Spatial Pattern of Attacks of the Invasive Woodwasp Sirex noctilio,at Landscape and Stand Scales

Invasive insect pests are responsible for important damage to native and plantation forests, when population outbreaks occur. Understanding the spatial pattern of attacks by forest pest populations is essential to improve our understanding of insect population dynamics and for predicting attack risk by invasives or planning pest management strategies. The woodwasp Sirex noctilio is an invasive woodwasp that has become probably the most important pest of pine plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. Our aim was to study the spatial dynamics of S. noctilio populations in Southern Argentina. Specifically we describe: (1) the spatial patterns of S. noctilio outbreaks and their relation with environmental factors at a landscape scale; and (2) characterize the spatial pattern of attacked trees at the stand scale. We surveyed the spatial distribution of S. noctilio outbreaks in three pine plantation landscapes, and we assessed potential associations with topographic variables, habitat characteristics, and distance to other outbreaks. We also looked at the spatial distribution of attacked trees in 20 stands with different levels of infestation, and assessed the relationship of attacks with stand composition and management. We found that the spatial pattern of pine stands with S. noctilio outbreaks at the landscape scale is influenced mainly by the host species present, slope aspect, and distance to other outbreaks. At a stand scale, there is strong aggregation of attacked trees in stands with intermediate infestation levels, and the degree of attacks is influenced by host species and plantation management. We conclude that the pattern of S. noctilio damage at different spatial scales is influenced by a combination of both inherent population dynamics and the underlying patterns of environmental factors. Our results have important implications for the understanding and management of invasive insect outbreaks in forest systems.     

A double-edged sword: Amylostereum areolatum odors attract both Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) and its parasitoid,Ibalia leucospoides

The Eurasian woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, is an invasive pest of pines in temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere, and has been introduced to North America. A parasitoid, Ibalia leucospoides, has been broadly employed for biological control of this pest. Volatiles emitted from the fungal symbiont of S. noctilio, Amylostereum areolatum, are reliable cues for S. noctilio and I. leucospoides females to optimize their foraging behavior (host location and host habitat finding) in a chemically complex environment. The headspace volatiles of A. areolatum, were analyzed using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) for both S. noctilio and I. leucospoides females. Analyses revealed that both species could detect several fungal volatiles. In olfactometer bioassays, S. noctilio females were attracted to a 4-component blend of 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, trans-3-hexenyl acetate, linalool, and geraniol, while the addition of ρ-anisaldehyde to the blend was necessary for attraction of I. leucospoides females. The results of trap catches in field experiments confirmed that these fungal volatiles in combination with host tree volatiles are attractive to both species, although the release rate of the fungal volatiles is important. These volatiles can serve as a basis for the development of improved lures for both species.     

Effect of temperature on woodwasp (Sirex noctilio F.) development and parasitism by the entomopathogenic nematode,Deladenus siricidicola

The woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, is a significant global pest of exotic pine plantations in the Southern Hemisphere and now threatens native pine forests in North America. Management in Australia relies on biocontrol using the nematode, Deladenus (= Beddingia) siricidicola (Bedding), which infects and sterilises females who then further disperse the nematode. This pest is spreading into warmer regions in Australia and South America and coupled with the threat of global climate change, there is uncertainty as to how increasing temperatures will affect the biocontrol program. S. noctilio within nematode-inoculated wood were reared at four temperatures (24, 25.3, 26.6 and 28 °C) to investigate the effects of elevated temperatures on wasp development (emergence time, sex ratio and size), development of eggs (number, size, and maturation) and infection by the nematode. At 24 °C, which reflects current field temperature, S. noctilio were bigger in size and all the eggs were normal and all were infected with nematodes. Modest rises in temperature reflecting climate change scenarios resulted in smaller sized S. noctilio, disrupted egg development and maturation, and lowered the nematode sterilisation rate in females. Reduced S. noctilio female body size and egg infection will likely compromise biocontrol by D. siricidicola in its current distribution, but disrupted egg development may act directly on the pest, limiting dispersal of S. noctilio into subtropical pine plantations and adaptation to climate change.     

