Molecular patterns of differentiation in canyon treefrogs (Hyla arenicolor): evidence for introgressive hybridization with the Arizona treefrog (H. wrightorum) and correlations with advertisement call differences

Detection of genetic and behavioural diversity within morphologically similar species has led to the discovery of cryptic species complexes. We tested the hypothesis that US populations of the canyon treefrog (Hyla arenicolor) may consist of cryptic species by examining mate‐attraction signals among three divergent clades defined by mtDNA. Using a multi‐locus approach, we re‐analysed phylogenetic relationships among the three clades and a closely related, but morphologically and behaviourally dissimilar species, the Arizona treefrog (H. wrightorum). We found evidence for introgression of H. wrightorum’s mitochondrial genome into H. arenicolor. Additionally, the two‐clade topology based on nuclear data is more congruent with patterns of call variation than the three‐clade topology from the mitochondrial dataset. The magnitude of the call divergence is probably insufficient to promote isolation of the nuclear DNA‐defined clades should they become sympatric, but further divergence in call properties significant in species identification could promote speciation in the future.     

Geographic variation in male courtship acoustics and genetic divergence of populations of the Cotesia flavipes species complex

Courtship behaviors of insect populations can vary across the range of a species. Populations exhibiting divergent courtship behavior may indicate genetic divergence or cryptic species. Courtship acoustic signals produced by male wing fanning and genetic structure (using amplified fragment length polymorphisms) were examined for seven allopatric populations of the Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) species complex, using four C. sesamiae (Cameron) and three C. flavipes Cameron populations. Members of this species complex parasitize lepidopteran pests in gramineous crops including sugarcane, maize, and rice . Significant variation was detected in courtship acoustic signals and genetic structure among populations of both species. For C. sesamiae, courtship acoustic signals varied more between populations of two biotypes that were collected near an area of sympatry. The two biotypes of C. sesamiae were also genetically divergent. For C. flavipes, significant differences in acoustic signals and genetic structure occurred among allopatric populations; these differences support the recent designation of one population as a new species. Courtship acoustics play a role in reproductive isolation in this species complex, and are likely used in conjunction with chemical signals. Ecological factors such as host range and host plant use may also influence the divergence of both courtship acoustic signals and genetic structure among populations in the C. flavipes complex.     

Molecular and morphological examination of Cyrtobagous sp. collected from Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Australia, and Florida

Two members of the floating fern genus Salvinia (Salviniaceae), S. minima Baker and S. molesta Mitchell, have established in the United States. Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), long established on Florida S. minima, was released in Texas and Louisiana as a biocontrol agent for both species. Subsequently, sequence analysis of the 28S rRNA D2 expansion domain suggested that the Florida and Brazilian populations (used worldwide for biocontrol) of C. salviniae might constitute two cryptic species. In response, the Brazilian weevil was imported from Australia and released instead onto S. molesta. We sampled C. singularis Hustache and C. salviniae from their native ranges in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay and sequenced them (D2) along with Australian and Florida samples. The genetic distance between C. singularis and C. salviniae samples is much greater (almost 5×) than the distance between either the Florida and Brazilian samples or the Brazilian and Argentinean/ Paraguayan C. salviniae samples. Since C. singularis and C. salviniae are cryptic species, the Florida and Brazilian populations (or for that matter Brazilian and Argentinean/Paraguayan) could reasonably be described as demes or ecotypes. Occurrence data indicates that, in parts of their ranges, C. salviniae and C. singularis are not only sympatric but also feed on the same plant species at the same site. While host adaptation (species preferences) likely occurs within local demes, both species seem capable of adapting to the available resource (Salvinia species). Finally, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer was developed to distinguish the Florida and Brazilian/Australian types.     

