Diversity and evolution of host-species relationship of wasps associated with Neotropical fig trees

• Grant number: 15/25417-7
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2016 - August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Augusto Santinelo Pereira
• Grantee: Rodrigo Augusto Santinelo Pereira
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Astrid Cruaud ; Fernando Henrique Antoniolli Farache ; Finn Pierre Kjellberg ; Jean Yves Rasplus

Abstract

The selection of host plants by insects is determined by several factor and mechanisms. In this context, specialization can be selected when individuals are able to use a given host more efficiently. The association fig wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) and fig trees (Ficus, Moraceae) is one of the most specialized insect-plant interactions. These wasps use fig inflorescences to lay their eggs, and pollinate fig flowers during this process. Recent advance on taxonomy of neotropical fig wasp was achieved by the taxonomic and systematic revision of Anidarnes and Idarnes genera, conducted at a PhD thesis supported by FAPESP. However, this study does not exhausted questions about diversity of neotropical fig wasps. Thus, themes related with community structure of fig wasps are still open to investigation. This project will improve the knowledge of wasp-neotropical fig wasps, by proposing the following objectives: (1) assess comparatively the diversity of wasps associated with neotropical fig trees on both Americana e Pharmacosycea sections. (2) Assess community regionalization on widespread host species. (3) Assess the evolution of host-species relationship on Pegoscapus (pollinator) and Idarnes (nonpollinator), using a phylogenetic approach. Wasp morphospecies will be defined by morphological and molecular analyses. Objectives 1 and 2 will evince the specificity level of each wasp group and its geographical coverage. Objective 3 will allow a more detailed analysis of wasp-host relationships, such as the phylogenetic distribution and evolution of specificity level in relation to host fig trees (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANTONIOLLI FARACHE, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; PEREIRA, CECILIA BERNARDO; KOSCHNITZKE, CRISTIANA; BARROS, LEVI OLIVEIRA; DE CASTRO SOUZA, ELMECELLI MORAES; FELICIO, DANIEL TIRAPELI; GATTI, FABIAN; CARDONA, WILLIAM; RASPLUS, JEAN-YVES; SANTINELO PEREIRA, RODRIGO AUGUSTO. The unknown followers: Discovery of a new species of Sycobia Walker (Hymenoptera: Epichrysomallinae) associated with Ficus benjamina L. (Moraceae) in the Neotropical region. JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH, v. 67, p. 85-102, DEC 31 2018. Web of Science Citations: 0.

ELIAS, LARISSA GALANTE; KJELLBERG, FINN; ANTONIOLLI FARACHE, FERNANDO HENRIQUE; ALMEIDA, EDUARDO A. B.; RASPLUS, JEAN-YVES; CRUAUD, ASTRID; PENG, YAN-QIONG; YANG, DA-RONG; SANTINELO PEREIRA, RODRIGO AUGUSTO. Ovipositor morphology correlates with life history evolution in agaonid fig wasps. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 90, n. SI, p. 109-116, JUL 2018. Web of Science Citations: 5.

FARACHE, F. H. A.; CRUAUD, A.; RASPLUS, J-Y; CEREZINI, M. T.; RATTIS, L.; KJELLBERG, F.; PEREIRA, R. A. S. Insights into the structure of plant-insect communities: Specialism and generalism in a regional set of non-pollinating fig wasp communities. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 90, n. SI, p. 49-59, JUL 2018. Web of Science Citations: 5.

ELIAS, LARISSA GALANTE; LINO-NETO, JOSE; SANTINELO PEREIRA, RODRIGO AUGUSTO. Oogenesis and ovarian morphology in pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps: evidence from adult and immature stages. INVERTEBRATE REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, v. 62, n. 3, p. 162-168, 2018. Web of Science Citations: 0.

FARACHE, FERNANDO H. A.; CRUAUD, ASTRID; GENSON, GWENAELLE; RASPLUS, JEAN-YVES; PEREIRA, RODRIGO A. S. Taxonomic revision and molecular phylogenetics of the Idarnes incertus species-group (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae, Sycophaginae). PeerJ, v. 5, JAN 5 2017. Web of Science Citations: 2.