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Lähteenaro M, Benda D, Straka J, Nylander JAA, Bergsten J. Phylogenomic analysis of Stylops reveals the evolutionary history of a Holarctic Strepsiptera radiation parasitizing wild bees. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 195:108068. [PMID: 38554985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Holarctic Stylops is the largest genus of the enigmatic insect order Strepsiptera, twisted winged parasites. Members of Stylops are obligate endoparasites of Andrena mining bees and exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism typical of Strepsiptera. So far, molecular studies on Stylops have focused on questions on species delimitation. Here, we utilize the power of whole genome sequencing to infer the phylogeny of this morphologically challenging genus from thousands of loci. We use a species tree method, concatenated maximum likelihood analysis and Bayesian analysis with a relaxed clock model to reconstruct the phylogeny of 46 Stylops species, estimate divergence times, evaluate topological consistency across methods and infer the root position. Furthermore, the biogeographical history and coevolutionary patterns with host species are assessed. All methods recovered a well resolved topology with close to all nodes maximally supported and only a handful of minor topological variations. Based on the result, we find that included species can be divided into 12 species groups, seven of them including only Palaearctic species, three Nearctic and two were geographically mixed. We find a strongly supported root position between a clade formed by the spreta, thwaitesi and gwynanae species groups and the remaining species and that the sister group of Stylops is Eurystylops or Eurystylops + Kinzelbachus. Our results indicate that Stylops originated in the Western Palaearctic or Western Palaearctic and Nearctic in the early Neogene or late Paleogene, with four independent dispersal events to the Nearctic. Cophylogenetic analyses indicate that the diversification of Stylops has been shaped by both significant coevolution with the mining bee hosts and host-shifting. The well resolved and strongly supported phylogeny will provide a valuable phylogenetic basis for further studies into the fascinating world of Strepsipterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meri Lähteenaro
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Daniel Benda
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, CZ-128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic; Department of Entomology, National Museum of the Czech Republic, Cirkusová 1740, CZ-19300 Prague 9, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Straka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, CZ-128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Johan A A Nylander
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Johannes Bergsten
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
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2
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Dong Z, Liu X, Mao C, He J, Li X. Xenos yangi sp. nov.: A new twisted-wing parasite species (Strepsiptera, Xenidae) from Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest China. Zookeys 2022; 1085:11-27. [PMID: 35210903 PMCID: PMC8828590 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1085.76484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report a new twisted-wing parasite species of the family Xenidae based on both morphological and molecular evidence. By using nearly complete mitogenomes, we confirmed the twisted-wing parasites on two wasps (Vespavelutina and Vespabicolor) (China: Yunnan) as the same species, and associated its neotenic females and alate males. Combining the mitogenomic data (COI) and morphological traits, this species was identified to be a new species of the genus Xenos, namely Xenosyangi Dong, Liu & Li, sp. nov. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for the new species.
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3
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Bertone MA, Gibson JC, Seago AE, Yoshida T, Smith AA. A novel power-amplified jumping behavior in larval beetles (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0256509. [PMID: 35045081 PMCID: PMC8769368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Larval insects use many methods for locomotion. Here we describe a previously unknown jumping behavior in a group of beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). We analyze and describe this behavior in Laemophloeus biguttatus and provide information on similar observations for another laemophloeid species, Placonotus testaceus. Laemophloeus biguttatus larvae precede jumps by arching their body while gripping the substrate with their legs over a period of 0.22 ± 0.17s. This is followed by a rapid ventral curling of the body after the larvae releases its grip that launches them into the air. Larvae reached takeoff velocities of 0.47 ± 0.15 m s-1 and traveled 11.2 ± 2.8 mm (1.98 ± 0.8 body lengths) horizontally and 7.9 ± 4.3 mm (1.5 ± 0.9 body lengths) vertically during their jumps. Conservative estimates of power output revealed that some but not all jumps can be explained by direct muscle power alone, suggesting Laemophloeus biguttatus may use a latch-mediated spring actuation mechanism (LaMSA) in which interaction between the larvae's legs and the substrate serves as the latch. MicroCT scans and SEM imaging of larvae did not reveal any notable modifications that would aid in jumping. Although more in-depth experiments could not be performed to test hypotheses on the function of these jumps, we posit that this behavior is used for rapid locomotion which is energetically more efficient than crawling the same distance to disperse from their ephemeral habitat. We also summarize and discuss jumping behaviors among insect larvae for additional context of this behavior in laemophloeid beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Bertone
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joshua C. Gibson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ainsley E. Seago
- Section of Invertebrate Zoology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Takahiro Yoshida
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Adrian A. Smith
- Research & Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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4
