Interference Competition and High Temperatures Reduce the Virulence of Fig Wasps and Stabilize a Fig-Wasp Mutualism

Fig trees are pollinated by fig wasps, which also oviposit in female flowers. The wasp larvae gall and eat developing seeds. Although fig trees benefit from allowing wasps to oviposit, because the wasp offspring disperse pollen, figs must prevent wasps fr

Seasonal changes in the trade-off among fig-supported wasps and viable seeds in figs and their evolutionary implications

What the real trade-off is among fig-supported wasps and the viable seeds of figs is heatedly debated in the studies of fig/fig wasp mutualism. In the present study, we collected wasp offspring (galls) and the viable seeds of premature fruits, and determined the foundress number in receptive fruits and all the types of wasps supported by Ficus racemosa L. during both the rainy and dry seasons in Xishuangbanna, China. The data show that the galls were positively correlated with viable seeds (n=32;r=0.74; P < 0.001) when the proportion of vacant female flowers (PVFF) was high, in April (68.0%), and were negatively correlated with viable seeds (n=48;r=-0.59; P < 0.05) when PVFF were limited (PVFF 42.6%) during a colder month (January). The mean foundress number per fruit during the colder months is significantly lower than during the warmer months (F-5,F-603 = 27.9; P < 0.001) and pollinator wasps can live longer during the colder months, During the colder months, the proportions of non-pollinators and wasp offspring are higher than those found during other months, whereas the proportion of viable seeds is not different compared with that of other months. Non-pollinator wasps tend to oviposit the female flowers that have been oviposited by pollinator wasps. The non-pollinators only negatively affect pollinator wasps and there is no obvious negative effect of non-pollinator wasps on viable seeds, so ovipositing by non-pollinator wasps will not result in the extinction of the figs during the process of evolution. The results of the present study indicate that figs can allow less foundresses to be in fruit cavities when PVFF are limited, which provides supporting evidence for the previous assumption that the plants have developed a mechanism to maintain a stable system because of the conflicts between the parties involved.

榕小蜂的产卵模式及其对子代性比的影响

于2007年4月-2007年7月在中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园,通过干预控制榕小蜂产卵的方法研究了聚果榕的传粉榕小蜂Ceratosolen fusciceps和非传粉小蜂Platyneura mayri及垂叶榕的非传粉小蜂Acophila sp.1和Wakerella benjamini等的产卵顺序.对传粉榕小蜂,在完成放蜂后不同间隔时间向榕果内注入乙醚杀死小蜂:对非传粉榕小蜂,在放蜂后不同间隔时间将其从纱网袋内全部放出,从而控制了各种榕小蜂的产卵时间.到榕果成熟后,收集了榕果内的小蜂,并分析比较各种榕小蜂在不同产卵时间下的子代性比.结果表明:Ceratosolen fusciceps、P.mayri和Acophila sp.1在产卵的最初时间内倾向于产下更多的雄性后代,而随后的时间内则产下更多的雌性伴随少量的雄性后代,这样的产卵顺序导致子代性比随着母代产卵时间的延长而下降,榕小蜂后代雌性比例显著高于雄性.同时,子代榕小蜂数晕随母代产卵时间的延长而增加,这在一定程度上解释了单头繁殖雌蜂的子代性比随子代数量的增加而减少的现象.而Wakerella benjamini在产卵顺序上是随机的,在其开始产卵后的不同时间段内子代性比都接近于50%.这一结果表明榕小蜂的产卵顺序与母代产卵时间的长短对子代性比有极为重要的影响.

