Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.

Insect parasitoids and their insect hosts represent a wide range of parasitic trophic relations that can be used to understand the evolution of biotic diversity on earth. Testing theories of coevolution between hosts and parasites is based on factors directly involved in host susceptibility and para...

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Main Authors: Emilie Bilodeau, Jean-Frédéric Guay, Julie Turgeon, Conrad Cloutier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3614562?pdf=render
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author Emilie Bilodeau
Jean-Frédéric Guay
Julie Turgeon
Conrad Cloutier
author_facet Emilie Bilodeau
Jean-Frédéric Guay
Julie Turgeon
Conrad Cloutier
author_sort Emilie Bilodeau
collection DOAJ
description Insect parasitoids and their insect hosts represent a wide range of parasitic trophic relations that can be used to understand the evolution of biotic diversity on earth. Testing theories of coevolution between hosts and parasites is based on factors directly involved in host susceptibility and parasitoid virulence. We used controlled encounters with potential hosts of the Aphidius ervi wasp to elucidate behavioral and other phenotypic traits of host Acyrthosiphon pisum that most contribute to success or failure of parasitism. The host aphid is at an advanced stage of specialization on different crop plants, and exhibits intra-population polymorphism for traits of parasitoid avoidance and resistance based on clonal variation of color morph and anti-parasitoid bacterial symbionts. Randomly selected aphid clones from alfalfa and clover were matched in 5 minute encounters with wasps of two parasitoid lineages deriving from hosts of each plant biotype in a replicated transplant experimental design. In addition to crop plant affiliation (alfalfa, clover), aphid clones were characterized for color morph (green, pink), Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola symbionts, and frequently used behaviors in encounters with A. ervi wasps. A total of 12 explanatory variables were examined using redundancy analysis (RDA) to predict host survival or failure to A. ervi parasitism. Aphid color was the best univariate predictor, but was poorly predictive in the RDA model. In contrast, aphid host plant and symbionts were not significant univariate predictors, but significant predictors in the multivariate model. Aphid susceptibility to wasp acceptance as reflected in host attacks and oviposition clearly differed from its suitability to parasitism and progeny development. Parasitoid progeny were three times more likely to survive on clover than alfalfa host aphids, which was compensated by behaviorally adjusting eggs invested per host. Strong variation of the predictive power of intrinsic (body color) and extrinsic traits (symbionts, host plant), indicate that host variables considered as key predictors of outcomes strongly interact and cannot be considered in isolation.
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spelling doaj.art-cbdfbe069ae84c70bf79aabd92cb36ae2022-12-21T20:11:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0184e6070810.1371/journal.pone.0060708Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.Emilie BilodeauJean-Frédéric GuayJulie TurgeonConrad CloutierInsect parasitoids and their insect hosts represent a wide range of parasitic trophic relations that can be used to understand the evolution of biotic diversity on earth. Testing theories of coevolution between hosts and parasites is based on factors directly involved in host susceptibility and parasitoid virulence. We used controlled encounters with potential hosts of the Aphidius ervi wasp to elucidate behavioral and other phenotypic traits of host Acyrthosiphon pisum that most contribute to success or failure of parasitism. The host aphid is at an advanced stage of specialization on different crop plants, and exhibits intra-population polymorphism for traits of parasitoid avoidance and resistance based on clonal variation of color morph and anti-parasitoid bacterial symbionts. Randomly selected aphid clones from alfalfa and clover were matched in 5 minute encounters with wasps of two parasitoid lineages deriving from hosts of each plant biotype in a replicated transplant experimental design. In addition to crop plant affiliation (alfalfa, clover), aphid clones were characterized for color morph (green, pink), Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola symbionts, and frequently used behaviors in encounters with A. ervi wasps. A total of 12 explanatory variables were examined using redundancy analysis (RDA) to predict host survival or failure to A. ervi parasitism. Aphid color was the best univariate predictor, but was poorly predictive in the RDA model. In contrast, aphid host plant and symbionts were not significant univariate predictors, but significant predictors in the multivariate model. Aphid susceptibility to wasp acceptance as reflected in host attacks and oviposition clearly differed from its suitability to parasitism and progeny development. Parasitoid progeny were three times more likely to survive on clover than alfalfa host aphids, which was compensated by behaviorally adjusting eggs invested per host. Strong variation of the predictive power of intrinsic (body color) and extrinsic traits (symbionts, host plant), indicate that host variables considered as key predictors of outcomes strongly interact and cannot be considered in isolation.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3614562?pdf=render
spellingShingle Emilie Bilodeau
Jean-Frédéric Guay
Julie Turgeon
Conrad Cloutier
Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
PLoS ONE
title Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
title_full Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
title_fullStr Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
title_full_unstemmed Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
title_short Survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts: a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy.
title_sort survival to parasitoids in an insect hosting defensive symbionts a multivariate approach to polymorphic traits affecting host use by its natural enemy
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3614562?pdf=render
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