COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Does Sequential Speciation Amplify Biodiversity across Trophic Levels?

该项目将确定新物种的创造是否为其他生物提供了利用这一优势并形成同类物种的机会。特别是，该研究将测试当Rhagoletis属的果蝇通过转移和攻击新的寄主植物而形成物种时，攻击果蝇的寄生蜂是否也通过跟随果蝇并专门针对新的苍蝇资源而形成物种。这个问题对于理解自然很重要，因为像Rhagoletis这样以植物为食的昆虫和攻击它们的寄生虫比地球上任何其他类型的生命形式都要多。因此，了解物种形成是否在生态系统中具有连锁效应，从而依次扩大新物种的产生，对于理解生物多样性的基础具有重要意义。除了帮助整合地方、大学和国际层面的科学培训、教育和研究活动外，该项目还为美国农业带来了实际利益。Rhagoletis蝇是苹果、樱桃、蓝莓和其他几种经济作物的严重害虫。因此，苍蝇的拟寄生物是否形成了新物种的问题对制定有效的综合虫害管理策略具有重要的影响。具体来说，如果不同种类的黄蜂攻击每一种苍蝇，那么生物防治工作就需要分别饲养和释放每一种黄蜂来控制每一种害虫。相反，如果这些黄蜂都是同一种群的一部分，那么集中于大规模释放单一培养黄蜂菌株的一刀切策略可能会成功。

The project will determine whether the creation of new species provides an opportunity for other organisms to take advantage of this and speciate in kind. In particular, the research will test whether when fruit flies of the genus Rhagoletis speciate by shifting and attacking new host plants, the parasitic wasps that attack the flies also speciate by following the flies and specializing on the new fly resources. The question is important for understanding nature because there are more species of plant eating insects like Rhagoletis and the parasites that attack them than any other types of life forms on Earth. Thus, understanding whether speciation has rippling effects through ecosystems to sequentially amplify the creation of new species has important implications for understanding the basis for biodiversity.In addition to helping integrate science training, education, and research activities at the local, university, and international levels, the project also has practical benefits for U.S. agriculture. Rhagoletis flies are serious pests of apples, cherries, blueberries, and several other economic crops. The question of whether the fly's parasitoids have formed new species, therefore, has important repercussions for developing effective integrated pest management strategies. Specifically, if different wasp species attack each fly, then biocontrol efforts would need to rear and release each of the wasps separately to control each of the fly pests. In contrast, if the wasps are all part of the same population, then a one-size-fits-all strategy focused on mass release of a single cultured wasp strain may succeed.