Beneath the bark: associations among Sirex noctilio development,bluestain fungi,and pine host species in North America

1. Invasive species with global distributions encounter unique environmental and biotic variables that can greatly affect the magnitude of their impact. The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius, is a prime example that has invaded climatically and ecologically distinct ecosystems across the Southern Hemisphere and, more recently, North America. 2. Northeastern North America presents a unique set of conditions, including pine host species, native parasitoids, a diverse assemblage of native co‐colonising insects, and fungal associates of these co‐colonisers. In North America, S. noctilio attacks both a naturalised ancestral host (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Europe and a naïve native host (P. resinosa). A large assemblage of insects and their associated bluestaining ophiostomatoid fungi colonise these pines. Competition between S. noctilio and this group is a hypothesised mechanism of biotic resistance in the invaded region of North America, possibly via superior resource capture abilities or alteration of host tissue by bluestain fungi. 3. Investigating these ecological interactions is challenging because they manifest deep in the xylem tissue. To overcome this, 30 experimentally stressed trees were systematically dissected with an electric log splitter to investigate the effects of bluestain fungi and tree factors on S. noctilio development and parasitism by native hymenopterans. 4. Body size and colonisation density were affected by pine species, with S. noctilio being 25% larger and densities three‐fold greater in P. sylvestris than P. resinosa. Survivorship was slightly negatively correlated with the proportional volume of bluestain infection. Interestingly, rhyssine (Rhyssa and Megarhyssa spp.) parasitism responded positively to greater S. noctilio density, but there was no density relationship with Ibalia leucospoides ensiger parasitism. Pine host species appears to play a strong role in S. noctilio development, which is important considering uninvaded regions of North America have a diversity of pine species that likely vary in their susceptibility to this woodborer.     

Do Native Insects and Associated Fungi Limit Non-Native Woodwasp,Sirex noctilio,Survival in a Newly Invaded Environment?

Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is an introduced pest of pines (Pinus spp.) in several countries in the Southern Hemisphere. Although S. noctilio is established in North America (first discovered in 2004), it has not been a destructive pest there so far, where forest communities more closely resemble those in its native Eurasian range—where it is not a pest. To investigate the influence of the existing community of associated insects (competitors + natural enemies) and fungi (vectored by insects) on S. noctilio survival in North America, we examined stage-specific mortality factors and their relative importance, generating life tables drawn from experimentally-manipulated and natural cohorts of Sirex spp. (mostly S. noctilio, but some native S. nigricornis F.). For both natural and experimentally-manipulated cohorts, factors which acted during the earliest Sirex life stages, most likely tree resistance and/or competition among fungal associates, were paramount in dictating woodwasp survival. Experimentally-manipulated life tables revealed that protection from the community of associates resulted in a significantly, and substantially larger (>15x) S. noctilio F1 generation than exposure to it. Seventy percent of generation mortality in the exposed cohort was due to tree resistance or unknown causes early in larval development, which could have included competition among other bark- or wood-inhabiting insects and/or their fungal associates. Only 46% of generation mortality in the protected cohort was due to tree resistance and/or unknown causes. Parasitoids, particularly endoparasitoids (Ibalia spp.), showed limited ability to control S. noctilio, and reduced the experimentally-established cohort by only 11%, and natural cohorts an average of 3.4%. The relative importance of tree resistance vs. competition with bark- and wood-borers in reducing S. noctilio survival remains unclear. Tree resistance and/or competition likely contribute more than natural enemies in maintaining the S. noctilio population in North America below damaging levels.     

Retracing the routes of introduction of invasive species: the case of the Sirex noctilio woodwasp

Understanding the evolutionary histories of invasive species is critical to adopt appropriate management strategies, but this process can be exceedingly complex to unravel. As illustrated in this study of the worldwide invasion of the woodwasp Sirex noctilio, population genetic analyses using coalescent‐based scenario testing together with Bayesian clustering and historical records provide opportunities to address this problem. The pest spread from its native Eurasian range to the Southern Hemisphere in the 1900s and recently to Northern America, where it poses economic and potentially ecological threats to planted and native Pinus spp. To investigate the origins and pathways of invasion, samples from five continents were analysed using microsatellite and sequence data. The results of clustering analysis and scenario testing suggest that the invasion history is much more complex than previously believed, with most of the populations being admixtures resulting from independent introductions from Europe and subsequent spread among the invaded areas. Clustering analyses revealed two major source gene pools, one of which the scenario testing suggests is an as yet unsampled source. Results also shed light on the microevolutionary processes occurring during introductions, and showed that only few specimens gave rise to some of the populations. Analyses of microsatellites using clustering and scenario testing considered against historical data drastically altered our understanding of the invasion history of S. noctilio and will have important implications for the strategies employed to fight its spread. This study illustrates the value of combining clustering and ABC methods in a comprehensive framework to dissect the complex patterns of spread of global invaders.     

