Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
Volume 162, Issue 3, 2017, Pages 379-388

Immigrant inviability promotes reproductive isolation among host-associated populations of the gall wasp Belonocnema treatae (Article)

Zhang L. , Driscoe A. , Izen R. , Toussaint C. , Ott J.R. , Egan S.P.*
  • a Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States
  • b Population and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
  • c Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States
  • d Population and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
  • e Population and Conservation Biology Program, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, United States
  • f Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States

Abstract

Ecological speciation describes the evolutionary process whereby divergent natural selection between environments generates reproductive isolation. Studying the magnitude of sequential reproductive barriers between ecologically divergent populations improves our understanding of the way these barriers evolve and how each contributes to the speciation process. Immigrant inviability describes the lower fitness of immigrants in non-native environments and is an important, but long underexplored, reproductive barrier. In this study, we test the role of immigrant inviability among host-associated populations of the gall wasp Belonocnema treataeMayr (Hymenoptera: Cynipini: Cynipidae) by measuring the ability of gall wasps to initiate and complete gall formation, while avoiding host immune responses, on closely related native and non-native live oaks, Quercus virginianaMill., Quercus fusiformisSmall, and Quercus geminataSmall (Fagaceae). In general, we found evidence for immigrant inviability when B. treatae populations colonized non-native host species. However, patterns were variable among years, suggesting that episodic events may play an important role in connecting ecologically divergent populations. © 2017 The Netherlands Entomological Society

Author Keywords

Cynipidae ecological speciation Fagaceae hypersensitive response Quercus Hymenoptera local adaptation barriers to gene flow

Index Keywords

Cynipini immune response Quercus Hymenoptera local adaptation Fagaceae speciation (biology) fitness gall insect gene flow reproductive isolation wasp deciduous tree Cynipidae natural selection Quercus virginiana
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85014565013&doi=10.1111%2feea.12548&partnerID=40&md5=a8395ad70f393c222106c72ed0280859
DOI: 10.1111/eea.12548
ISSN: 00138703
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English