Temporal Dynamics of Antagonism and Mutualism in a Geographically Variable Plant–insect Interaction

Thompson, John N.; Fernandez, Catherine C.

doi:10.1890/05-0123

Cited by 112 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The view that these interactions are robust is further reinforced by ecological studies showing that Greya moths are the major, and sometimes almost the sole, pollinator in most populations that have been studied in detail, even though the interaction is swamped in some localities by unrelated copollinators (18,20,26). The results therefore provide insight into how the early stages of mutualisms between plants and pollinating floral parasites can evolve and persist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Diversification through multitrait evolution in a coevolving interaction

Thompson

Schwind

Guimarães

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Mutualisms between species are interactions in which reciprocal exploitation results in outcomes that are mutually beneficial. This reciprocal exploitation is evident in the more than a thousand plant species that are pollinated exclusively by insects specialized to lay their eggs in the flowers they pollinate. By pollinating each flower in which she lays eggs, an insect guarantees that her larval offspring have developing seeds on which to feed, whereas the plant gains a specialized pollinator at the cost of some seeds. These mutualisms are often reciprocally obligate, potentially driving not only ongoing coadaptation but also diversification. The lack of known intermediate stages in most of these mutualisms, however, makes it difficult to understand whether these interactions could have begun to diversify even before they became reciprocally obligate. Experimental studies of the incompletely obligate interactions between woodland star (Lithophragma; Saxifragaceae) plants and their pollinating floral parasites in the moth genus Greya (Prodoxidae) show that, as these lineages have diversified, the moths and plants have evolved in ways that maintain effective oviposition and pollination. Experimental assessment of pollination in divergent species and quantitative evaluation of time-lapse photographic sequences of pollination viewed on surgically manipulated flowers show that various combinations of traits are possible for maintaining the mutualism. The results suggest that at least some forms of mutualism can persist and even diversify when the interaction is not reciprocally obligate.coevolution | geographic divergence | correlated traits | trait matching

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Diversification through multitrait evolution in a coevolving interaction

Thompson

Schwind

Guimarães

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The cost to the plant of hosting the growing larvae is outweighed in most populations that have been studied by the benefit of the moths being specialized and effective pollinators (Thompson and Cunningham 2002;Thompson et al 2010. In some habitats, however, the mutualism is swamped by non-Greya co-pollinators (e.g., bombyliid flies, andrenid bees) that pollinate without ovipositing into the flowers and hence do not cost the plant any seeds (Thompson and Cunningham 2002;Thompson and Fernandez 2006).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floral Scent Contributes to Interaction Specificity in Coevolving Plants and Their Insect Pollinators

et al. 2014

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Chemical defenses, repellents, and attractants are important shapers of species interactions. Chemical attractants could contribute to the divergence of coevolving plant-insect interactions, if pollinators are especially responsive to signals from the local plant species. We experimentally investigated patterns of daily floral scent production in three Lithophragma species (Saxifragaceae) that are geographically isolated and tested how scent divergence affects attraction of their major pollinator-the floral parasitic moth Greya politella (Prodoxidae). These moths oviposit through the corolla while simultaneously pollinating the flower with pollen adhering to the abdomen. The complex and species-specific floral scent profiles were emitted in higher amounts during the day, when these day-flying moths are active. There was minimal divergence found in petal color, which is another potential floral attractant. Female moths responded most strongly to scent from their local host species in olfactometer bioassays, and were more likely to oviposit in, and thereby pollinate, their local host species in no-choice trials. The results suggest that floral scent is an important attractant in this interaction. Local specialization in the pollinator response to a highly specific plant chemistry, thus, has the potential to contribute importantly to patterns of interaction specificity among coevolving plants and highly specialized pollinators.

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“…Examples like these of coevolutionary mosaics continue to be found each year, now that researchers are asking how these mini-coevolutionary "experiments" have been shaped by selection in different ways in different places Thrall et al 2002;Laine 2005;Thompson and Fernandez 2006;Nash et al 2008;Toju 2008;Anderson and Johnson 2009;King et al 2009;Johnson and Anderson 2010;Medel 2010). Meanwhile, multiple researchers are generating their own geographic mosaics by constructing complex microcosms in the laboratory (e.g., connected flasks).…”

Section: Interactions Coevolve As Constantly Changing Geographic Mosaicsmentioning

confidence: 99%