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Beani L, Dallai R, Cappa F, Manfredini F, Zaccaroni M, Lorenzi MC, Mercati D. A Stresipteran parasite extends the lifespan of workers in a social wasp. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7235. [PMID: 33790321 PMCID: PMC8012566 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86182-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In social wasps, female lifespan depends on caste and colony tasks: workers usually live a few weeks while queens as long as 1 year. Polistes dominula paper wasps infected by the strepsipteran parasite Xenos vesparum avoid all colony tasks, cluster on vegetation where parasite dispersal and mating occur, hibernate and infect the next generation of wasp larvae. Here, we compared the survival rate of infected and uninfected wasp workers. Workers' survival was significantly affected by parasite sex: two-third of workers parasitized by a X. vesparum female survived and overwintered like future queens did, while all workers infected by a X. vesparum male died during the summer, like uninfected workers that we used as controls. We measured a set of host and parasite traits possibly associated with the observed lifespan extension. Infected overwintering workers had larger fat bodies than infected workers that died in the summer, but they had similar body size and ovary development. Furthermore, we recorded a positive correlation between parasite and host body sizes. We hypothesize that the manipulation of worker's longevity operated by X. vesparum enhances parasite's fitness: if workers infected by a female overwinter, they can spread infective parasite larvae in the spring like parasitized gynes do, thus contributing to parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
| | - Romano Dallai
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita, Università di Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Marco Zaccaroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Lorenzi
- LEEC, Laboratoire d'Éthologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - David Mercati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita, Università di Siena, Via Aldo Moro, 53100, Siena, Italy
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5
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Zhang R, Li J, Mao C, Dong Z, He J, Liu G, Zhao R, Wang W, Li X. The mitochondrial genome of one 'twisted-wing parasite' Xenos cf. moutoni (Insecta, Strepsiptera, Xenidae) from Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest of China. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES 2021; 6:512-514. [PMID: 33628908 PMCID: PMC7889101 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1872443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Xenos cf. moutoni, one twisted-wing parasite on wasp Vespa velutina from Southwest of China, is described in this study. The total length of this mitogenome is 16,717 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and an incomplete A + T-rich control region . All of the 13 PCGs are initiated with canonical ATN (N represents A, T, G, C) as start codons; 8 PCGs are terminated with a complete typical stop codon TAA, and the remaining five PCGs (cox2, cox3, nad3, nad4 and nad5) have an incomplete stop codon with just a T. The phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of PCGs and rRNAs indicates that Xenos cf. moutoni has a close relationship with Xenos vesparum, confirming its placement in the family Xenidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chuyang Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhiwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jinwu He
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Guichun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ruoping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xueyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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6
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Beani L, Mariotti Lippi M, Mulinacci N, Manfredini F, Cecchi L, Giuliani C, Tani C, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D, Cappa F. Altered feeding behavior and immune competence in paper wasps: A case of parasite manipulation? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242486. [PMID: 33326432 PMCID: PMC7743958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Paper wasps (Polistes dominula), parasitized by the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum, are castrated and desert the colony to gather on plants where the parasite mates and releases primary larvae, thus completing its lifecycle. One of these plants is the trumpet creeper Campsis radicans: in a previous study the majority of all wasps collected from this plant were parasitized and focused their foraging activity on C. radicans buds. The unexpected prevalence and unusual feeding strategy prompted us to investigate the influence of this plant on wasp behavior and physiology through a multidisciplinary approach. First, in a series of laboratory bioassays, we observed that parasitized wasps spent more time than non-parasitized ones on fresh C. radicans buds, rich of extra-floral nectaries (EFNs), while the same wasps ignored treated buds that lacked nectar drops. Then, we described the structure and ultra-structure of EFNs secreting cells, compatible with the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Subsequently, we analysed extracts from different bud tissues by HPLC-DAD-MS and found that verbascoside was the most abundant bioactive molecule in those tissues rich in EFNs. Finally, we tested the immune-stimulant properties of verbascoside, as the biochemical nature of this compound indicates it might function as an antibacterial and antioxidant. We measured bacterial clearance in wasps, as a proxy for overall immune competence, and observed that it was enhanced after administration of verbascoside-even more so if the wasp was parasitized. We hypothesize that the parasite manipulates wasp behavior to preferentially feed on C. radicans EFNs, since the bioactive properties of verbascoside likely increase host survival and thus the parasite own fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | | | - Nadia Mulinacci
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Cecchi
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Claudia Giuliani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - Corrado Tani
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
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7
