM, Stang I, van der Meijden E. Size-specific interaction patterns and size matching in a plant-pollinator interaction web. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2009; 103:1459-69. [PMID: 19228701 PMCID: PMC2701768 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcp027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2008] [Revised: 11/06/2008] [Accepted: 12/15/2008] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Many recent studies show that plant-pollinator interaction webs exhibit consistent structural features such as long-tailed distributions of the degree of generalization, nestedness of interactions and asymmetric interaction dependencies. Recognition of these shared features has led to a variety of mechanistic attempts at explanation. Here it is hypothesized that beside size thresholds and species abundances, the frequency distribution of sizes (nectar depths and proboscis lengths) will play a key role in determining observed interaction patterns. METHODS To test the influence of size distributions, a new network parameter is introduced: the degree of size matching between nectar depth and proboscis length. The observed degree of size matching in a Spanish plant-pollinator web was compared with the expected degree based on joint probability distributions, integrating size thresholds and abundance, and taking the sampling method into account. KEY RESULTS Nectar depths and proboscis lengths both exhibited right-skewed frequency distributions across species and individuals. Species-based size matching was equally close for plants, independent of nectar depth, but differed significantly for pollinators of dissimilar proboscis length. The observed patterns were predicted well by a model considering size distributions across species. Observed size matching was closer when relative abundances of species were included, especially for flowers with openly accessible nectar and pollinators with long proboscises, but was predicted somewhat less successfully by the model that included abundances. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that in addition to size thresholds and species abundances, size distributions are important for understanding interaction patterns in plant-pollinator webs. It is likely that the understanding will be improved further by characterizing for entire communities how nectar production of flowers and energetic requirements of pollinators covary with size, and how sampling methods influence the observed interaction patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Stang
- University of Leiden, Institute of Biology Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Kawahara AY, Mignault AA, Regier JC, Kitching IJ, Mitter C. Phylogeny and biogeography of hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae): evidence from five nuclear genes. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5719. [PMID: 19492095 PMCID: PMC2683934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2009] [Accepted: 05/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 1400 species of hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) comprise one of most conspicuous and well-studied groups of insects, and provide model systems for diverse biological disciplines. However, a robust phylogenetic framework for the family is currently lacking. Morphology is unable to confidently determine relationships among most groups. As a major step toward understanding relationships of this model group, we have undertaken the first large-scale molecular phylogenetic analysis of hawkmoths representing all subfamilies, tribes and subtribes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The data set consisted of 131 sphingid species and 6793 bp of sequence from five protein-coding nuclear genes. Maximum likelihood and parsimony analyses provided strong support for more than two-thirds of all nodes, including strong signal for or against nearly all of the fifteen current subfamily, tribal and sub-tribal groupings. Monophyly was strongly supported for some of these, including Macroglossinae, Sphinginae, Acherontiini, Ambulycini, Philampelini, Choerocampina, and Hemarina. Other groupings proved para- or polyphyletic, and will need significant redefinition; these include Smerinthinae, Smerinthini, Sphingini, Sphingulini, Dilophonotini, Dilophonotina, Macroglossini, and Macroglossina. The basal divergence, strongly supported, is between Macroglossinae and Smerinthinae+Sphinginae. All genes contribute significantly to the signal from the combined data set, and there is little conflict between genes. Ancestral state reconstruction reveals multiple separate origins of New World and Old World radiations. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our study provides the first comprehensive phylogeny of one of the most conspicuous and well-studied insects. The molecular phylogeny challenges current concepts of Sphingidae based on morphology, and provides a foundation for a new classification. While there are multiple independent origins of New World and Old World radiations, we conclude that broad-scale geographic distribution in hawkmoths is more phylogenetically conserved than previously postulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akito Y Kawahara
- Department of Entomology, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
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Tiple AD, Khurad AM, Dennis RLH. Adult butterfly feeding–nectar flower associations: constraints of taxonomic affiliation, butterfly, and nectar flower morphology. J NAT HIST 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/00222930802610568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Agosta SJ, Klemens JA. Ecological fitting by phenotypically flexible genotypes: implications for species associations, community assembly and evolution. Ecol Lett 2008; 11:1123-1134. [PMID: 18778274 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01237.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ecological fitting is the process whereby organisms colonize and persist in novel environments, use novel resources or form novel associations with other species as a result of the suites of traits that they carry at the time they encounter the novel condition. This paper has four major aims. First, we review the original concept of ecological fitting and relate it to the concept of exaptation and current ideas on the positive role of phenotypic plasticity in evolution. Second, we propose phenotypic plasticity, correlated trait evolution and phylogenetic conservatism as specific mechanisms behind ecological fitting. Third, we attempt to operationalize the concept of ecological fitting by providing explicit definitions for terms. From these definitions, we propose a simple conceptual model of ecological fitting. Using this model, we demonstrate the differences and similarities between ecological fitting and ecological resource tracking and illustrate the process in the context of species colonizing new areas and forming novel associations with other species. Finally, we discuss how ecological fitting can be both a precursor to evolutionary diversity or maintainer of evolutionary stasis, depending on conditions. We conclude that ecological fitting is an important concept for understanding topics ranging from the assembly of ecological communities and species associations, to biological invasions, to the evolution of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore J Agosta
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19014, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Klemens
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19014, USA
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Siqueira T, de Oliveira Roque F, Trivinho-Strixino S. Species richness, abundance, and body size relationships from a neotropical chironomid assemblage: Looking for patterns. Basic Appl Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2007.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Agosta SJ. Selection on offspring size varies within and among families in relation to host nutritional quality. Evol Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-007-9159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Agosta SJ. On ecological fitting, plant-insect associations, herbivore host shifts, and host plant selection. OIKOS 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.15025.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Allen CR, Garmestani AS, Havlicek TD, Marquet PA, Peterson GD, Restrepo C, Stow CA, Weeks BE. Patterns in body mass distributions: sifting among alternative hypotheses. Ecol Lett 2006; 9:630-43. [PMID: 16643307 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00902.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how animals interact with their environment is critical for evaluating, mitigating and coping with anthropogenic alteration of Earth's biosphere. Researchers have attempted to understand some aspects of these interactions by examining patterns in animal body mass distributions. Energetic, phylogenetic, biogeographical, textural discontinuity and community interaction hypotheses have been advanced to explain observed patterns. Energetic and textural discontinuity hypotheses focus upon the allometry of resource use. The community interaction hypothesis contends that biotic interactions within assemblages of species are of primary importance. Biogeographical and phylogenetic hypotheses focus on the role of constraints on the organization of communities. This paper examines and organizes these various propositions about species body mass distributions and discusses the multiple competing hypotheses, how their predictions vary, and possible methods by which the hypotheses can be distinguished and tested. Each of the hypotheses is partial, and explains some elements of pattern in body mass distributions. The scale of appropriate application, relevance and interpretation varies among the hypotheses, and the mechanisms underlying observed patterns are likely to be multicausal and vary with scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Allen
- USGS-Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0711, USA.
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Stang M, Klinkhamer PGL, van der Meijden E. Size constraints and flower abundance determine the number of interactions in a plant-flower visitor web. OIKOS 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14199.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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