Local maladaptation in the soft scale insect Saissetia coffeae (Hemiptera: Coccidae)

Local adaptation has often been documented in herbivorous insects. The potential for local maladaptation in phytophagous insects, however, has not been widely considered. I performed a two-generation reciprocal cross-transplant experiment with the generalist soft scale insect Saissetia coffeae (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on two common species of host plants in rain forest habitat in Costa Rica. In this system, S. coffeae showed significant local maladaptation at the level of the host species. Lineages originally collected from Witheringia enjoyed a strong advantage over those collected from Lomariopsis when both sets of lineages were placed on Lomariopsis; however, when both sets of lineages were raised on Witheringia, their fitnesses were statistically indistinguishable. While some aspects of the biology of S. coffeae may impair its ability to adapt to local selection pressures, scale insects are often locally adapted on fine spatial scales, and local maladaptation is therefore especially surprising. Other documented cases of local maladaptation in parasites appear to be due to evolution on the part of the host. The possibility that hosts or natural enemies may place local genotypes at a disadvantage, producing a pattern of local maladaptation, is one that deserves more consideration in the context of plant-insect interactions.     

Geographic ranges, population structure, and ages of sexual and parthenogenetic snail lineages

Abstract A sexual reproduction is thought to doom organisms to extinction due to mutation accumulation and parasite exploitation. Theoretical models suggest that parthenogens may escape the negative effects of conspecific and biological enemiecs through escape in space. Through intensive sequencing of a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and a nuclear intron locus in sexual and pathenogenetic freshwater snails (Campelom), I examine three questionss: (1) Are sexual mtDNA lineage more restricted geographically than parthenogenetic mtDNA lineages? (2) Are independent pathenogenetic lineages shorter lived than sexual lineages? (3) Do pathenogens have higher intraindividual nuclear sequence diversity and form well‐differentiated monophyletic groups as expected under the Meselson effect? Geographic ranges of parthenogenetic lineages are significantly larger than geographic ranges of sexual lineages. Based on coalescence times under different deographic assumptions, asexual lineages are short lived, but there is variation in clonal ages. Although alternative explanations exit, these results suggest that asexual lineages may persist in the short term through dispersal, and that various constraints may cause geographic restriction of sexual lineagess. Both allotriploid and diploid Campleloma parthenogens have significantly higher allelic divergence within individuals, but show limited nuclear sequence divergence from sexual ancestors. In contrast to previous allozyme evidence for nonhybrid origins of diploid Campeloma parthenogens, cryptic hybridization may account for elevated heterozygosity.     

Ovule discounting in an outcrossing, cryptically dioecious tree

Ovule discounting denotes the reduction in the number of ovules available for cross-fertilization due to the interference of inferior pollen. Traditionally, ovule discounting has been discussed solely from the perspective of compromised outcrossing opportunities as a result of selfing, but the principle is more general. Here, we extend its applicability beyond the simple contrast between selfing and outcrossing by showing that, in the cryptically dioecious tree species Fraxinus ornus, ovule discounting through frequent outcrossing with inferior fathers also constitutes a substantial cost of mating. In F. ornus, hermaphrodites produce pollen capable of siring offspring, but these offspring are less viable than those sired by males and are inferred to produce few, if any, surviving progeny. In this paper, we used microsatellite markers to analyze the mating system and paternity in a wild population of F. ornus. We found that the effective number of sires per mother was low (N(ep) = 2.93 to 4.95), and that paternity was correlated among progeny sampled from the same mother, but not among progeny sampled from neighboring mothers. Despite the existence of a local spatial genetic structure (up to 30 m), we found no evidence of biparental inbreeding. There was negligible selfing by hermaphrodites, but they sired approximately one fourth of the seeds produced by other hermaphrodites. Given that these progeny are not inferred to reach reproductive maturity, this constitutes a substantial cost of ovule discounting in the broad sense. We discuss the possible reasons for why hermaphrodites invest resources into inferior pollen.     

