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Marc Rhainds - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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overwintering survival of bagworms thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis lepidoptera Psychidae influence of temperature and egg cluster weight
Canadian Entomologist, 2013Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, Jacques Regniere, Heather J Lynch, William F FaganAbstract:The present study relates the survival rate of bagworm eggs to extreme winter temperature and weight of egg clutches. The eggs were collected in the spring of 2009 at 104 locations in the mid-western United States of America across a latitudinal range from 36.5-41.5 8N. Egg survival after a 1-week incubation period was overdispersed, suggesting that survival of individual eggs within a clutch is highly correlated. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the survival of eggs, assessed after 1 or 12 weeks of incubation, significantly increases with the weight of egg clutches and increasing minimum winter temperature (expressed as the maximum temperature during the coldest day of winter). Lethal temperature for 50% of egg clusters was 214 8C for clusters weighing 0.1 g and 218.1 8C for 0.4 g clusters. The regression model developed here provides a tool to forecast the persistence of bagworm populations in recently colonised locations in Michigan, United States of America and southern Ontario, Canada.
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how protandry and protogyny affect female mating failure a spatial population model
Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata, 2013Co-Authors: Elise A Larsen, Justin M Calabrese, Marc Rhainds, William F FaganAbstract:Population growth and persistence depend on the collective ability of individuals to find mates in both space and time. When individuals are reproductively mature for only a portion of a population's breeding season, reproductive asynchrony can cause mating failure and a temporal Allee effect, which is exacerbated by spatial constraints in isolated populations. However, the effect of phenological variation by sex (protandry, protogyny) in spatiotemporal mate finding is not well understood. Here, we examine the interacting roles of sex-specific and population-wide individual asynchrony on female matelessness in spatially isolated populations. By incorporating sex-specific phenology into a two-sex reaction-diffusion system, we explore female matelessness as a function of phenology, movement behavior, and patch size. Although individual asynchrony may lead to female mating failure in small and isolated populations, we find that moderate protandry reduces female mating failure across a variety of scenarios. We go on to examine model behavior for a case study based on the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisHaworth (Lepidoptera: Psychidae), where many populations exhibit pronounced protogyny. Overall, we find a consistent benefit of moderate protandry, which may mitigate female matelessness for many populations.
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broad scale latitudinal variation in female reproductive success contributes to the maintenance of a geographic range boundary in bagworms lepidoptera Psychidae
PLOS ONE, 2010Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, William F FaganAbstract:Background Geographic range limits and the factors structuring them are of great interest to biologists, in part because of concerns about how global change may shift range boundaries. However, scientists lack strong mechanistic understanding of the factors that set geographic range limits in empirical systems, especially in animals. Methodology/Principal Findings Across dozens of populations spread over six degrees of latitude in the American Midwest, female mating success of the evergreen bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) declines from ∼100% to ∼0% near the edge of the species range. When coupled with additional latitudinal declines in fecundity and in egg and pupal survivorship, a spatial gradient of bagworm reproductive success emerges. This gradient is associated with a progressive decline in local abundance and an increased risk of local population extinction, up to a latitudinal threshold where extremely low female fitness meshes spatially with the species' geographic range boundary. Conclusions/Significance The reduction in fitness of female bagworms near the geographic range limit, which concords with the abundant centre hypothesis from biogeography, provides a concrete, empirical example of how an Allee effect (increased pre-reproductive mortality of females in sparsely populated areas) may interact with other demographic factors to induce a geographic range limit.
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oiketicus kirbyi lepidoptera Psychidae a key pest in peruvian orchards of avocado
International Journal of Pest Management, 2010Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, Juan Cabrera C La RosaAbstract:In recent years, the bagworm Oiketicus kirbyi (Guilding) has become a pest of increasing importance in Peruvian avocado orchards. A study conducted in six commercial orchards evaluated the ecology of, and feeding damage caused by, bagworms on avocado on the southern coast of Peru. In March 2009, the population of live individuals at different locations consisted of second to sixth larval instars. The sex-ratio in the previous generation of bagworms (the parents of larvae) was female-biased, and the mortality rate was higher for females than males. The percentage of mated females varied between 76.7 and 99.1% and declined when the proportion of males was low. The damage caused by bagworm larvae usually results from defoliation, but in the case of O. kirbyi on avocado, the presence of larvae on the fruits was associated with blemishes that limit the marketability of fruits; thus bagworms cause direct economic losses for avocado growers. Future studies are needed to assess the timing of larval emergence with...
