Know your enemy : Genomes of biological control agents

Abstract

To whom, dear Muse, do you bring these varied fruits of song, or who was it who wrought this garland of poets? 1 AnThologiesThe root of the English word "anthology" is interesting 2 , as its meaning is twofold in the original Greek: anthologia ('a gathering of flowers') and anthologiai ('a collection of epigrams') (Beal, 2008). Meleager of Gadara (in modernday Jordan) is credited with creating the first anthology in approximately 100 B.C.E., though the original has been lost for many centuries (Gutzwiller, 1997). Meleager collected epigrams-a type of short and pithy Greek prosefrom various well-known poets, as well as his own, and put them all into one binding. The goal was to bring attention to the works that, in Meleager's eyes, were the best and most deserving of praise. Comparing each poet to a flower, he created a "garland" out of these works, and so this work came to be known as Meleager's Garland. The Garland became the only source for many of these poems, and was itself placed within a larger anthology, the Anthologia Palatina. While earlier modern critics of Greek poetry and literature viewed Meleager as unoriginal and overblown, more recent critics see him as more of a very intentional and creative editor. The structure of the Garland also includes two epigrams that are deliberately set outside the rest of the collection and function as introduction and epilogue.Moving into present day, anthologies are collections of works of one or more authors, often on a specific theme or genre (Beal, 2008). Perhaps the most well-known is the Norton set of anthologies, a perennial occupant of North American university libraries and textbook stores (Donadio, 2006). Modern anthologies serve as an accessible yet intentional collection of works and can extend beyond literature. One such example is the ambitious Environment:An interdisciplinary anthology, a collection of various essays and articles with sources across sciences, life sciences, and humanities on the theme of the 1 from Meleager's Garland, AP 4.1, sourced from http://www.attalus.org/poetry/meleager.html with number references to the original Anthologia Palatina 2 Also interesting is that while Dutch usage switches between anthologie and bloemlezing, both come from the same root idea, but in different languages: Greek and Latin (florilegium), respectively (van der Sijs). Chapter 1Classical biological control, the more (in)famous of the three, is typically what the general public and biologists alike think of when they hear "biological control." This is where a foreign parasitoid or predator is released against a pest (which can be foreign or native, but most often is foreign). The idea here is that if existing natural enemies in the affected environment have not been able to deal with the invasive pest, the natural enemy that keeps the pest in check in the place of origin could be the solution. The first successful account of classical biological control is often cited as the importation of the vedalia beetle, Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccine...

Next‐generation biological control: the need for integrating genetics and genomics

“…The amount of genetic variation for biocontrol traits is currently poorly investigated and insufficiently known. For example, in a recent review of arthropod biocontrol literature, of 2927 articles identified as investigating genetics of biocontrol traits, only 69 reported data on genetic variation (Ferguson, 2020). Selection of low‐heritability traits towards optimal values is possible, but the efficiency of this process depends on a trait's genetic architecture.…”

“…For decades, genetic methods have been advocated to improve the efficacy of biocontrol programs (White, Debach, & Garber, 1970; Hoy, 1986; Hopper et al ., 1993; Narang, Bartlett, & Faust, 1993; Nunney, 2003; Routray et al ., 2016; Kruitwagen, Beukeboom, & Wertheim, 2018; Lirakis & Magalhães, 2019). Significant genetic variation has been demonstrated in several key life‐history and behavioural traits of potential biocontrol agents (Hoy, 1985; Rousch, 1990; Hopper et al ., 1993; Wajnberg, 2004; Ferguson, 2020). However, despite its proven application in crop and livestock breeding, there have been few attempts to improve biocontrol agents through genetic means.…”

Biological control needs evolutionary perspectives of ecological interactions

“…investigated and remains largely unknown (Ferguson, 2020;Lirakis & Magalhães, 2019;Wajnberg, 2004). Only 2.4% of the studies investigating genetics of biocontrol traits reported information on genetic variation (e.g., Postic et al, 2021).…”

“…A trait can be improved by selection if it has significant genetic intraspecific variation. Nevertheless, the amount of genetic variation for biological control traits is currently poorly investigated and remains largely unknown (Ferguson, 2020; Lirakis & Magalhães, 2019; Wajnberg, 2004). Only 2.4% of the studies investigating genetics of biocontrol traits reported information on genetic variation (e.g., Postic et al, 2021).…”