Aberrant ontogeneses and life cycles in Paraneoptera

The article puts forward and argues the hypothesis of the emergence of cyclical parthenogenesis in aphids as a consequence of their ancestral habitation in closed strobiloid galls on coniferous trees. The period of gall opening is greatly extended in time, which prevents normal panmixia in the population and creates a selective advantage for parthenogenetic reproduction. Migration of aphids to secondary host plants, on which closed galls never form, parthenogenetic reproduction on these plants, and the subsequent simultaneous return of “remigrants” to the main host plant make it possible to synchronize the development of the bisexual generation and achieve mass panmixia only at the end of the life cycle, which coincides with the end of summer growth shoots or the autumn end of the vegetation period as a whole. Due to the fact that the development of the bisexual generation always necessarily occurs in the second half of the year, when the conditions for aphid feeding on arboreal plants become unfavorable, small size of sexual individuals and their reduced fertility (often only one egg per female), in comparison with parthenogenetic generations of the first half of the year, are understandable. The evolutionary transition of aphids from conifers to angiosperms in the Cretaceous period in parallel meant the possibility of development in more spacious galls accommodating several consecutive parthenogenetic generations, the transition to viviparity and telescopic embryonization, significantly accelerating the change of generations. The loss of ovipositor in Phylloxeridae and in hypothetically descended from them Aphidoidea can be explained by the initial life in galls, where egg laying does not require specialized ovipository organs. The evolutionary transition from oviparity of parthenogenetic generations to viviparity probably occurred in the ancestors of modern Eriosomatidae, as evidenced by the plesiomorphic features of the reproductive biology of the latter.

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Gallophilous theory of cyclical parthenogenesis in aphids (Homoptera, Aphidinea)

Gavrilov-Zimin

2024

CCG

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The paper elaborates theoretical basis of the origin of aphid cyclical parthenogenesis in view of the original life of these insects in strobiloid galls on Picea spp. The period of gall opening is greatly extended in time, which prevents normal panmixia and creates a selective advantage for parthenogenetic reproduction. Migration of aphids to secondary host plants, on which closed galls never form, parthenogenetic reproduction on these plants, and the subsequent simultaneous return of “remigrants” to the main host plant make it possible to synchronize the development of the bisexual generation and achieve mass panmixia at the end of the life cycle only; it coincides with the end of summer growth shoots or the autumn end of the vegetation period as a whole. The evolutionary transition of aphids from conifers to angiosperms in the Cretaceous period in parallel meant the possibility of development in more spacious galls accommodating several consecutive parthenogenetic generations, the transition to viviparity and telescopic embryonization, significantly accelerating the propagation.

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Aberrant ontogeneses and life cycles in Paraneoptera

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

Aphagy and vestigial stylets in first-instar nymphs of Aradidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

Aphagy and vestigial stylets in first-instar nymphs of Aradidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

Natural history of cyclical parthenogenesis of aphids (Homoptera: Aphidinea)

Gallophilous theory of cyclical parthenogenesis in aphids (Homoptera, Aphidinea)

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