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dispersal and development of bagworm larvae lepidoptera Psychidae on three host plants
Journal of Applied Entomology, 2010Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, Clifford S Sadof, C QuesadaAbstract:The present study investigated the development and dispersal of bagworm larvae, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Psychidae), on three hosts: arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, blue spruce, Picea pungens, and juniper, Juniperus virginiana. The biomass of larvae was recorded at repeated intervals at 21 field sites. The relative quality of plants varied during larval development: early in the season, larvae were heavier on juniper and arborvitae than on blue spruce; late in the season, in contrast, larvae and pupae were lighter on juniper than on the two other plants. Larvae on blue spruce pupated later than those on arborvitae. In the laboratory, feeding rate and larval growth were not influenced by the density of larvae on the foliage of arborvitae up to a range which greatly exceeded that observed at any of our experimental sites. The incidence of dispersal among neonates emerging on arborvitae was high, as indicated by the high number of larvae captured on sticky traps, and the relatively low number of early instars on arborvitae foliage in relation to the reproductive output of females in the parental generation. The high rate of dispersal among early instars may be due to potential resource depletion over successive generations of bagworms.
Alessandro Grapputo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Investigating the Origin of Parthenogenesis and Ploidy Level inDahlica fennicella(Lepidoptera: Psychidae)
Annales Zoologici Fennici, 2020Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Juan A. Galarza, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:The theories for the predominance of sexual reproduction predict that parthenogens should have no long-term evolutionary potential due to the lack of genetic recombination, despite short term advantages. Although parthenogenesis is rare among high order animals, true parthenogens can be found in various taxa. The intriguing question of the proliferation and persistence of parthenogenetic species needs investigation. An ideal species for such research is a parthenogenetic moth Dahlica fennicella that appears to be as equally successful as other coexisting sexual species. We investigated whether high ploidy level of D. fennicella is due to hybridization between closely related sexual species. The results from flow cytometry measurements confirmed that D. fennicella is exclusively tetraploid whereas all sexual species of the genera Dahlica and Siederia are diploid. Our phylogenetic results showed the non-hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic D. fennicella in this group of Lepidoptera. Most likely, the parthenogenetic D. fennicella originated by autopolyploidization of D. lazuri, which is one of its closely related sexual species. We suggest that the apparent evolutionary success of D. fennicella might be due to polyploidy that could mask deleterious mutations and provide greater levels of genetic variation
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evaluation of criteria for species delimitation of bagworm moths lepidoptera Psychidae
European Journal of Endocrinology, 2014Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:Accurate identification of species is fundamental for biological research and necessary for species conservation. DNA bar- coding is particularly useful when identification using morphological characteristics is laborious and/or unreliable. However, bar- codes for species are dependent on the availability of reference sequences from correctly identified specimens. The traditional use of morphology to delimit the species boundaries of Finnish bagworm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae: Naryciinae: Dahliciini) is contro- versial because there is overlap in their morphological characteristics. In addition, there are no suitable molecular markers. We veri- fied the delimitation of seven out of eight previously described taxa, by using the currently standardized COI barcode and phylogenetic inference based on fragments of mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear genes (MDH). Moreover, we compared the results of molecular methods with the outcome of geometric morphometrics. Based on molecular identification, our findings indicate that there are five sexual species (Dahlica and Siederia spp.) and two parthenogenetic species (D. fennicella and D. triquetrella) in Finland. We suggest that molecular methods, together with geometric morphometrics of male genitalia are an effective way of delimiting spe- cies of bagworm moths.