聚果榕两种非传粉小蜂产卵与果实脱落的关系

下载PDF阅读器在聚果榕与其传粉榕小蜂Ceratosolen fusciceps组成的互利共生系统中,与传粉榕小蜂共存的还有榕树的寄生性小蜂Platyneura testacea和Platyneura mayri.这些寄生性小蜂由于不能给榕树带来任何收益而只是利用榕树的种子或与传粉小蜂竞争植物的雌花资源,因而可能导致榕树与榕小蜂之间合作系统的崩溃.植物果实的脱落机制普遍被认为是维持系统稳定的关键因素之一.然而,定量实验和野外观测发现P. mayri产卵并不会引起果实脱落,只有P. testacea产卵会使果实大量脱落.通过对3株样树进行比较发现:当产卵时的P. testacea数量越多时,它产生的瘿花数就越多,榕果发生脱落的比例越高.P. testacea的过度产卵是导致榕果选择性脱落的主要原因.结果表明:脱落机制并不能完全阻止非传粉小蜂的寄生,榕树只能选择性地脱落掉先于传粉小蜂产卵的榕果.这也同时表明维持榕树与榕小蜂互利共存的机制不仅仅只有榕果的脱落机制,可能还存在其它未被发现的机制.

榕小蜂食性分化与榕树-榕小蜂系统稳定性

在榕树与其传粉小蜂组成的互利阿共生系统中,理解传粉小蜂与各种非传粉小蜂如何共存是解决这一系统稳定性维持机制问题的关键之一.生态位分化被普遍认为是传粉小蜂与各种非传粉小蜂共存的最主要动力.而作为生态位分化中最基础的食性分化在这一系统中如何具体实现尚小清楚.2006年12月至2007年6月.我们以聚果榕(Ficus racemosa)为材料,通过对果内6种榕小蜂进行独立放蜂及两两组合定最放蜂,并对传粉小蜂分别进行不携带花粉和不能产卵的技术处理,研究了寄生在聚果榕果内的5种非传粉小蜂的食性及相互关系,分析了在不同季节下寄生蜂与寄主间的相关系数.研究结果表明:在5种非传粉小蜂中,Platyneura testacea和P mayri是造瘿者,能独立刺激子房发育成瘿花,并使果实发育成熟;而 Apocrypta sp、A.westwoodi和P.agraensis只能寄生于某些已发育的虫瘿,为拟寄生者,它们各自分别与P.testacea,P.mayri和传粉小蜂Ceratosolen fusciceps存在着一对一的寄生关系.拟寄生者与寄主间的相关性在不同季节下会显示出不同的结果,这表明过去文献中用物种间的相关系数推理而确定的食性关系可能是不可靠的.对自然采集榕果内的小蜂群落分析表明,传粉小蜂处于优势地位,这说明在自然情况下非传粉小蜂的种群维持在一个较低水平,对榕树-传粉小蜂系统稳定性影响较小,故能与之长期共存.

非传粉小蜂的食性及其对榕树- 传粉小蜂系统稳定性的影响

榕树与其传粉小蜂形成了高度专一的互惠共生系统。非传粉小蜂则是该系统的资源掠夺者, 但它与 该系统共存的机制仍不清楚。于2003 年12 月—2004 年4 月在西双版纳以聚果榕( Ficus racemosa L. ) 为材料, 研究了寄生在聚果榕榕果内的5 种非传粉小蜂的食性及相互关系, 以探讨非传粉小蜂与榕树- 传粉小蜂系统共 存的机制。结果表明: 寄生在聚果榕榕果内的5 种非传粉小蜂中, 仅Platyneura testacea Motschulsky 和Platyneu2 ra mayri Rasplus 能刺激子房发育成瘿花, 是造瘿者; Apocrypta sp . , Apocrypta westwoodi Grandi 和Platyneura a2 graensis Joseph 不能刺激子房发育成瘿花, 是拟寄生者。传粉小蜂的拟寄生者和造瘿者对传粉小蜂有负的影响, 但在蚂蚁和造瘿者的拟寄生蜂作用下, 这种负面影响并不显著, 而且它们对榕树繁殖没有显著影响。对小蜂自 然种群的分析表明, 传粉小蜂处于优势地位。说明在自然情况下传粉小蜂的拟寄生者和造瘿者的种群维持在一 个较低水平, 对榕树- 传粉小蜂系统稳定性影响较小, 故能与之长期共存。