Multiple introductions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sirex noctilio</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in northeastern North America based on microsatellite genotypes,and implications for biological control

The invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) has been moved from Eurasia into regions in the Southern Hemisphere, where extensive tree mortality has occurred in pines (Pinus spp.) introduced for forestry. More recently this woodwasp was found in northeastern North America, where pines are native, and it is a species of concern due to the economic importance of pines. Understanding the genetic diversity of North American S. noctilio points to new areas of inquiry, particularly regarding the ability of parasitic nematodes to sterilize woodwasps, which could provide control methods in the US and/or Canada. We investigated the genetic diversity of 924 S. noctilio from nine populations from New York and Pennsylvania (US), Ontario (CA), and Queensland (AU) using nine microsatellite loci. To avoid inflating the number of populations estimated by Bayesian inference, we measured the full-sibling relationships of woodwasps within 13 trees and removed all but one member of each full-sib family from the genetic analysis, resulting in a final sample size of 741 S. noctilio. Within a tree, on average 39% of woodwasps did not have a full sibling, and there were 5.6 families with at least two full-sibling members per tree. The mean family size across trees was 1.9 when single offspring (i.e., no full siblings) were included. Given the short time span since invasion, variation within North American S. noctilio is likely due to differences among founding genotypes. Genetic analyses support the hypothesis that at least two separate introductions occurred. Within North America, genetic distance measures were greatest between a site in southwestern Ontario and all other sites, suggesting that this population could represent a separate introduction event. Two methods of Bayesian clustering also support this idea; they detected 4 or 5 distinct genetic clusters with little admixture between the southwestern Ontario site and other North American populations. The wasps from Australia, where biological control with nematodes has been successful, showed low genetic diversity and clustered with the southwestern Ontario population in one out of two Bayesian analyses. Within the Ontario subset of samples, high woodwasp activity level (i.e., attack and mortality of trees) was associated with one genetic cluster more strongly than another. Population variation should be taken into account in studies of S. noctilio spread and management within North America.     

Mechanisms that influence sex ratio variation in the invasive hymenopteran Sirex noctilio in South Africa

Sirex noctilio is an economically important invasive pest of commercial pine forestry in the Southern Hemisphere. Newly established invasive populations of this woodwasp are characterized by highly male‐biased sex ratios that subsequently revert to those seen in the native range. This trend was not observed in the population of S. noctilio from the summer rainfall regions in South Africa, which remained highly male‐biased for almost a decade. The aim of this study was to determine the cause of this persistent male bias. As an explanation for this pattern, we test hypotheses related to mating success, female investment in male versus female offspring, and genetic diversity affecting diploid male production due to complementary sex determination. We found that 61% of females in a newly established S. noctilio population were mated. Microsatellite data analysis showed that populations of S. noctilio from the summer rainfall regions in South Africa are far less genetically diverse than those from the winter rainfall region, with mean Nei's unbiased gene diversity indexes of 0.056 and 0.273, respectively. These data also identified diploid males at low frequencies in both the winter (5%) and summer (2%) rainfall regions. The results suggest the presence of a complementary sex determination mechanism in S. noctilio, but imply that reduced genetic diversity is not the main driver of the male bias observed in the summer rainfall region. Among all the factors considered, selective investment in sons appears to have the most significant influence on male bias in S. noctilio populations. Why this investment remains different in frontier or early invasive populations is not clear but could be influenced by females laying unfertilized eggs to avoid diploid male production in populations with a high genetic relatedness.     

Fidelity Among Sirex Woodwasps and Their Fungal Symbionts

We report that associations between mutualistic fungi and their economically and ecologically important woodwasp hosts are not always specific as was previously assumed. Woodwasps in the genus Sirex engage in obligate nutritional ectosymbioses with two species of Amylostereum, a homobasid\iomycete genus of white rot fungi. In the present study, the Amylostereum species and genotypes associated with three species of Sirex native to eastern North America and one relatively recent invasive Sirex from Europe were investigated by comparing intergenic spacer regions (IGS). Sirex spp. were sampled over 6 years from 23 sites in six US states, ranging from Maine in the northeast to Louisiana in the southeast, to obtain samples of Amylostereum from mycangia of adult females. Two of the native Sirex species (Sirex nigricornis and Sirex nitidus) were associated with either Amylostereum chailletii or Amylostereum areolatum, refuting the hypothesis of strict species-specific relationships. However, the invasive Sirex noctilio and the native Sirex cyaneus were each collected with only A. areolatum or A. chailletii, respectively, although S. noctilio was associated with two different IGS genotypes of A. areolatum and S. cyaneus occurs sympatrically with the other native Sirex. In Pinus, the preferred host tree of S. nigricornis and S. noctilio, these species co-occurred in 25.9 % of trees sampled, and horizontal transmission of fungal strains from S. noctilio to S. nigricornis was documented, although only in one tree. The extent that further spread and establishment of S. noctilio will alter the composition of symbionts carried by native Sirex is unknown but will depend in part on the degree of flexibility in these host–symbiont associations.     