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investigating the origin of parthenogenesis and ploidy level in dahlica fennicella lepidoptera Psychidae
Annales Zoologici Fennici, 2013Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Juan A. Galarza, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:The theories for the predominance of sexual reproduction predict that parthenogens should have no long-term evolutionary potential due to the lack of genetic recombination, despite short term advantages. Although parthenogenesis is rare among high order animals, true parthenogens can be found in various taxa. The intriguing question of the proliferation and persistence of parthenogenetic species needs investigation. An ideal species for such research is a parthenogenetic moth Dahlica fennicella that appears to be as equally successful as other coexisting sexual species. We investigated whether high ploidy level of D. fennicella is due to hybridization between closely related sexual species. The results from flow cytometry measurements confirmed that D. fennicella is exclusively tetraploid whereas all sexual species of the genera Dahlica and Siederia are diploid. Our phylogenetic results showed the non-hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic D. fennicella in this group of Lepidoptera. Most likely, the parthen...
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influence of male mating history on female reproductive success among monandrous naryciinae lepidoptera Psychidae
Ecological Entomology, 2011Co-Authors: Jelmer A Elzinga, Alessandro Grapputo, Veronica Chevasco, Johanna MappesAbstract:1. Multiple male copulations can have detrimental effects on female fitness due to sperm limitation. 2. Monandrous Naryciinae females are immobile while the males are short-lived and do not feed. Multiple male mating is therefore expected to lead to sperm limitation in females. Sperm limitation and male limitation are hypothesised as causes of the repeated evolution of parthenogenetic reproduction in the Psychidae. 3. In this study, the effects of multiple male mating on female reproduction are investigated in several species of Naryciinae by allowing males multiple copulations. The results for two species, Siederia listerella and Dahlica lichenella, are compared. The sex ratios of 53 natural populations are examined for indications of male limitation. 4. Previous copulations by the male increased the female's risk of remaining unfertilised. However, contrary to expectations, those unfertilised females were capable of successful re-mating. 5. In S. listerella, the number of previous copulations of males negatively influenced female fitness. Females produced 30% fewer offspring if they mated with a previously mated male. In D. lichenella, the older the male and the lower its number of total lifetime copulations, the higher the female's reproductive success. 6. Only a fraction of the investigated populations had a female-skewed sex ratio, but differences in development time between males and females could lead to reproductive asynchrony. 7. In conclusion, male mating history did not lead to strong sperm limitation in Naryciinae as had been suggested by their life history.
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Genetic diversity in populations of asexual and sexual bag worm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)
BMC Ecology, 2005Co-Authors: Alessandro Grapputo, Tomi Kumpulainen, Johanna Mappes, Silja ParriAbstract:Background Despite the two-fold cost of sex, most of the higher animals reproduce sexually. The advantage of sex has been suggested to be its ability, through recombination, to generate greater genetic diversity than asexuality, thus enhancing adaptation in a changing environment. We studied the genetic diversity and the population structure of three closely related species of bag worm moths: two strictly sexual ( Dahlica charlottae and Siederia rupicolella ) and one strictly asexual ( D. fennicella ). These species compete for the same resources and share the same parasitoids. Results Allelic richness was comparable between the sexual species but it was higher than in the asexual species. All species showed high heterozygote deficiency and a large variation was observed among F _IS values across loci and populations. Large genetic differentiation was observed between populations confirming the poor dispersal ability of these species. The asexual species showed lower genotype diversity than the sexual species. Nevertheless, genotype diversity was high in all asexual populations. Conclusion The three different species show a similar population structure characterised by high genetic differentiation among populations and low dispersal. Most of the populations showed high heterozygote deficiency likely due to the presence of null alleles at most of the loci and/or to the Wahlund effect. Although the parthenogenetic D. fennicella shows reduced genetic diversity compared to the sexual species, it still shows surprisingly high genotype diversity. While we can not totally rule out the presence of cryptic sex, would explain this high genotype diversity, we never observed sex in the parthenogenetic D. fennicella , nor was there any other evidence of this. Alternatively, a non-clonal parthenogenetic reproduction, such as automictic thelytoky, could explain the high genotypic diversity observed in D. fennicella .
