Patterns of temporal and enemy niche use by a community of leaf cone moths (Caloptilia) coexisting on maples (Acer) as revealed by metabarcoding

Abstract

The diversity of herbivorous insects is often considered a function of host plant diversity. However, recent research has uncovered many examples of closely related herbivores using the same host plant(s), suggesting that partitioning of host plants is not the only mechanism generating diversity. Herbivores sharing hosts may utilize different parts of the same plant, but such resource partitioning is often not apparent; hence, the factors that allow closely related herbivores to coexist are still largely undetermined. We examined whether partitioning of phenology or natural enemies may explain the coexistence of leaf cone moths (Caloptilia; Gracillariidae) associated with maples (Acer; Sapindaceae). Larval activity of 10 sympatric Caloptilia species found on nine maple species was monitored every 2-3 weeks for a total of 13 sampling events, and an exhaustive search for internal parasitoid wasps was conducted using high-throughput sequencing. Blocking primers were used to facilitate the detection of wasp larvae inside moth tissue. We found considerable phenological overlap among Caloptilia species, with two clear peaks in July and September-October. Coexisting Caloptilia species also had largely overlapping parasitoid communities; a total of 13 chalcid and ichneumon wasp species attacked Caloptilia in a nonspecific fashion at an overall parasitism rate of 46.4%. Although coexistence may be facilitated by factors not accounted for in this study, it appears that niche partitioning is not necessary for closely related herbivores to stably coexist on shared hosts. Co-occurrence without resource partitioning may provide an additional axis along which herbivorous insects attain increased species richness.

A curated DNA barcode reference library for parasitoids of northern European cyclically outbreaking geometrid moths

“…Kitson et al, 2019 ; Miller, Polaszek, & Evans, 2021 ). For the latter type of studies, the availability of a parasitoid barcode reference library facilitates in silico validation of mini‐barcode amplification primers, as well as design of blocking oligomers suppressing simultaneous amplification of host DNA (Nakadai & Kawakita, 2017 ). At the population and ecosystem levels, parasitoid community composition can be estimated through metabarcoding of bulk Malaise trap catches (cf.…”

“…Techniques based on DNA barcoding and genome‐level markers can effectively resolve complexes of cryptic or near‐cryptic species, but of the natural enemies of the focal moths, only the microgastrine genera Protapanteles and Cotesia have hitherto been investigated using molecular tools (Ruohomäki et al, 2013 ). Barcoding and metabarcoding approaches also allow obtaining data directly from herbivore larvae, without a need to rear hosts and parasitoids to adults (Kitson et al, 2019 ; Miller, Aguilera, et al, 2021 ; Miller, Polaszek, & Evans, 2021 ; Nakadai & Kawakita, 2017 ; Sow et al, 2019 ; Volf et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, when a reference barcode library for relevant parasitoids is available, their local community structures and abundances can be estimated based on large‐scale material obtained through, for example, Malaise trapping (Barsoum et al, 2019 ; DeWaard et al, 2019 ; Lue et al, 2021 ; Roslin et al, 2022 ).…”

A Revision of North American Lactura (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Lacturidae)

“…In southern Texas, L. basistriga and L. atrolinea share Sideroxylon celastrinum in sympatry. Both moths appear to share the same niche and are active synchronically -a common phenomenon among lepidopterans (Wagner 2005, Wagner et al 2002, 2011, Nakadai and Murakami 2015, Nakadai and Kawakita 2017 data) that appears to challenge the generality of Gause's competitive exclusion principle as a fundamental paradigm in the organization of lepidopteran communities. Phelan and Baker (1987) hypothesized that male scent-emitting structures in moths are more likely to evolve among closely related sympatric Lepidoptera species that share a common host (because of a higher probability of mating mistakes) than closely related taxa with different hosts.…”

A curated DNA barcode reference library for parasitoids of northern European cyclically outbreaking geometrid moths

“…Techniques based on DNA barcoding and genome-level markers can effectively resolve complexes of cryptic or near-cryptic species, but of the natural enemies of the focal moths, only the microgastrine genera Protapanteles and Cotesia have hitherto been investigated using molecular tools (Ruohomäki et al, 2013). Barcoding and metabarcoding approaches also allow obtaining data directly from herbivore larvae, without a need to rear hosts and parasitoids to adults (Kitson et al, 2019;Miller, Aguilera, et al, 2021;Miller, Polaszek, & Evans, 2021;Nakadai & Kawakita, 2017;Sow et al, 2019;Volf et al, 2017). Furthermore, when a reference barcode library for relevant parasitoids is available, their local community structures and abundances can be estimated based on large-scale material obtained through, for example, Malaise trapping (Barsoum et al, 2019;DeWaard et al, 2019;Lue et al, 2021;Roslin et al, 2022).…”

“…Kitson et al, 2019;Miller, Polaszek, & Evans, 2021). For the latter type of studies, the availability of a parasitoid barcode reference library facilitates in silico validation of mini-barcode amplification primers, as well as design of blocking oligomers suppressing simultaneous amplification of host DNA (Nakadai & Kawakita, 2017). At the population and ecosystem levels, parasitoid community composition can be estimated through metabarcoding of bulk Malaise trap catches (cf.…”