Biotic resistance and the spatiotemporal distribution of an invading woodwasp, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sirex noctilio</Emphasis>

Quantifying the strength of interactions among introduced and native species across space and time is critical in understanding biological invasions as they can attenuate or amplify the magnitude of impact. The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio F., a global threat to pines, is a recent invader to North America. It attacks and kills primarily Pinus resinosa and Pinus sylvestris, and encounters a diverse assemblage of potential competitors for this resource. We quantified spatial colonization patterns of this woodwasp and resident competitors including scolytine bark beetles, woodboring cerambycid and buprestid beetles, and the fungal root rot diseases Armillaria and Heterobasidion across an 80 year old pine plantation over 4 years. All xylophages were spatially aggregated, but only on a localized scale of 15–20 m. Colonizers occurred non-randomly within trees, with S. noctilio negatively or neutrally associated with all other colonizing agents, whereas all other insect and root rot colonizers were mostly positively co-associated. An autologistic regression with spatially-weighted variables indicated the probability of a dead tree exhibiting symptoms of S. noctilio attack was positively associated with tree density, host species (P. sylvestris), and density of S. noctilio-attacked trees from the current and previous year. Interspecific stand patterns were weaker; probability of attack was negatively associated only with root rot pathogens. Across spatial scales, there were mixed (woodborers) and neutral (bark beetles) associations between S. noctilio and other co-colonizing insects. Our results suggest that competitive interactions with resident species may be contributing to the limited success of S. noctilio in North America, but are unlikely to be driving it by themselves.     

A re-evaluation of morphological characters of the invasive ascidian Corella eumyota reveals two different species at the tip of South America and in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

The native solitary ascidian Corella eumyota Traustedt, 1882) is commonly found in the Southern Hemisphere in the cold-temperate waters of the Subantarctic and Antarctic regions. Its recent spread into the Northern Hemisphere throughout the NE Atlantic gave the species the status of invasive. Together with its widespread distribution, reports on its wide variability (several distinct morphological characters, genetic discontinuities and also possible misidentifications) cast doubt on the taxonomic status of different populations of this species. This work, based on the observation, quantification and analysis of specific morphological characters in specimens collected at five different localities of South America and Antarctica, strongly indicates that there are two different species: C. eumyota from South America and Corella antarctica Sluiter, 1905) from Antarctica, which has been till now considered a junior synonym of the former. The species clearly differ in the arrangement of the gonadal ducts, the size of the larvae and the shape of the anus, among other characters. Morphological variation displays a defined, discrete grouping supporting a clear differentiation into two species. This result shows the need for careful inspection of specimens to avoid wrong interpretations in a context of changes of marine biota due to biological invasions.     

Putative source of the invasive Sirex noctilio fungal symbiont, Amylostereum areolatum, in the eastern United States and its association with native siricid woodwasps

Two genotypes of the fungal symbiont Amylostereum areolatum are associated with the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio first found in North America in 2004. S. noctilio is native to Europe but has been introduced to Australasia, South America and Africa where it has caused enormous losses in pine plantations. Based on nucleotide sequence data from the intergenic spacer region (IGS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, the A. areolatum genotypes found in North America are most similar to genotypes found in Europe, and not to genotypes from the southern hemisphere. Although two IGS strains of A. areolatum were found in North America it cannot be stated whether A. areolatum was introduced to North America from Europe once or twice based on our study. Genetic groupings formed by sequencing data were in most cases supported by vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Other siricid woodwasp species in the genus Sirex are native to North America. The North American native Sirex edwardsii emerging from the same tree as S. noctilio carried the same strain of A. areolatum as S. noctilio. The North American native Sirex sp. ‘nitidus’ collected outside the geographical range of S. noctilio carried a unique strain within A. areolatum. Our findings of A. areolatum in the native North American species, S. sp. ‘nitidus’, contrast with the previous view that A. areolatum was not present in North America before the accidental invasion of S. noctilio.     

