Diversification and trophic specialization in phytophagous insects

• Grant number: 14/16082-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2015
• End date: August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Thomas Michael Lewinsohn
• Grantee: Leonardo Ré Jorge
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/13423-8 - Guilds and functional traits as drivers of trophic specialization in tropical herbivores, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Trophic specialization is among the most important concepts in ecological theory. By measuring the range of food resources, it is intimately related to the diversity of species and interactions in communities. Advances in ecophylogenetics and interaction networks provided a new toolset to the study of communities, although without integrating ecological interactions and phylogenetic constraints in a single framework. We have recently proposed a concept of trophic specialization based on resource similarity and availability that bridges this gap. Our objective in this project is to produce a new approach to the study of resource specialization in communities, and apply it to solve new problems at different spatial and phylogenetic scales. We have two specific objectives: 1) Develop a new metric of specialization in communities, with a new approach to partition the specialization and diversity among species and communities, and produce a comprehensive package with a toolset for the analysis of ecological specialzition; 2) Apply this set of concepts and tools to some of the best datasets on interactions between herbivores and plants available, that will allow us to address some highly relevant and novel questions. As products of the project, a methodological paper that defines a new metric for the specialization of communities will be published, as well as a package with routines for the analysis of ecological specialization. Moreover, two papers will apply these methods to investigate the spatial variation in specialization in different herbivore insect guilds and the role of resource relatedness and trophic specializaton in global patterns of the diversity of insects and interactions. (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)

PERRE, P.; FARIA, F. A.; JORGE, L. R.; ROCHA, A.; TORRES, R. S.; SOUZA-FILHO, M. F.; LEWINSOHN, T. M.; ZUCCHI, R. A.. Toward an Automated Identification of Anastrepha Fruit Flies in the fraterculus group (Diptera, Tephritidae). Neotropical Entomology, v. 45, n. 5, p. 554-558, OCT 2016. (14/16082-9)

RECH, ANDRE RODRIGO; JORGE, LEONARDO RE; OLLERTON, JEFF; SAZIMA, MARLIES. Pollinator availability, mating system and variation in flower morphology in a tropical savanna tree. Acta Botanica Brasilica, v. 32, n. 3, p. 462-472, JUL-SEP 2018. (13/14442-5, 14/16082-9)

JORGE, LEONARDO R.; NOVOTNY, VOJTECH; SEGAR, SIMON T.; WEIBLEN, GEORGE D.; MILLER, SCOTT E.; BASSET, YVES; LEWINSOHN, THOMAS M.. Phylogenetic trophic specialization: a robust comparison of herbivorous guilds. Oecologia, v. 185, n. 4, p. 551-559, DEC 2017. (14/16082-9, 14/16006-0)

SANZ-VEIGA, PRISCILA ANDRE; JORGE, LEONARDO RE; BENITEZ-VIEYRA, SANTIAGO; AMORIM, FELIPE W.. Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability. PLoS One, v. 12, n. 12, DEC 6 2017. (14/16082-9)

ARAUJO, SABRINA B. L.; BORGES, MARCELO EDUARDO; VON HARTENTHAL, FRANCISCO W.; JORGE, LEONARDO R.; LEWINSOHN, THOMAS M.; GUIMARAES JR, PAULO R.; VAN BAALEN, MINUS. Coevolutionary patterns caused by prey selection. Journal of Theoretical Biology, v. 501, SEP 21 2020. (10/51395-7, 14/16082-9)