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Tröger D, Grabe V, Beutel RG, Pohl H. The endoparasitic larval stages of Eoxenos laboulbenei: An atypical holometabolan development (Strepsiptera, Mengenillidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2020; 56:100932. [PMID: 32375099 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.100932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Endoparasitic larval stages of Eoxenos laboulbenei were documented with different techniques, with a main focus on the male tertiary larva. Two discrete endoparasitic stages occur, the secondary and the tertiary larva. The presence of large compound eyes and externally visible wing buds in the tertiary larva is a unique feature within Holometabola. The brain with large optic lobes is followed by a single postcephalic ganglionic complex. The cephalic musculature is greatly reduced but pharyngeal dilators and muscles associated with the mouth field are present. Postcephalic sclerites are absent except for the pronotum. The segmented legs bear filiform pretarsal claws. The indirect flight muscles fill up a large part of the metathorax. The 10-segmented abdomen lacks appendages. Pleural folds are present on the thorax and abdomen. The digestive tract is characterized by a very short oesophagus. The large midgut and the narrow hindgut are disconnected. Six short Malpighian tubules are present. Large testes fill out almost the entire abdomen. In contrast to the tertiary larva, the muscles of the secondary larva are not fully differentiated. Cephalic appendages are present as bud-shaped anlagen. The legs lack a pretarsal claw. The developmental transformations are outlined and discussed, also with respect to phylogenetic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tröger
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Veit Grabe
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Rolf G Beutel
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans Pohl
- Entomology Group, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany.
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8
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Beani L, Cappa F, Manfredini F, Zaccaroni M. Preference of Polistes dominula wasps for trumpet creepers when infected by Xenos vesparum: A novel example of co-evolved traits between host and parasite. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205201. [PMID: 30356249 PMCID: PMC6200222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitic insect Xenos vesparum induces noticeable behavioral and physiological changes—e.g. castration—in its female host, the paper wasp Polistes dominula: parasitized putative workers avoid any colony task and desert the colony to survive in the nearby vegetation, like future queens and males do. In this long-term observational study, we describe the spectacular attraction of parasitized workers towards trumpet creeper bushes (Campsis radicans) in early-summer. Two thirds of all wasps that we sampled on these bushes were parasitized, whereas the parasite prevalence was much lower in our study area and most wasps sampled on other nearby flowering bushes were non-parasitized. First, we describe the occurrence and consistency of this phenomenon across different sites and years. Second, we evaluate the spatial behavior of parasitized wasps on C. radicans bushes, which includes site-fidelity, exploitation and defense of rich extra-floral nectaries on buds and calices. Third, we record two critical steps of the lifecycle of X. vesparum on C. radicans: the parasite’s mating and a summer release of parasitic larvae, that can infect larval stages of the host if transported to the host’s nest. In a nutshell, C. radicans bushes provide many benefits both to the parasite X. vesparum and to its host: they facilitate the parasite’s mating and bivoltine lifecycle, a phenomenon never described before for this parasite, while, at the same time, they provide the wasp host with shelter inside trumpet flowers and extrafloral gland secretions, thus likely enhancing host survival and making it a suitable vector for the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italia
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italia
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Zaccaroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italia
- * E-mail:
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9
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James M, Nandamuri SP, Stahl A, Buschbeck EK. The unusual eyes of Xenos peckii (Strepsiptera: Xenidae) have green- and UV--sensitive photoreceptors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3866-3874. [PMID: 27974533 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.148361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The highly specialized evolution of Strepsiptera has produced one of the most unusual eyes among mature insects, perhaps in line with their extremely complex and challenging life cycle. This relatively rare insect order is one of the few for which it has been unclear what spectral classes of photoreceptors any of its members may possess, an even more apt question given the nocturnal evolution of the group. To address this question, we performed electroretinograms on adult male Xenos peckii: we measured spectral responses to equi-quantal monochromatic light flashes of different wavelengths, and established VlogI relationships to calculate spectral sensitivities. Based on opsin template fits, we found maximal spectral sensitivity (λmax) in the green domain at 539 nm. Application of a green light to 'bleach' green receptors revealed that a UV peak was contributed to by an independent UV opsin with a λmax of 346 nm. Transcriptomics and a phylogenetic analysis including 50 other opsin sequences further confirmed the presence of these two opsin classes. While these findings do not necessarily indicate that these unorthodox insects have color vision, they raise the possibility that UV vision plays an important role in the ability of X. peckii males to find the very cryptic strepsipteran females that are situated within their wasp hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisano James
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sri Pratima Nandamuri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
| | - Aaron Stahl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
| | - Elke K Buschbeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA
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10
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Morphophysiological and cuticular chemical alterations caused by Xenos entomophagus endoparasites in the social wasp Polistes ferreri (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Parasitology 2016; 143:1939-1944. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016001529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYSocial wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would undergo morphophysiological alterations as well as changes in their cuticular chemical profile caused by the obligate endoparasite. On average, parasitism was found in 10% of the colonies studied. All the parasitized females showed filamentous ovarioles without developing oocytes, which indicates a physiological castration. Moreover, the endoparasites present in the gaster of females caused its volume to increase, and the presence of endoparasites changed the cuticular chemical profiles of females, confirming our hypothesis. It is likely that this parasitism effect could hamper the maintenance of wasp colonies.