Symbionts mediate oviposition behaviour in invasive and native woodwasps

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Size-based intraspecific variations along altitudinal gradient and follow of Bergmann’s rule in Parthenium beetle,Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister

Body size in insects is coupled with numerous physiological, life-history and ecological traits. Its variation along temperature gradient is widely studied. However, information regarding variations in body size of insects along altitudinal gradient is limited. Present study was designed considering hypothesis that there would be an increase in body size of Parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with increasing altitude and decreasing in temperature. To achieve the objectives, beetles were collected from three eco-climatic zones of NEPAL [Kathmandu (1400 mts, 24 °C; warm temperate zone), Chitwan (415 mts, 25 °C; upper tropical/sub-tropical zone), and Mahendranagar (229 mts, 34 °C; humid subtropical zone)], and one of INDIA [Varanasi (81 mts, 36 °C; humid subtropical zone)] for their morphometric analysis (body length and body biomass). Results revealed that the size of beetles in all eco-climatic zones increased with increasing altitude and decreasing temperature. While adults of Kathmandu were largest, followed by Chitwan and Mahendranagar, but those of Varanasi were smallest in size. The sex ratio was female-biased in Kathmandu and Varanasi, but was male-biased in Chitwan and Mahendranagar. Irrespective of temperature and altitude, females were larger than males in all eco-climatic zones. Our results affirmed our hypothesis and were in compliance with Bergmann’s rule. The findings may be helpful in understanding phenotypic plasticity and distribution pattern of Z. bicolorata adults in Indian sub-continent under global climate change scenario.     

Horizontal transmission of a parasitic nematode from a non-native to a native woodwasp?

In eastern North America, the exotic invasive woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, attacks pines (Pinus spp.) and often shares larval habitat with the native woodwasp, Sirex nigricornis. The parasitic nematode, Deladenus siricidicola, has been used widely in the southern hemisphere as a biological control agent because it sterilizes female S. noctilio. This nematode was introduced accidentally to North America along with S. noctilio. Historical reports indicate nematode-woodwasp fidelity: the parasitic nematode, D. siricidicola, exclusively infects S. noctilio, and the native nematode, Deladenus proximus, exclusively infects S. nigricornis. From two sites in southern Ontario, separated by 225 km, we collected woodwasps from three Pinus sylvestris, and identified the nematode species present in the abdomens of infected wasps. Both wasp species co-occurred in all three trees. D. siricidicola was present in the haemocoel, but not inside the eggs, of infected S. noctilio and S. nigricornis. This evidence suggests horizontal transmission of D. siricidicola likely occurred from S. noctilio to S. nigricornis.     

Influence of Nematode Parasitism,Body Size,Temperature, and Diel Period on the Flight Capacity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sirex noctilio</Emphasis> F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)

Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is a woodwasp of pine trees that has recently invaded and established in North American forests. Although S. noctilio has had a limited impact in North America to date, there is some concern that it could have a significant impact on pine plantations, especially in the southeastern U.S.A. Moreover, there are few data on the flight capacity of male S. noctilio. We found no association between parasitism by D. siricidicola and whether or not S. noctilio initiated flight on the flight mill. Male wasps that were parasitized by nematodes were heavier than non-parasitized males, but there was no significant difference in mass between parasitized and non-parasitized females. We also examined the flight capacity of male and female S. noctilio in relation to nematode parasitism, body mass, temperature (for only males), and diel period. Body mass, temperature, and diel period affected flight in S. noctilio such that wasps were generally observed to fly faster, farther, and more frequently if they were heavier, flying at warmer temperatures, and flying during the photoperiod. The fact that nematode-parasitized male wasps were found to fly farther than the non-parasitized males is consistent with the hypothesis that nematode parasitism does not negatively affect the flight capacity of S. noctilio.     

