Collaborative Research: The Evolutionary Transition From Solitary to Gregarious Development in Parasitoid Wasps

合作研究：寄生蜂从独居到群居的进化过渡。 本文作者：Paul Ode，James Whitfield，and乔治Heimpel，31 North Dakota State University，2 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 3 University of Minnesota Twin Cities摘要：窝卵数的研究是行为生态学和生活史理论中最古老、最富有成果的领域之一。 一个中心主题是父母和后代之间的冲突分配有限的资源和最佳窝卵数。 寄生蜂（拟寄生蜂）一直是窝卵数研究的首选生物，因为它们的宿主代表了后代发育的明确资源。 寄生蜂被分类为独居，如果只有一个，通常是同胞，幼虫完成每个主机或群居的发展，如果一个以上的非同胞后代每个主机。 系统发育模式表明，孤独的发展是祖先群居，这种过渡已经发生了很多次。 种群遗传模型表明，有利于传播的非siblicidal行为的条件是严格的，但可能会放宽，如果发生以下一个或多个因素：性别分配行为增加内育雏相关性，损失幼虫的流动性，收购的能力，区分亲属从非亲属，近亲繁殖，或减少超寄生。 虽然大多数寄生类类群的系统发育关系还没有很好地理解，充分研究的茧蜂属Cotesia允许详细研究上述因素是否与本属内的群居性的进化。 从其他Cotesia物种的DNA序列的收集将进一步加强生殖。 行为研究将评估在合群性的进化中，杀同胞、流动性、性别分配和亲属歧视的作用。 野外和实验室研究将确定近亲繁殖和过寄生对群居性进化的影响。 该项目将为主要生命史特征进化过程中的机制提供新的见解，并将促进研究生和博士后学生的持续国际合作和机会。

Collaborative Research: The evolutionary transition from solitary to gregarious development in parasitoid wasps. Paul Ode1, James Whitfield2, and George Heimpel31North Dakota State University2University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign3University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesAbstract:The study of clutch size is one of the oldest and most productive fields in behavioral ecology and life history theory. A central theme is the conflict between parents and offspring over the allocation of limiting resources and optimal clutch size. Parasitic wasps (parasitoids) have been favored organisms for clutch size studies because their hosts represent well-defined resources on which offspring develop. Parasitoids are classified as solitary if only one, typically siblicidal, larva completes development per host or gregarious if more than one non-siblicidal offspring develops per host. Phylogenetic patterns suggest that solitary development is ancestral to gregariousness and that this transition has occurred many times. Population genetic models suggest the conditions favoring the spread of non-siblicidal behavior are stringent but may be relaxed if one or more of the following factors occur: sex allocation behaviors increase within brood relatedness, loss of larval mobility, acquisition of the ability to distinguish relatives from non-relatives, inbreeding, or reduced superparasitism. While the phylogenetic relationships of most parasitoid taxa are not well understood, the well-studied phylogeny of the braconid genus Cotesia allows detailed study of whether the aforementioned factors were associated with the evolution of gregariousness within this genus. Collection of DNA sequences from additional Cotesia species will further strengthen the phylogeny. Behavioral studies will assess the role of siblicide, mobility, sex allocation, and kin-discrimination in the evolution of gregariousness. Field and laboratory studies will determine the effects of inbreeding and superparasitism on the evolution of gregariousness. This project will provide novel insights into the mechanisms operating during the evolution of major life history traits and will foster ongoing international collaborations and opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral students.