A5068536962- Plant and animal studies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Entomological Studies and Ecology
- Genetic and Environmental Crop Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Yeasts and Rust Fungi Studies
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Smart Materials for Construction
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Plant pathogens and resistance mechanisms
Wayne State University
2018-2024
Rice University
2017-2023
George Washington University
2023
GW Medical Faculty Associates
2023
University of Notre Dame
2012-2021
Woodward (United States)
2013
Texas State University
2009-2011
Abstract Theory predicts that speciation‐with‐gene‐flow is more likely when the consequences of selection for population divergence transitions from mainly direct effects acting on individual genes to a collective property all selected in genome. Thus, understanding impacts ecologically based selection, as well indirect due correlations among loci, critical speciation. Here, we measure genome‐wide host‐associated between hawthorn and apple host races Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera:...
Significance Understanding how new life forms originate is a central question in biology. Population divergence usually studied with respect to single lineages diverge into daughter taxa. However, populations may not always differentiate isolation; of one taxon could create niche opportunities higher trophic levels, leading the sequential origin many Here, we show that this be occurring for three species parasitoid wasps attacking Rhagoletis fruit flies. As flies shift and adapt host plants,...
A fundamental problem in biodiversity science is determining the number of species any taxon, and there a growing awareness that cryptic diversity contributes to this – even well-studied groups. Discovering requires several lines evidence elucidate congruent patterns across data-types, distinguish unrecognized species. Tiger beetles are among most insect groups; yet few new North American have been described since mid-20th century, suggesting morphologically distinct reaching an asymptote....
Studies of related populations varying in their degrees reproductive isolation can provide insights into speciation. Here, the transition from partially isolated host races to more fully separated sibling species is investigated by comparing patterns genetic differentiation between recently evolved (∼150 generations) apple and ancestral hawthorn-infesting Rhagoletis pomonella sister taxon, undescribed flowering dogwood fly attacking Cornus florida. No fixed or diagnostic private alleles...
Abstract Speciation with gene flow may require adaptive divergence of multiple traits to generate strong ecologically based reproductive isolation. Extensive negative pleiotropy or physical linkage genes in the wrong phase affecting these diverging therefore hinder speciation, while genetic independence “modularity” among phenotypic reduce constraints and facilitate divergence. Here, we test whether genetics underlying two components diapause life history, initial intensity termination...
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how variation within populations gets partitioned into differences between reproductively isolated species. Here, we examine the degree which diapause life history timing, a critical adaptation promoting population divergence, explains geographic and host-related genetic in ancestral hawthorn recently derived apple-infesting races Rhagoletis pomonella. Our strategy involved combining experiments on two different aspects (initial intensity...
Ecological speciation with gene flow may be an important mode of diversification for phytophagous insects. The recent shift Rhagoletis pomonella from its native host downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) to introduced apple (Malus domestica) in the northeastern United States is a classic example sympatric race formation. Here, we test whether R. has similarly formed races on four Crataegus species southern States: western mayhaw (C. opaca), blueberry brachyacantha), red mollis var. texana) and...
Abstract Parasitoid wasps are among the most speciose animals, yet have relatively few available genomic resources. We report a draft genome assembly of wasp Diachasma alloeum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), host-specific parasitoid apple maggot fly Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae), and developing model for understanding how ecological speciation can “cascade” across trophic levels. Identification gene content confirmed overall quality genome, we manually annotated ∼400 genes as part...
Abstract Urbanisation is occurring globally, leading to dramatic environmental changes that are altering the ecology and evolution of species. In particular, expansion human infrastructure loss fragmentation natural habitats in cities predicted increase genetic drift reduce gene flow by reducing size connectivity populations. Alternatively, ‘urban facilitation model’ suggests some species will have greater into within higher diversity lower differentiation urban These alternative hypotheses...
Rapid adaptation during invasion has historically been considered limited and unpredictable. We leverage whole-genome sequencing of >2600 plants across six continents to investigate the relative roles colonization history worldwide Trifolium repens. Introduced populations contain high levels genetic variation with independent histories evident on different continents. Five large structural variants three chromosomes exist as standing within native range, exhibit strong signatures parallel...