Seasonal change in the structure of fig-wasp community and its implication for conservation

Figs (Moraceae) and their pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) constitute a famous reciprocal mutualism in which figs provide some female flowers for the development of fig wasp offspring while the fig wasps pollinate Fig flowers. However, figs also host many no

Diffusive coevolution and mutualism maintenance mechanisms in a fig-fig wasp system

In reciprocal mutualism systems, the exploitation events by exploiters might disrupt the reciprocal mutualism, wherein one exploiter species might even exclude other coexisting exploiter species over an evolutionary time frame. What remains unclear is how such a community is maintained. Niche partitioning, or spatial heterogeneity among the mutualists and exploiters, is generally believed to enable stability within a mutualistic system. However, our examination of a reciprocal mutualism between a fig species (Ficus racemosa) and its pollinator wasp (Ceratosolen fusciceps) shows that spatial niche partitioning does not sufficiently prevent exploiters from overexploiting the common resource (i.e., the female flowers), because of the considerable niche overlap between the mutualists and exploiters. In response to an exploiter, our experiment shows that the fig can (1) abort syconia-containing flowers that have been galled by the exploiter, Apocryptophagus testacea, which oviposits before the pollinators do; and (2) retain syconia-containing flowers galled by Apocryptophagus mayri, which oviposit later than pollinators. However, as a result of (2), there is decreased development of adult non-pollinators or pollinator species in syconia that have not been sufficiently pollinated, but not aborted. Such discriminative abortion of figs or reduction in offspring development of exploiters while rewarding cooperative individuals with higher offspring development by the fig will increase the fitness of cooperative pollinating wasps, but decrease the fitness of exploiters. The fig fig wasp interactions are diffusively coevolved, a case in which fig wasps diversify their genotype, phenotype, or behavior as a result of competition between wasps, while figs diverge their strategies to facilitate the evolution of cooperative fig waps or lessen the detrimental behavior by associated fig wasps. In habitats or syconia that suffer overexploitation, discriminative abortion of figs or reduction in the offspring development of exploiters in syconia that are not or not sufficiently pollinated will decrease exploiter fitness and perhaps even drive the population of exploiters to local extinction, enabling the evolution and maintenance of cooperative pollinators through the movement between habitats or syconia (i.e., the metapopulations).

Fragmentation effects on diversity of wasp community and its impact on fig/fig wasp interaction in Ficus racemosa L.

Habitat fragmentation usually results in alteration of species composition or biological communities. However, little is known about the effect of habitat fragmentation on the fig/fig wasp system. In this study, we compared the structure of a fig wasp community and the interaction between figs and fig wasps of Ficus racemosa L. in a primary forest, a locally fragmented forest and a highly fragmented forest. Our results show that, in the highly fragmented forest, the proportion of pollinator wasps is lower and the proportion of non-pollinator wasps is higher compared with the primary forest and locally fragmented forest. The proportion of fruits without pollinator wasps in mature fruits is also greatly increased in the highly fragmented forest. The proportion of galls in all female flowers increases in the highly fragmented forest, whereas the proportion of viable seeds does not change considerably. The disruption of groups of fig trees results in a decrease in pollinator wasps and even might result in the extinction of pollinator wasps in some extreme cases, which may transform the reciprocal interaction between figs and fig wasps into a parasite/host system. Such an effect may lead to the local extinction of this keystone plant resource of rain forests in the process of evolution, and thereby, may change the structure and function of the tropical rain forest.