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11
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Peinert M, Wipfler B, Jetschke G, Kleinteich T, Gorb SN, Beutel RG, Pohl H. Traumatic insemination and female counter-adaptation in Strepsiptera (Insecta). Sci Rep 2016; 6:25052. [PMID: 27125507 PMCID: PMC4850473 DOI: 10.1038/srep25052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In a few insect groups, males pierce the female's integument with their penis during copulation to transfer sperm. This so-called traumatic insemination was previously confirmed for Strepsiptera but only in species with free-living females. The more derived endoparasitic groups (Stylopidia) were suggested to exhibit brood canal mating. Further, it was assumed that females mate once and that pheromone production ceases immediately thereafter. Here we examined Stylops ovinae to provide details of the mating behaviour within Stylopidia. By using μCT imaging of Stylops in copula, we observed traumatic insemination and not, as previously suggested, brood canal mating. The penis is inserted in an invagination of the female cephalothorax and perforates its cuticle. Further we show that female Stylops are polyandrous and that males detect the mating status of the females. Compared to other strepsipterans the copulation is distinctly prolonged. This may reduce the competition between sperm of the first mating male with sperm from others. We describe a novel paragenital organ of Stylops females, the cephalothoracic invagination, which we suggest to reduce the cost of injuries. In contrast to previous interpretations we postulate that the original mode of traumatic insemination was maintained after the transition from free-living to endoparasitic strepsipteran females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Peinert
- Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Benjamin Wipfler
- Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Gottfried Jetschke
- Institut für Ökologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Dornburger Strasse 159, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Kleinteich
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stanislav N. Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Rolf G. Beutel
- Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Hans Pohl
- Entomology Group, Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany
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12
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Leung TLF. Fossils of parasites: what can the fossil record tell us about the evolution of parasitism? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:410-430. [PMID: 26538112 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are common in many ecosystems, yet because of their nature, they do not fossilise readily and are very rare in the geological record. This makes it challenging to study the evolutionary transition that led to the evolution of parasitism in different taxa. Most studies on the evolution of parasites are based on phylogenies of extant species that were constructed based on morphological and molecular data, but they give us an incomplete picture and offer little information on many important details of parasite-host interactions. The lack of fossil parasites also means we know very little about the roles that parasites played in ecosystems of the past even though it is known that parasites have significant influences on many ecosystems. The goal of this review is to bring attention to known fossils of parasites and parasitism, and provide a conceptual framework for how research on fossil parasites can develop in the future. Despite their rarity, there are some fossil parasites which have been described from different geological eras. These fossils include the free-living stage of parasites, parasites which became fossilised with their hosts, parasite eggs and propagules in coprolites, and traces of pathology inflicted by parasites on the host's body. Judging from the fossil record, while there were some parasite-host relationships which no longer exist in the present day, many parasite taxa which are known from the fossil record seem to have remained relatively unchanged in their general morphology and their patterns of host association over tens or even hundreds of millions of years. It also appears that major evolutionary and ecological transitions throughout the history of life on Earth coincided with the appearance of certain parasite taxa, as the appearance of new host groups also provided new niches for potential parasites. As such, fossil parasites can provide additional data regarding the ecology of their extinct hosts, since many parasites have specific life cycles and transmission modes which reflect certain aspects of the host's ecology. The study of fossil parasites can be conducted using existing techniques in palaeontology and palaeoecology, and microscopic examination of potential material such as coprolites may uncover more fossil evidence of parasitism. However, I also urge caution when interpreting fossils as examples of parasites or parasitism-induced traces. I point out a number of cases where parasitism has been spuriously attributed to some fossil specimens which, upon re-examination, display traits which are just as (if not more) likely to be found in free-living taxa. The study of parasite fossils can provide a more complete picture of the ecosystems and evolution of life throughout Earth's history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy L F Leung
- Department of Zoology Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
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