New species and unexpected diversity of socially parasitic bees in the genus Inquilina Michener (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae)

Abstract  Allodapine bees present particular problems for taxonomy due to a high level of morphological conservatism in adults, even between genera. However, this tribe of bees also presents a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of social parasitism because of the comparatively large number of origins of socially parasitic species. Morphological differences presented here, along with DNA sequence data and molecular phylogenetic analyses, indicate a much larger number of Australian social parasite species in the genus Inquilina than previously anticipated, and suggest that the final number of socially parasitic species may be considerable. We describe five new species and present sequence data that will help elucidate the delineation of further new species. Inquilina provides a unique opportunity to study the evolution of social parasitism in social insects, but further studies will need to encompass both population genetic and phylogenetic approaches.     

Haematozoan Parasites and Migratory Behaviour in Waterfowl

Although it has been suggested that migratory species are exposed to a more diverse parasite community than sedentary species, this has not previously been demonstrated. To test this hypothesis, we analysed the diversity and prevalence of infections by haematozoan parasites reported in anseriform species (ducks, geese and swans) in relation to host migration patterns. Whilst controlling for research effort, the number of parasite species or genera reported per host was positively related to migration distance, but not to breeding latitude or size of the breeding or total annual range. In species undergoing longer distance migrations, a higher proportion of individuals were infected by haematozoa. Thus, there is indeed evidence that migratory birds are more susceptible or are exposed to a more diverse parasite fauna and higher risk of infection. This may help to explain why migratory species tend to have more exaggerated, sexually selected traits as well as larger immune system organs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Is there a fixed number of niches for endoparasites of fish?

Kennedy and Guégan, based on Cornell and Lawton (J Anim Ecol 1992;61:1–12), found a curvilinear relationship (the fundamental form of the relationship for parasite communities) between infracommunity and component community richness, and interpreted this as meaning that only processes acting within the infracommunities can explain the limitation in the number of parasite species in a given host. The research described here shows that an asymptotic relationship is the consequence of the differential likelihoods of parasite species to appear in an infracommunity as determined by transmission rates and intrinsic lifespans. Processes operating at the infracommunity level are not necessary to explain the curvilinear relationship. Even communities much richer than those found in European freshwater fishes cannot be assumed to be saturated in the sense that further species cannot be added over evolutionary time.     

Development of human and mouse strain of Hymenolepis nana in mice

Ferretti G., Gabriele F. and Palmas C. 1981. Development of human and mouse strain of Hymenolepis nana in mice. International Journal for Parasitology11: 425–430. An Hymenolepis nana strain isolated from human faeces was transferred in the mouse. At first, the q ratio (the number of parasites to the number of eggs used) was very low. After 10 passages adaptation was complete: when mice of different age and strain (CD₁ and BDF₁) were infected with eggs of the above strain and eggs of 2 different murine strains, no differences emerged in the q ratio or in the parasite mean dry weight. Survival also appeared the same in the 3 parasite strains, however, human and murine strains live for a shorter time in BDF₁ than in CD₁ mice. Discussion bears on the hypothesis that the difficulties that emerge during the first passages may be connected to the adult and not to the larval phase.     

Interaction between Oesophagostomum columbianum and Oesophagostomum venulosum in sheep

Interactions between Oesophagostomum columbianum and Oesophagostomum venulosum were studied by comparing the establishment, development and distribution of each species in single and mixed infections in sheep. The establishment of O. venulosum was reduced by 90 % in sheep previously infected with O. columbianum and by a mean of 50 % in sheep given a simultaneous concurrent infection with O. columbianum. Prior or simultaneous infection with O. venulosum had little or no effect on the establishment of O. columbianum. It is concluded that the increase in incidence of O. venulosum in sheep on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales has been consequent upon but not the cause of the decline in incidence of O. columbianum. The decline in O. columbianum has probably occurred because of a combination of factors including the failure of infective larvae to overwinter on pasture, the use of efficient anthelmintics and changes in pasture composition.     

