Adaptive diversification is a process intrinsically tied to species interactions. Yet, the influence of most types interspecific interactions on adaptive evolutionary remains poorly understood. In particular, role mutualistic in shaping radiations has been largely unexplored, despite ubiquity mutualisms and increasing evidence their ecological importance. Our aim here encourage empirical inquiry into relationship between mutualism diversification, using herbivorous insects microbial...

Next-generation sequencing has opened the door to genomic analysis of nonmodel organisms. Technologies generating long-sequence reads (200-400 bp) are increasingly used in evolutionary studies organisms, but short-sequence (30-50 that can be produced at lower cost thought limited utility for de novo applications. Here, we tested this assumption by short-read transcriptomes tropical disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, which complete genome sequences available. Comparison our...

Fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) engage in a mutualism with fungus that serves as the ants' primary food source, but successful cultivation is threatened by microfungal parasites (genus Escovopsis). Actinobacteria Pseudonocardia) associate most of phylogenetic diversity fungus-growing ants; are typically maintained on cuticle workers; and infection experiments, bioassay challenges chemical analyses support role Pseudonocardia defence against Escovopsis through antibiotic production. Here...

The fungus-growing ants have long provided a spectacular example of coevolutionary integration. Their ecological success is thought to depend largely on the evolutionary alignment reproductive interests between and fungi after vertical transmission ancient suppression fungal sexuality. In present study we test these assumptions provide first evidence recombination in attine cultivars, contradicting widely held perceptions obligate clonality. addition, document long-distance horizontal...

All social insects defend their colony from predators, parasites, and pathogens. In Oster Wilson's classic work, they posed one of the key paradoxes about defense in insects: Given universal necessity defense, why then is there so much diversity mechanisms? Ecological factors undoubtedly are important: Predation usurpation have imposed strong selection on eusocial insects, active by colonies a ubiquitous feature all insects. The description diverse insect groups with castes sterile workers...

Although kin selection is central to the modern study of social evolution, recent studies species have revealed that no simple relationship exists between levels kinship and sociality. The soldier-producing aphids are unique among highly animals because, barring movement by colonies, they occur in clonal groups genetically identical individuals. Potentially, clonality simplifies efforts understand evolution obviating issues intragroup conflict. However, we report here high mixing conflict an...

The mutualistic symbiosis between fungus‐gardening ants and their cultivars has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the coevolution complex species interactions. Reciprocal specialization vertical symbiont cotransmission are thought promote a pattern largely synchronous coevolutionary diversification in attines. Here we test this hypothesis by inferring first time‐calibrated multigene phylogeny lepiotaceous attine comparing it with recently published fossil‐anchored ants....

Abstract Interactions between plants and herbivorous insects have been models for theories of specialization co‐evolution over a century. Phytochemicals govern many aspects these interactions fostered the evolution adaptations by to tolerate or even specialize on plant defensive chemistry. While genomic approaches are providing new insights into genes mechanisms insect specialists employ secondary metabolites, open questions remain about conservation counterdefences, how respond diversity...

Milkweed leaf beetles (MLBs; Labidomera clivicollis Chrysomelidae) are parasitized by a subelytral mite, Chrysomelobia labidomerae (Tarsonemina: Podapolipidae). We show that C. is transmitted between MLBs when they copulate, and can reduce the survival of nutritionally stressed beetles. investigated effect this sexually parasite on mate choice male‐male competition in MLBs, consequences variation these behaviours for mite transmission. found no evidence avoidance high rates parasitism MLB...

ABSTRACT Coinfections within hosts present opportunities for horizontal gene transfer between strains and competitive interactions genotypes thus can be a critical element of the lifestyles pathogens. Bartonella spp. are Alphaproteobacteria that parasitize mammalian erythrocytes endothelial cells. Their vectors thought to various biting arthropods, such as fleas, ticks, mites, lice, they commonly cited agents emerging diseases. by different species common in mammals, but little is known...

PCR-based molecular markers are well suited for questions requiring large scale surveys of plant and animal populations. Inter-simple Sequence Repeats or ISSRs analyzed by a recently developed technique based on the amplification regions between inverse-oriented microsatellite loci with oligonucleotides anchored in microsatellites themselves. have shown much promise study population biology plants, but not yet been explored similar studies animals. The value is demonstrated species low...

We used a combination of behavioral-ecological and molecular-phylogenetic data to analyze the origin diversification kleptoparasitic (gall-stealing) thrips in genus Koptothrips, which comprises four described species that invade breed galls induced by Oncothrips Kladothrips on Australian Acacia. The Koptothrips is apparently monophyletic not closely related its hosts. Two species, K. dyskritus flavicornis, each appears represent suite closely-related sibling or host races. Three are...

Abstract Molecular evolutionary studies have suggested that vertically transmitted endosymbionts are subject to accumulation of deleterious mutations through genetic drift. Predictions this hypothesis for patterns intraspecific polymorphism were borne out in the single relevant study available, on symbiont Buchnera aphidicola Uroleucon ambrosiae . In order examine generality result, we surveyed DNA sequence variation distantly related aphid, Pemphigus obesinymphae. contrast species, species...

Sympatric populations can diverge when variation in phenology or life cycle causes them to mate at distinctly different times. We report patterns consistent with this process (allochronic speciation) North American gall-forming aphids, the absence of a host habitat shift. Pemphigus populi-transversus Riley and P. obesinymphae Aoki form monophyletic clade within group. They are sympatric on eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides (Salicaceae), but have cycles, sexual stages offset by...

Sympatric populations can diverge when variation in phenology or life cycle causes them to mate at distinctly different times. We report patterns consistent with this process (allochronic speciation) North American gall‐forming aphids, the absence of a host habitat shift. Pemphigus populi‐transversus Riley and P. obesinymphae Aoki form monophyletic clade within group. They are sympatric on eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides (Salicaceae), but have cycles, sexual stages offset by...