Insect-induced plant galls are thought to provide gall-forming insects protection from predation and parasitism, yet many gall formers experience high levels of mortality inflicted by a species-rich community insect natural enemies. Many cynipid wasp species also display heterogony, wherein sexual (gamic) asexual (agamic) generations may form on different tissues or species. Despite broad interest in using these systems study enemy escape, assembly, few studies have provided complete...
Abstract Disentangling the processes underlying geographic and environmental patterns of biodiversity challenges biologists as such emerge from eco‐evolutionary confounded by spatial autocorrelation among sample units. The herbivorous insect, Belonocnema treatae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), exhibits regional specialization on three plant species whose distributions range sympatry through allopatry across southern United States. Using range‐wide sampling spanning ranges host plants...
Abstract Taxa harboring high levels of standing variation may be more likely to adapt rapid environmental shifts and experience ecological speciation. Here, we characterize geographic host‐related differentiation for 10,241 single nucleotide polymorphisms in Rhagoletis pomonella fruit flies infer whether genetic adult eclosion time the ancestral hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.)‐infesting host race, as opposed new mutations, contributed substantially its recent shift earlier fruiting apple Malus...
All organisms exist within a complex network of interacting species, thus evolutionary change may have reciprocal effects on multiple taxa. Here, we demonstrate "cascading reproductive isolation," whereby ecological differences that reduce gene flow between populations at one trophic level affect isolation (RI) among species the next level. Using combination field, laboratory and common-garden studies long-term herbaria records, estimate evaluate relative contribution temporal RI to overall...
Quantifying the frequency of shifts to new host plants within diverse clades specialist herbivorous insects is critically important understand whether and how contribute origin species. Oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) comprise a tribe ∼1000 species phytophagous that induce formation on various organs trees in family Fagacae-primarily oaks (genus Quercus; ∼435 sp.). The association oak with ancient (∼50 my), most are galled by one or more wasp Despite diversity both their...
Ecological speciation occurs when reproductive isolation evolves as a consequence of divergent natural selection among environments. A direct prediction this process is that ecologically pairs populations will exhibit greater than similar populations. By comparing allopatric the cynipid gall wasp Belonocnema treatae infesting Quercus virginiana and geminata , we tested role host use plays in generating ecological divergence sexual isolation. We found differences body size structure...
A powerful approach to address the general factors contributing ecological speciation is compare distantly related taxa that inhabit same selective environments. In this design, similarities among can elucidate mechanisms of process whereas differences may uncover specific important for individual taxa. Herein, we present evidence parallel patterns morphological and behavioral variation host-associated populations two species cynipid gall wasps, Belonocnema treatae Disholcaspis...
ABSTBACT The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a major pest of commercially grown domesticated (Malus domestica Borkhausen) in North America. shift the fly from its native host hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) to eastern United States often cited as an example incipient sympatric speciation action. However, R. also present Pacific Northwest region where it infests apple, black douglasii), and introduced English ornamental (C. monogyna). It believed that was...
The maternally inherited endosymbiont Wolbachia is widespread in arthropods and nematodes can play an important role the ecology evolution of its host through reproductive manipulation. Here, we survey Belonocnema treatae, a widely distributed North American cynipid gall forming wasp that exhibits regional specialization on three species oaks alternation sexually asexually reproducing generations. We investigated whether patterns infection diversity B. treatae are associated with insect's...
AbstractThe role of divergent selection between alternative environments in promoting reproductive isolation (RI) lineages is well recognized. However, most studies view each environment as homogenous, thereby overlooking the potential within-environment variation plays RI differentiating lineages. Here, we test importance microenvironmental by using individual trees two host plants, harboring locally adapted populations cynipid wasp Belonocnema treatae. We compared fitness surrogate...
Abstract One of the fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology seeks to understand how new biodiversity is created and structured into communities. The apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae), a model for rapid ecological speciation via host plant shifting phytophagous insects, its parasitoid community can offer insight answering this other related questions. Speciation also seems be driving sequential specific wasp Diachasma alloeum (Muesebeck) (Hymenoptera:...
Host shifts by specialist insects can lead to reproductive isolation between insect populations that use different hosts, promoting diversification. When both a phytophagous and its ancestrally associated parasitoid shift the same novel host plant, they may cospeciate. However, because adult parasitoids are free living, also colonize diversify independent of their ancestral insect. Although new hosts have been documented in ecological time, long-term importance such diversity has not...