Johanna Mappes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Investigating the Origin of Parthenogenesis and Ploidy Level inDahlica fennicella(Lepidoptera: Psychidae)
Annales Zoologici Fennici, 2020Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Juan A. Galarza, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:The theories for the predominance of sexual reproduction predict that parthenogens should have no long-term evolutionary potential due to the lack of genetic recombination, despite short term advantages. Although parthenogenesis is rare among high order animals, true parthenogens can be found in various taxa. The intriguing question of the proliferation and persistence of parthenogenetic species needs investigation. An ideal species for such research is a parthenogenetic moth Dahlica fennicella that appears to be as equally successful as other coexisting sexual species. We investigated whether high ploidy level of D. fennicella is due to hybridization between closely related sexual species. The results from flow cytometry measurements confirmed that D. fennicella is exclusively tetraploid whereas all sexual species of the genera Dahlica and Siederia are diploid. Our phylogenetic results showed the non-hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic D. fennicella in this group of Lepidoptera. Most likely, the parthenogenetic D. fennicella originated by autopolyploidization of D. lazuri, which is one of its closely related sexual species. We suggest that the apparent evolutionary success of D. fennicella might be due to polyploidy that could mask deleterious mutations and provide greater levels of genetic variation
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pre and post mating reproductive barriers drive divergence of five sympatric species of naryciinae moths lepidoptera Psychidae
Biological Journal of The Linnean Society, 2014Co-Authors: Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Lauri KailaAbstract:The biological species concept suggests that species can be separated on the basis of reproductive isolation. However, because natural interbreeding capabilities are often unknown, differences in morphology are generally used to separate species. Alternatively, genetic dissimilarity is used to separate morphologically similar species. Many genetic markers, including the maternally inherited mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequence, cannot show interbreeding and therefore species status of groups may remain unresolved. In species of the genera Dahlica and Siederia (Lepidoptera: Psychidae: Naryciinae) the lack of morphological distinction and unknown interbreeding has led to unclear and unresolved taxonomic status. Mitochondrial DNA sequences suggest five sexual species to occur in Finland. However, their species status remains unconfirmed, due to a lack of knowledge on interbreeding, unclear morphological distinction and the limited variation in mitochondrial DNA. We combine three methods, a cross-mating experiment, an analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, and a detailed male genital morphological examination, to establish the species status of the five suspected species. All suspected species exhibit intraspecies mating preference, although several interspecies pairs readily produce offspring. The genetic analysis, however, fails to show hybrids or introgression, suggesting that both pre- and post-copulation mechanisms isolate the species reproductively. Morphological analysis of the male genitalia confirms that the species have diverged. Our results highlight the need of combining behavioural, morphological and genetic methods to determine species status in challenging taxonomic groups. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112, 584–605.
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evaluation of criteria for species delimitation of bagworm moths lepidoptera Psychidae
European Journal of Endocrinology, 2014Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:Accurate identification of species is fundamental for biological research and necessary for species conservation. DNA bar- coding is particularly useful when identification using morphological characteristics is laborious and/or unreliable. However, bar- codes for species are dependent on the availability of reference sequences from correctly identified specimens. The traditional use of morphology to delimit the species boundaries of Finnish bagworm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae: Naryciinae: Dahliciini) is contro- versial because there is overlap in their morphological characteristics. In addition, there are no suitable molecular markers. We veri- fied the delimitation of seven out of eight previously described taxa, by using the currently standardized COI barcode and phylogenetic inference based on fragments of mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear genes (MDH). Moreover, we compared the results of molecular methods with the outcome of geometric morphometrics. Based on molecular identification, our findings indicate that there are five sexual species (Dahlica and Siederia spp.) and two parthenogenetic species (D. fennicella and D. triquetrella) in Finland. We suggest that molecular methods, together with geometric morphometrics of male genitalia are an effective way of delimiting spe- cies of bagworm moths.
