Host Specialization and Population Differentiation in Parasitoids

寄生蜂的寄主专化性和种群分化Pellmyr，N.寄生虫是许多生态系统的一个组成部分，代表了地球的生物多样性。 寄主的专化被认为是寄生虫群体巨大多样化的一个主要因素，然而，研究专化和多样化之间联系的实证工作主要是基于植食性昆虫。 寄生蜂是仅次于植食性昆虫的第二大寄生类群，也是陆地生态系统中生态和经济上重要的营养环节，因为它们以许多植食性昆虫物种为食。 正在进行的丝兰，丝兰蛾，和它们的hyperteran寄生蜂之间的相互作用的研究已经确定了一个寄生蜂物种适合测试主机专业化和多样化之间的联系。 具体而言，本研究将分析寄生虫的主机使用模式在几个地理尺度，并评估主机使用如何影响寄生虫种群结构。 先前对丝兰蛾的研究表明，植物物种的专业化和植物内的微生境对蛾的多样化很重要。 从拟议的研究结果将确定这些相同的因素是否也影响寄生虫的分化。 一个目标将测试宿主微生境如何影响寄生虫的主机使用在一个非常本地的规模模式的假设。第二个目标将在更广泛的地理范围内评估寄生虫宿主的使用，并测试社区环境如何影响宿主特异性的假设。 最后一个目标将测试如何主机特异性，由于主机的微生境和社会背景的影响模式的寄生虫种群结构的分子标记。 拟议的研究将把第三营养级纳入一个众所周知的和研究充分的植物-昆虫相互作用，这是生物学教科书中常用的互惠和物种相互作用的重要性的例子。本科生将积极参与拟议研究的各个层面，通过在实地和实验室环境中提供实践经验，进一步加强他们对科学的培训和理解。

Host specialization and population differentiation in parasitoidsPellmyr, N. OlofUniversity of IdahoParasites are an integral part of many ecosystems and represent much of the earth's biodiversity. Specialization to hosts has been implicated as a major factor in the immense diversification of parasitic groups, however, empirical work examining the link between specialization and diversification has been based mostly on phytophagous insects. Next to phytophagous insects, parasitoids are the second most diverse parasitic group, and are also an ecologically and economically important trophic link in terrestrial ecosystems, because they feed on many phytophagous insect species. Ongoing research on the interactions between yuccas, yucca moths, and their hymenopteran parasitoids has identified a parasitoid species amenable to testing the link between host specialization and diversification. Specifically, this study will analyze parasitoid host use patterns at several geographic scales, and evaluate how host use influences parasitoid population structure. Previous research on yucca moths has shown that specialization to plant species and microhabitat within a plant are important to moth diversification. Results from the proposed research will determine if these same factors also influence differentiation in parasitoids. One objective will test hypotheses about how host microhabitat influences the pattern of parasitoid host use at a very local scale. A second objective will evaluate parasitoid host use at a broader geographic scale, and test hypotheses on how community context influences host specificity. A final objective will test how host specificity due to host microhabitat and community context influences the pattern of parasitoid population structure obtained from molecular markers. The proposed research will incorporate the third trophic level into a well-known and well-studied plant-insect interaction that is commonly used in biology textbooks as an example of the importance of mutualisms and species interactions. Undergraduate students will be actively involved at every level of the proposed research to further their training and understanding of science by providing hands-on experience in both the field and laboratory setting.