Cryptic diversity and significant cophylogenetic signal detected by DNA barcoding the rust fungi (Pucciniaceae) of Cyperaceae–Juncaceae

Plants play important roles as habitat and food for a tremendous diversity of specialist animals and fungi. The disappearance of any plant species can lead to extinction cascades of its associated biota. In consequence, documenting the diversity and specificity of plant-associated organisms is of high practical relevance in biodiversity conservation. Here, we present the first large-scale molecular investigation into the diversity, host specificity, and cophylogenetic congruence of an especially rich plant–fungal association, the rust fungi (Pucciniaceae) of Cyperaceae and Juncaceae. Using the largest rust fungi DNA barcoding dataset published to date (252 sequences, 82 taxa), we reject the presence of a global ITS2-28S barcode gap, but find a local gap in Cyperaceae–Juncaceae rusts, and suggest the existence of many cryptic species in North America, with some broadly circumscribed species possibly corresponding to >10 cryptic species. We test previous hypotheses of correlations between the phylogenies of rust fungi and their Cyperaceae–Juncaceae hosts using a combination of global-fit and event-based cophylogenetic methods. A significant cophylogenetic signal is detected between rusts and their hosts, but the small number of cospeciations argues for preferential host jumps as the driving process behind these correlations. In addition, temporal congruence between the origin of major Carex clades and their rusts suggests that host diversification may have promoted parasite diversification. Finally, we discuss the relevance of rust infection patterns to the systematics of Cyperaceae, highlight some taxonomic problems uncovered by the analyses, and call attention to the promise of DNA barcoding for bridging knowledge gaps in poorly studied plant-associated microorganisms.     

Arms races between social parasites and their hosts: geographic patterns of manipulation and resistance

The evolutionary interactions between permanently social parasiticspecies and their hosts are of special interest because socialparasites are not only closely dependent on, but are also closelyrelated to, their hosts. The small European slavemaker Harpagoxenussublaevis has evolved several characters that help manipulateits host. In this study we investigated adaptations of thissocial parasite to its local hosts and the geographic patternof host resistance in two main host species from three differentpopulations. In behavioral experiments, we examined whetherhost colonies from three geographically distant Leptothoraxacervorum populations varied in their ability to defend thenest against social parasites. Naive colonies from the unparasitizedEnglish population killed attacking slavemakers more often thandid host colonies from two parasitized populations. We alsofound strong interpopulation variation in the ability of theslavemaker to manipulate host behavior. H. sublaevis uses theDufour gland secretion to induce intracolonial fights and, ingeneral, this "propaganda" substance was most effective againstlocal hosts. Our results suggest that the social parasite isleading the arms race in this aspect. Similar experiments uncovereddifferences between two populations of the second host speciesL. muscorum and could demonstrate that nest defense in bothhost species is similarly efficient. In L. acervorum, monogynouscolonies were more successful in nest defense, whereas socialstructure had no impact in L. muscorum. Colony size did notaffect the efficacy of nest defense in either host species.The caste of the slavemaker had a strong influence on the successof an attack.     

多寄主型寄生性天敌昆虫的寄主适应性及其影响因素

寄生性天敌昆虫对不同寄主资源的适应能力是其存活和繁殖的必要条件,它们的寄主选择行为则是其重要的适应结果。多寄主型寄生性天敌昆虫虽然对某种特定寄主资源的利用效率可能不如单寄主型寄生蜂,但却有利于拓展更宽的寄主范围,因此对环境的适应能力更强,更容易在自然界维持其种群的生存。统计结果也表明多寄主型天敌的生物防治效果往往比专食性天敌更高。有时生物防治成功的关键可能并不在于所利用的天敌种类的不同,而在于天敌的不同生物型或地理宗。总结了多寄主型寄生性天敌昆虫的寄主适应能力及其影响因素。寄生性天敌昆虫不仅因地理隔离产生种群分化,也可能因寄生不同的寄主产生种群内的分化,从而更加适应寄主的生活特性和栖境条件。寄主种类、寄主发育阶段、寄主大小、寄主营养、寄主免疫反应、寄主逃避反应、其它天敌的竞争、寄主共生或共栖生物的存在、寄主植物、天敌自身的学习能力及其共生微生物等多种因素对寄生性天敌昆虫的寄主适应性可产生影响。展望了多寄主型寄生性天敌昆虫对新寄主资源的拓展利用能力和适应性在生产上的可能应用前景和途径,以期为明确天敌与寄主间的互作关系,人工驯化寄生性天敌昆虫增强对靶标害虫的控制作用,合理利用天敌提高生物防治效率提供新的思路和理论支持。