Parasite local adaptation in a geographic mosaic

A central prediction of the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution is that coevolving interspecific interactions will show varying degrees of local maladaptation. According to the theory, much of this local maladaptation is driven by selection mosaics and spatially intermingled coevolutionary hot and cold spots, rather than a simple balance between gene flow and selection. Here I develop a genetic model of host-parasite coevolution that is sufficiently general to incorporate selection mosaics, coevolutionary hot and cold spots, and a diverse array of genetic systems of infection/resistance. Results from this model show that the selection mosaics experienced by the interacting species are an important determinant of the sign and magnitude of local maladaptation. In some cases, this effect may be stronger than a previously described effect of relative rates of parasite and host gene flow. These results provide the first theoretical evidence that selection mosaics and coevolutionary hot and cold spots per se determine the magnitude and sign of local maladaptation. At the same time, however, these results demonstrate that coevolution in a geographic mosaic can lead to virtually any pattern of local adaptation or local maladaptation. Consequently, empirical studies that describe only patterns of local adaptation or maladaptation do not provide evidence either for or against the theory.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF ANTARCTIC PRASIOLA (PRASIOLALES,TREBOUXIOPHYCEAE) REVEALS EXTENSIVE CRYPTIC DIVERSITY1

Trebouxiophytes of the genus Prasiola are well known in Antarctica, where they are among the most important primary producers. Although many aspects of their biology have been thoroughly investigated, the scarcity of molecular data has so far prevented an accurate assessment of their taxonomy and phylogenetic position. Using sequences of the chloroplast genes rbcL and psaB, we demonstrate the existence of three cryptic species that were previously confused under Prasiola crispa (Lightfoot) Kützing. Genuine P. crispa occurs in Antarctica; its presence was confirmed by comparison with the rbcL sequence of the type specimen (from the Isle of Skye, Scotland). Prasiola antarctica Kützing is resurrected as an independent species to designate algae with gross morphology identical to P. crispa but robustly placed in a separate lineage. The third species is represented by specimens identified as P. calophylla (Carmichael ex Greville) Kützing in previous studies, but clearly separated from European P. calophylla (type locality: Argyll, Scotland); this alga is described as P. glacialis sp. nov. The molecular data demonstrated the presence of P. crispa in Maritime and Continental Antarctica. P. antarctica was recorded from the Antarctic Peninsula and Shetland Islands, and P. glacialis from the Southern Ocean islands and coast. Such unexpected cryptic diversity highlights the need for a taxonomic reassessment of many published Antarctic records of P. crispa. The results also indicate that marine species of Prasiola form a well‐supported monophyletic group, whereas the phylogenetic diversity of freshwater species is higher than previously suspected (at least three separate lineages within the genus include species living in this type of environments).     

IDENTIFICATION OF CRYPTIC SPECIES IN THE LESSONIA NIGRESCENS COMPLEX (PHAEOPHYCEAE,LAMINARIALES)1

The kelp Lessonia nigrescens Bory is the most ecologically and economically important seaweed in rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats along the temperate Pacific South American coasts. Recent molecular studies suggest the existence of two lineages, one (northern lineage) from 17° S to 30° S and a second (central lineage) from 29° S to 41° S. To identify and name these lineages we performed morphological, nomenclatural and field studies. Four external and three internal anatomical traits permitted a morphological separation of the two lineages. The internal structure of both lineages was different from the isolectotype of Lessonia nigrescens. It is therefore concluded that the name Lessonia nigrescens should not be used for the Chilean material. Chordaria spicata Suhr appears as the oldest available name for the central lineage, while Lessonia berteroana Montagne is the oldest name for the northern lineage. In both cases, the type material consisted of small‐sized, apical branches of larger plants. The new combination Lessonia spicata (Suhr) Santelices is proposed for the central lineage and we reinstate Lessonia berteroana for the northern lineage. Laminaria scissa Suhr is reduced to synonym of L. spicata. Representative specimens of Lessonia nigrescens were not found during new visits to its type locality in Cape Horn and along Chile. Future studies should verify the status of this species.