Evidence of interaction between Sirex noctilio and other species inhabiting the bole of Pinus

• 1 Sirex noctilio is a woodwasp native to Eurasia and Northern Africa and has recently been found infesting pines in eastern North America. Its pest status in this new range is not yet known, although it is an important pest in other areas where it has been introduced. Pinus spp. in North America are hosts to several native and alien species of subcortical insects. Interactions between the woodwasp and these species may influence its distribution or the characteristics of its life history, thus affecting its population dynamics over time.
• 2 Sixty S. noctilio‐infested Pinus spp. were felled in Ontario, Canada, and all phloem‐feeding and woodboring insects were collected and identified from each 1‐m section of the tree.
• 3 Sirex noctilio was in a tree alone 10% of the time but commonly shared the tree with subcortical beetles, such as Tomicus piniperda, Pissodes nemorensis, Ips grandicollis, Gnathotrichus materiarius and Monochamus carolinensis. The woodwasp was distributed throughout the tree stem and this distribution overlapped with that of the beetles.
• 4 Fewer but larger S. noctilio males emerged from trees with beetles compared with those without, although there was no statistical difference in females.
• 5 These findings suggest that co‐habiting beetles could negatively affect S. noctilio population dynamics over time. The potential mechanisms for this interaction are discussed.

     

Global phylogeography in Sanionia uncinata (Amblystegiaceae: Bryophyta)

Global phylogeographic patterns in Sanionia uncinata are addressed based on information in internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (214 specimens) and the plastid markers trnL‐trnF (221) and rpl16 (217). ITS suggests a monophyletic Sanionia and a paraphyletic S. uncinata; this was neither supported nor rejected by plastid data. Northern or Eastern Eurasia and Alaska appear important in the early evolution of Sanionia and some populations dispersed into the Southern Hemisphere relatively early. Some haplotypes or groups of haplotypes are morphologically and ecologically distinct, biologically meaningful units that correspond with S. orthothecioides, S. symmetrica and S. georgicouncinata s.l. The latter includes two species that are indistinguishable by morphology, S. georgicouncinata s.s. (Southern Hemisphere) and S. nivalis (Northern Hemisphere). Tropical African and South American S. uncinata populations have separate origins and the Southern Hemisphere was colonized at least twice. In the northern circum‐Arctic region, the haplotype composition differs between the North Atlantic and Beringian areas. Eastern Eurasia has a higher S. uncinata haplotype diversity than other Holarctic regions, implying less devastating effects of recurrent glacial periods. For Eastern and Western Eurasia, North America and the Southern Hemisphere, most of the haplotype variation was found within the regions, but 14–18% can be referred to among region variation. Plastid haplotype diversity was lower in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Arctic to subarctic, possibly attributable to founder effects. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 168 , 19–42.     

Not all lineages are equally invasive: genetic origin and life-history in Atlantic salmon and brown trout acclimated to the Southern Hemisphere

Salmonids are fish from the Northern Hemisphere which have been introduced and acclimated to many regions in the Southern Hemisphere for commercial (aquaculture) and recreational (sport fishing) purposes. In some cases a species like brown trout Salmo trutta rapidly spread across the host ecosystem and became invasive, threatening local fauna, and even outcompeting other exotic fish. We have analyzed life-history traits in combination with genetic variation of Atlantic salmon and brown trout adapted to the lake systems of the Argentinean Patagonia (South America). We have identified two main characteristics that conferred invasive capacity to those exotic species: undomesticated status and lifelong growth. Stocks originated from wild populations adapted better than long-term domestic lineages, and their geographic origin seems to be less important for adaptation to exotic environments. We propose that considering these characteristics in future planning of commercial aquaculture projects by selecting non-invasive lineages will minimise the impact of accidental escapes.     

Phylogeny of Veronica in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres based on plastid,nuclear ribosomal and nuclear low-copy DNA

The cosmopolitan and ecologically diverse genus Veronica with approximately 450 species is the largest genus of the newly circumscribed Plantaginaceae. Previous analyses of Veronica DNA sequences were in stark contrast to traditional systematics. However, analyses did not allow many inferences regarding the relationship between major groups identified, hindering further analysis of diversification and evolutionary trends in the genus. To resolve the backbone relationships of Veronica, we added sequences from additional plastid DNA regions to existing data and analyzed matching data sets for 78 taxa and more than 5000 aligned characters from nuclear ribosomal DNA and plastid DNA regions. The results provide the best resolved and supported estimate of relationships among major groups in the Northern (Veronica s. str.) and Southern Hemisphere (hebes). We present new informal names for the five main species groups within the Southern Hemisphere sect. Hebe. Furthermore, in two instances we provide morphological and karyological characters supporting these relationships. Finally, we present the first evidence from nuclear low-copy CYCLOIDEA2-region to compare results from the plastid genome with the nuclear genome.