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investigating the origin of parthenogenesis and ploidy level in dahlica fennicella lepidoptera Psychidae
Annales Zoologici Fennici, 2013Co-Authors: Veronica Chevasco, Jelmer A Elzinga, Johanna Mappes, Juan A. Galarza, Alessandro GrapputoAbstract:The theories for the predominance of sexual reproduction predict that parthenogens should have no long-term evolutionary potential due to the lack of genetic recombination, despite short term advantages. Although parthenogenesis is rare among high order animals, true parthenogens can be found in various taxa. The intriguing question of the proliferation and persistence of parthenogenetic species needs investigation. An ideal species for such research is a parthenogenetic moth Dahlica fennicella that appears to be as equally successful as other coexisting sexual species. We investigated whether high ploidy level of D. fennicella is due to hybridization between closely related sexual species. The results from flow cytometry measurements confirmed that D. fennicella is exclusively tetraploid whereas all sexual species of the genera Dahlica and Siederia are diploid. Our phylogenetic results showed the non-hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic D. fennicella in this group of Lepidoptera. Most likely, the parthen...
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influence of male mating history on female reproductive success among monandrous naryciinae lepidoptera Psychidae
Ecological Entomology, 2011Co-Authors: Jelmer A Elzinga, Alessandro Grapputo, Veronica Chevasco, Johanna MappesAbstract:1. Multiple male copulations can have detrimental effects on female fitness due to sperm limitation. 2. Monandrous Naryciinae females are immobile while the males are short-lived and do not feed. Multiple male mating is therefore expected to lead to sperm limitation in females. Sperm limitation and male limitation are hypothesised as causes of the repeated evolution of parthenogenetic reproduction in the Psychidae. 3. In this study, the effects of multiple male mating on female reproduction are investigated in several species of Naryciinae by allowing males multiple copulations. The results for two species, Siederia listerella and Dahlica lichenella, are compared. The sex ratios of 53 natural populations are examined for indications of male limitation. 4. Previous copulations by the male increased the female's risk of remaining unfertilised. However, contrary to expectations, those unfertilised females were capable of successful re-mating. 5. In S. listerella, the number of previous copulations of males negatively influenced female fitness. Females produced 30% fewer offspring if they mated with a previously mated male. In D. lichenella, the older the male and the lower its number of total lifetime copulations, the higher the female's reproductive success. 6. Only a fraction of the investigated populations had a female-skewed sex ratio, but differences in development time between males and females could lead to reproductive asynchrony. 7. In conclusion, male mating history did not lead to strong sperm limitation in Naryciinae as had been suggested by their life history.
William F Fagan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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overwintering survival of bagworms thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis lepidoptera Psychidae influence of temperature and egg cluster weight
Canadian Entomologist, 2013Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, Jacques Regniere, Heather J Lynch, William F FaganAbstract:The present study relates the survival rate of bagworm eggs to extreme winter temperature and weight of egg clutches. The eggs were collected in the spring of 2009 at 104 locations in the mid-western United States of America across a latitudinal range from 36.5-41.5 8N. Egg survival after a 1-week incubation period was overdispersed, suggesting that survival of individual eggs within a clutch is highly correlated. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the survival of eggs, assessed after 1 or 12 weeks of incubation, significantly increases with the weight of egg clutches and increasing minimum winter temperature (expressed as the maximum temperature during the coldest day of winter). Lethal temperature for 50% of egg clusters was 214 8C for clusters weighing 0.1 g and 218.1 8C for 0.4 g clusters. The regression model developed here provides a tool to forecast the persistence of bagworm populations in recently colonised locations in Michigan, United States of America and southern Ontario, Canada.
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how protandry and protogyny affect female mating failure a spatial population model
Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata, 2013Co-Authors: Elise A Larsen, Justin M Calabrese, Marc Rhainds, William F FaganAbstract:Population growth and persistence depend on the collective ability of individuals to find mates in both space and time. When individuals are reproductively mature for only a portion of a population's breeding season, reproductive asynchrony can cause mating failure and a temporal Allee effect, which is exacerbated by spatial constraints in isolated populations. However, the effect of phenological variation by sex (protandry, protogyny) in spatiotemporal mate finding is not well understood. Here, we examine the interacting roles of sex-specific and population-wide individual asynchrony on female matelessness in spatially isolated populations. By incorporating sex-specific phenology into a two-sex reaction-diffusion system, we explore female matelessness as a function of phenology, movement behavior, and patch size. Although individual asynchrony may lead to female mating failure in small and isolated populations, we find that moderate protandry reduces female mating failure across a variety of scenarios. We go on to examine model behavior for a case study based on the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisHaworth (Lepidoptera: Psychidae), where many populations exhibit pronounced protogyny. Overall, we find a consistent benefit of moderate protandry, which may mitigate female matelessness for many populations.
