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- Berdan, Emma L, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity contribute to variation in cuticular hydrocarbons in the seaweed fly Coelopa frigida
- 2019
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 9:21, s. 12156-12170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) form the boundary between insects and their environments and often act as essential cues for species, mate, and kin recognition. This complex polygenic trait can be highly variable both among and within species, but the causes of this variation, especially the genetic basis, are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated phenotypic and genetic variation of CHCs in the seaweed fly, Coelopa frigida, and found that composition was affected by both genetic (sex and population) and environmental (larval diet) factors. We subsequently conducted behavioral trials that show CHCs are likely used as a sexual signal. We identified general shifts in CHC chemistry as well as individual compounds and found that the methylated compounds, mean chain length, proportion of alkenes, and normalized total CHCs differed between sexes and populations. We combined these data with whole genome resequencing data to examine the genetic underpinnings of these differences. We identified 11 genes related to CHC synthesis and found population-level outlier SNPs in 5 that are concordant with phenotypic differences. Together these results reveal that the CHC composition of C. frigida is dynamic, strongly affected by the larval environment, and likely under natural and sexual selection.
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| 2. |
- Sagerman, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Low feeding preference of native herbivores for the successful non-native seaweed Heterosiphonia japonica
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0025-3162 .- 1432-1793. ; 162:12, s. 2471-2479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-native seaweeds constitute a conspicuous component of many benthic coastal communities. Seaweed invaders are known to significantly affect invaded communities, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying their success. In this study, we explored the feeding preferences of three generalist herbivores for the successful non-native red alga Heterosiphonia japonica and native seaweed competitors. The experiments were conducted on the Swedish Skagerrak coast (58°52′N, 11°08′E) from July to August. Additionally, chemical and physical traits of the seaweeds were assessed to mechanistically explain herbivore preferences. The results showed that H. japonica was of low preference to native herbivores and that this was most likely explained by chemical properties of the invader. We were, however, not able to determine whether the low preference was caused by deterrent metabolites or low nutritional quality. We conclude that herbivore avoidance may be important for the survival and success of H. japonica in the introduced range and that efficient means of escaping herbivory may be a common feature of invaders in seaweed communities. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
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