The Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) species complex includes parasitoids of whiteflies that vary in reproductive mode and endosymbiotic bacterial infection, and that are widely used as biological control agents against key agricultural pests such as Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum. Two members of this complex are E. gennaroi, uninfected by facultative symbionts, and E. suzannae, infected by the symbiont Cardinium, that causes the reproductive incompatibility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Encarsia gennaroi and E. suzannae are morphologically and genetically differentiated, yet they are still able to mate and produce some hybrid offspring. Theory shows that unidirectional CI in conjunction with nuclear incompatibilities in the other direction can cause speciation, yet there are few empirical examples that support this scenario, and the general importance of CI in speciation remains controversial. Using E. suzannae and E. gennaroi, we performed laboratory mating preference and crossing experiments, and also examined competitive outcomes following a secondary contact scenario in population cage and greenhouse experiments. We aimed to 1) assess the role of CI-inducing Cardinium and genetic isolation mechanisms in reproductive isolation and competitive interactions of Encarsia, and 2) evaluate if and how the interaction of such species affects the biological control of a key agricultural pest. The results support asymmetric pre- and post-zygotic isolation between these species consistent with reproductive isolation of the two species evolving in the context of CI."
The role of the symbiont Cardinium in shaping the ecology and evolution of Encarsia. Symposium: Evolution and biology of Chalcidoidea / Gebiola, Marco; Kelly, Suzanne E.; Hammerstein, Peter; Giorgini, Massimo; Hunter, Martha S.. - (2016). (Intervento presentato al convegno XXV International Congress of Entomology tenutosi a Orlando, FL, USA nel 26 settembre 2016).
The role of the symbiont Cardinium in shaping the ecology and evolution of Encarsia. Symposium: Evolution and biology of Chalcidoidea
Marco Gebiola;Massimo Giorgini;
2016
Abstract
The Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) species complex includes parasitoids of whiteflies that vary in reproductive mode and endosymbiotic bacterial infection, and that are widely used as biological control agents against key agricultural pests such as Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum. Two members of this complex are E. gennaroi, uninfected by facultative symbionts, and E. suzannae, infected by the symbiont Cardinium, that causes the reproductive incompatibility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Encarsia gennaroi and E. suzannae are morphologically and genetically differentiated, yet they are still able to mate and produce some hybrid offspring. Theory shows that unidirectional CI in conjunction with nuclear incompatibilities in the other direction can cause speciation, yet there are few empirical examples that support this scenario, and the general importance of CI in speciation remains controversial. Using E. suzannae and E. gennaroi, we performed laboratory mating preference and crossing experiments, and also examined competitive outcomes following a secondary contact scenario in population cage and greenhouse experiments. We aimed to 1) assess the role of CI-inducing Cardinium and genetic isolation mechanisms in reproductive isolation and competitive interactions of Encarsia, and 2) evaluate if and how the interaction of such species affects the biological control of a key agricultural pest. The results support asymmetric pre- and post-zygotic isolation between these species consistent with reproductive isolation of the two species evolving in the context of CI."I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