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broad scale latitudinal variation in female reproductive success contributes to the maintenance of a geographic range boundary in bagworms lepidoptera Psychidae
PLOS ONE, 2010Co-Authors: Marc Rhainds, William F FaganAbstract:Background Geographic range limits and the factors structuring them are of great interest to biologists, in part because of concerns about how global change may shift range boundaries. However, scientists lack strong mechanistic understanding of the factors that set geographic range limits in empirical systems, especially in animals. Methodology/Principal Findings Across dozens of populations spread over six degrees of latitude in the American Midwest, female mating success of the evergreen bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) declines from ∼100% to ∼0% near the edge of the species range. When coupled with additional latitudinal declines in fecundity and in egg and pupal survivorship, a spatial gradient of bagworm reproductive success emerges. This gradient is associated with a progressive decline in local abundance and an increased risk of local population extinction, up to a latitudinal threshold where extremely low female fitness meshes spatially with the species' geographic range boundary. Conclusions/Significance The reduction in fitness of female bagworms near the geographic range limit, which concords with the abundant centre hypothesis from biogeography, provides a concrete, empirical example of how an Allee effect (increased pre-reproductive mortality of females in sparsely populated areas) may interact with other demographic factors to induce a geographic range limit.
Silja Parri - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Genetic diversity in populations of asexual and sexual bag worm moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)
BMC Ecology, 2005Co-Authors: Alessandro Grapputo, Tomi Kumpulainen, Johanna Mappes, Silja ParriAbstract:Background Despite the two-fold cost of sex, most of the higher animals reproduce sexually. The advantage of sex has been suggested to be its ability, through recombination, to generate greater genetic diversity than asexuality, thus enhancing adaptation in a changing environment. We studied the genetic diversity and the population structure of three closely related species of bag worm moths: two strictly sexual ( Dahlica charlottae and Siederia rupicolella ) and one strictly asexual ( D. fennicella ). These species compete for the same resources and share the same parasitoids. Results Allelic richness was comparable between the sexual species but it was higher than in the asexual species. All species showed high heterozygote deficiency and a large variation was observed among F _IS values across loci and populations. Large genetic differentiation was observed between populations confirming the poor dispersal ability of these species. The asexual species showed lower genotype diversity than the sexual species. Nevertheless, genotype diversity was high in all asexual populations. Conclusion The three different species show a similar population structure characterised by high genetic differentiation among populations and low dispersal. Most of the populations showed high heterozygote deficiency likely due to the presence of null alleles at most of the loci and/or to the Wahlund effect. Although the parthenogenetic D. fennicella shows reduced genetic diversity compared to the sexual species, it still shows surprisingly high genotype diversity. While we can not totally rule out the presence of cryptic sex, would explain this high genotype diversity, we never observed sex in the parthenogenetic D. fennicella , nor was there any other evidence of this. Alternatively, a non-clonal parthenogenetic reproduction, such as automictic thelytoky, could explain the high genotypic diversity observed in D. fennicella .
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genetic diversity in populations of asexual and sexual bag worm moths lepidoptera Psychidae
BMC Ecology, 2005Co-Authors: Alessandro Grapputo, Tomi Kumpulainen, Johanna Mappes, Silja ParriAbstract:Background Despite the two-fold cost of sex, most of the higher animals reproduce sexually. The advantage of sex has been suggested to be its ability, through recombination, to generate greater genetic diversity than asexuality, thus enhancing adaptation in a changing environment. We studied the genetic diversity and the population structure of three closely related species of bag worm moths: two strictly sexual (Dahlica charlottae and Siederia rupicolella) and one strictly asexual (D. fennicella). These species compete for the same resources and share the same parasitoids.