大陆漂移与云南胡蜂的扩散分布

云南高原位于北纬21°9′～29°15′和东经97°39′～106°12′之间,总面积394000 km2 ,地质和气候、植被非常复杂。大 陆漂移和冰期的进退是影响昆虫起源和演替的一个重要原因。昆虫的祖先是起源于一个统一大陆,在这个大陆上共 同起源,共同进化,随着原始大陆的分离和漂移,把这些类群运载到各地,形成现今昆虫分布格局。昆虫的扩散是以中 心分布方式成环状向周围扩散的。云南胡蜂的祖先是来自冈瓦那古陆。有两支昆虫进入云南,其中一支来自喜马拉 雅山,另一支来自缅甸。冰期是导致南北生物互相混合和渗入的重要因素。胡蜂的特有类群是在冈瓦那古陆分裂之 后才发展起来的。其祖先最早是分布在原始古陆较狭窄的区域内。

金环蛇蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂和三种胡蜂蜂毒的研究

蛇毒和蜂毒是提供药理学活性分子的丰富来源，它们富含肽和蛋白，包括一 些酶类和毒素。 丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂广泛存在于动物、植物和微生物体内，参与许多重要的 生理过程，如血液凝集、纤维蛋白溶解、细胞凋亡、发育以及炎症反应和补体活 化等（van Gent D. et al., 2003）。通过凝胶过滤、离子交换和反向高压液相色谱， 我们从金环蛇毒液中纯化得到一种天然的丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂，命名为 bungaruskunin。并且从该蛇的毒腺cDNA 文库中克隆到了它的核苷酸序列。 bungaruskunin 预测的前体由83 个氨基酸组成，包括含有24 个氨基酸的信号肽 和含有59 个氨基酸的成熟肽。它与一种由红腹伊澳蛇（Pseudechis porphyriacus） 的cDNA 预测到的丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂blackelin 具有最大相似性，达64％。 Bungaruskunin 是一种Kunitz 型的蛋白酶抑制剂，具有一个保守的Kunitz 结构域， 能够抑制胰蛋白酶、胰凝乳蛋白酶和弹性蛋白酶。通过对金环蛇毒腺cDNA 文库 的筛选，我们还得到了另外两条β-bungarotoxin B 链，Bungaruskunin 的整体结 构与β-bungarotoxin B 链相似，特别是它们都具有高度保守的信号肽序列。这些 发现强烈地表明蛇毒Kunitz/BPTI 蛋白酶抑制剂与神经毒性的类似物可能起源于 共同的祖先。 肥大细胞脱粒肽是从膜翅目昆虫的毒液中鉴别出的一个小肽家族，是一种具 有潜在的药物治疗作用的诱导活性分子（Xueqing Xu et al., 2006）。来源于蜂类的 缓激肽样的类似物vespakinin 家族是一种具有调节和激素功能的活性成分，与哺 乳动物和两栖动物的缓激肽类似（Nakajima T., 1984）。本研究对三种胡蜂的 毒液进行了一系列的活性检测，发现黑尾胡蜂的蜂毒对白色念珠菌Candida albicans 和金黄色葡萄球菌 Staphylococcus aureus 有抑制作用。凹纹胡蜂和黑尾 胡蜂的蜂毒具有微弱的磷酯酶A2 活性。通过凝胶过滤和反向高压液相色谱，没 有得到相关的活性组分。通过对三种胡蜂毒腺cDNA 文库的筛选，我们得到了2 条来源于黑尾胡蜂的核苷酸序列，Blast 分析表明，其中一条编码类似肥大细胞 脱粒肽，但未克隆到全长，序列比对结果显示其与来源于大胡蜂（Vespa magnifica） 的Mastoparan-like peptide 12c precursor（GenBank accession A0SPI0）的核苷酸序 列相似性达98％（Xueqing Xu et al., 2006）；另一条编码缓激肽类似物，命名为 Hw-bradykinin，序列比对结果显示其与来源于大胡蜂（Vespa magnifica）的 vespakinin-M precursor（GenBank accessionABG75944）的核苷酸相似率达96% (Zouhong Zhou et al., 2006)。