Jansen-González Sergio, Teixeira Simone P, Pereira Rodrigo A S
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-130, SP, Brazil.
Escuela de Biología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
Plants (Basel). 2024 Dec 17;13(24):3520. doi: 10.3390/plants13243520.
In the complex dynamics of plant-insect interactions, the specialized galling of reproductive structures presents unique evolutionary adaptations. This study investigates the parasitic relationship between (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), an ovary-galling wasp, and the inflorescences of (Araceae). We employed field experiments and histological analyses to investigate the mechanisms driving this interaction. We reveal that ovule fertilization is not required for gall formation; however, pollination substantially enhances gall retention by reducing inflorescence abscission. Inflorescences exposed solely to galling presented a 64% abscission rate, whereas those with both galling and pollination experienced 33% abscission, underscoring pollination's role in mitigating inflorescence loss. Detailed observations of oviposition and larval development reveal the intricate gall formation process characterized by progressive tissue hypertrophy surrounding the larva. Galling and seed development were mutually exclusive, with only 9% of fruits containing both. This mutual exclusivity suggests a competitive interaction for developmental resources within the ovary. Our findings underscore the specialized larval biology of galling chalcid wasps, illustrating how interactions between gall formation and host reproductive strategies shape the evolution of gall induction in floral tissues. Our study advances the understanding of ovary-galling adaptations and the selective pressures shaping antagonistic and mutualistic interactions in plant reproductive structures.
在植物与昆虫相互作用的复杂动态中，生殖结构的特化虫瘿形成呈现出独特的进化适应性。本研究调查了一种卵巢虫瘿黄蜂（膜翅目，姬小蜂科）与天南星科植物花序之间的寄生关系。我们采用田间实验和组织学分析来研究驱动这种相互作用的机制。我们发现，虫瘿形成并不需要胚珠受精；然而，授粉通过减少花序脱落显著提高了虫瘿的留存率。仅遭受虫瘿侵害的花序脱落率为64%，而同时遭受虫瘿侵害和授粉的花序脱落率为33%，这突出了授粉在减轻花序损失方面的作用。对黄蜂产卵和幼虫发育的详细观察揭示了复杂的虫瘿形成过程，其特征是围绕幼虫的组织逐渐肥大。虫瘿形成和种子发育相互排斥，只有9%的果实同时包含两者。这种相互排斥表明卵巢内发育资源存在竞争相互作用。我们的研究结果突出了虫瘿形成的姬小蜂专门的幼虫生物学特性，说明了虫瘿形成与宿主繁殖策略之间的相互作用如何塑造花组织中虫瘿诱导的进化。我们的研究增进了对卵巢虫瘿适应性以及塑造植物生殖结构中拮抗和互利相互作用的选择压力的理解。
