Cophylogeny of Figs, Pollinators, Gallers, and Parasitoids
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GRBQ316-3309G-C17[225-239].qxd 09/14/2007 9:52 AM Page 225 Aptara Inc. SEVENTEEN Cophylogeny of Figs, Pollinators, Gallers, and Parasitoids SUMMER I. SILVIEUS, WENDY L. CLEMENT, AND GEORGE D. WEIBLEN Cophylogeny provides a framework for the study of historical host organisms and their associated lineages is the first line of ecology and community evolution. Plant-insect cophylogeny evidence for cospeciation. On the other hand, phylogenetic has been investigated across a range of ecological conditions incongruence may indicate other historical patterns of associ- including herbivory (Farrell and Mitter 1990; Percy et al. ation, including host switching. When host and associate 2004), mutualism (Chenuil and McKey 1996; Kawakita et al. topologies and divergence times are more closely congruent 2004), and seed parasitism (Weiblen and Bush 2002; Jackson than expected by chance (Page 1996), ancient cospeciation 2004). Few examples of cophylogeny across three trophic lev- may have occurred. Incongruence between phylogenies els are known (Currie et al. 2003), and none have been studies requires more detailed explanation, including the possibility of plants, herbivores, and their parasitoids. This chapter that error is associated with either phylogeny estimate. Ecolog- compares patterns of diversification in figs (Ficus subgenus ical explanations for phylogenetic incongruence include Sycomorus) and three fig-associated insect lineages: pollinat- extinction, “missing the boat,” host switching, and host-inde- ing fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae: Agaoninae: Cer- pendent speciation (Page 2003). “Missing the boat” refers to atosolen), nonpollinating seed gallers (Agaonidae: Sycophagi- the case where an associate tracks only one of the lineages fol- nae: Platyneura), and their parasitoids (Agaonidae: lowing a host-speciation event. For most plant-insect interac- Sycoryctinae: Apocrypta). Molecular phylogenies of each par- tions, these other events are more common than cospeciation ticipant in this tritrophic interaction can illuminate histories (Farrell and Mitter 1990). A few highly specialized interactions, of ancient association ranging from codivergence to host including obligate pollination mutualisms (Weiblen and Bush switching. We distinguish cospeciation, the simultaneous 2002; Kawakita et al. 2004), show evidence of cospeciation. speciation of a host and an associate (Page 2003), from coevo- We examined patterns of historical association across lution, strictly defined as reciprocal evolutionary change three trophic levels in the fig microcosm, comparing mito- between lineages acting as agents of selection upon each chondrial DNA phylogenies for pollinators, gallers, and par- other (Stearns and Hoekstra 2000). Tests of cospeciation and asitoids to multigene phylogenies of the host figs. Given alternative hypotheses, including host switching, can evalu- that nonpollinators play no direct role in fig reproductive ate whether evolutionary change in host use was associated isolation, we tested the prediction that gallers and para- with speciation (Coyne and Orr 2004). sitoids show less evidence of cospeciation with their hosts Nonpollinating fig wasps have not received as much than do pollinators influencing patterns of host gene flow. attention as the pollinating wasps, and so little is known Some background on fig pollination is needed to under- about their evolutionary history (Ulenberg 1985; Bronstein stand this prediction in more detail. 1991; Lopez-Vaamonde et al. 2001; Cook and Rasplus 2003). Weiblen and Bush (2002) argued from phylogeny that non- Background pollinating seed gallers are less closely cospeciated with figs than pollinators sharing the same hosts. It is not known if Fig Pollination the same is true for fig wasp parasitoids. Robust phylogeny estimates inform our inference of past More than 800 fig species (Ficus, Moraceae) occur in the evolutionary processes from patterns of diversity seen in the tropics and subtropics worldwide (Berg 1989). Fig species present. Topological congruence between the phylogenies of exhibit a wide array of growth forms including shrubs, trees, 225 GRBQ316-3309G-C17[225-239].qxd 09/14/2007 9:52 AM Page 226 Aptara Inc. climbers, and hemi-epiphytic stranglers. The genus is char- Weiblen 2004). Because differences in flower morphology acterized by an obligate mutualism with pollinating fig affect oviposition success, the former produce pollinators wasps (Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae: Agaoninae) and a special- and pollen while the latter produce only seed. There are ized inflorescence called a syconium, which comprises an obvious negative fitness consequences for pollinators of enclosed cavity filled with numerous, highly reduced uni- seed figs given that these “tomb blossoms” have ostiole sexual flowers (Bronstein 1992). At the apex of the syco- bracts that prevent pollinators from exiting. Nonetheless, nium is a bract-lined opening, or ostiole, that is the point of seed figs regularly deceive pollinators into visiting despite entry for pollinating fig wasps. Pollinators depend on figs the absence of any reproductive reward (Grafen and God- for the rearing of their offspring, and figs depend on wasps fray 1991). for pollination. Pollinators are very small, approximately a millimeter in body length, and often bear specialized tho- Ficus Subgenus Sycomorus racic pockets for the transport of pollen grains (Weiblen 2002). Most fig species are pollinated by unique fig wasp Ficus subgenus Sycomorus has attracted the attention of evo- species (Wiebes 1979), but not all cases involve one-to-one lutionary biologists interested in explaining the stability of species specificity. Molbo et al. (2003) found cryptic pollina- obligate pollination mutualism (Kameyama et al. 1999; Har- tor species on the same host in sympatry, whereas Rasplus rison and Yamamura 2003). The group is monophyletic and (1994) reported instances of peripatric pollinator species on includes approximately 140 species occurring across Africa, widespread hosts with intervening zones of contact Asia, and the Indo-Pacific (Weiblen 2000). All species of (Michaloud et al. 1996). Ficus subgenus Sycomorus are pollinated by the mono- Chemical volatiles are the primary cues that attract phyletic genus Ceratosolen (Weiblen 2001). A diverse assem- unique pollinators species to receptive figs (Hossaert-McKey blage of nonpollinating wasps that utilize fig resources is et al. 1994; Grison-Pige et al. 2002). Female wasps crawl also associated with Sycomorus (Kerdelhue et al. 2000). The through the bract-lined ostiole to reach the fig cavity where absence of pollen pockets and the presence of extremely egg laying takes place. Oviposition involves piercing the long ovipositors with which to pierce the fig wall distin- style of a pistillate flower and depositing a single egg inside guish nonpollinators from Ceratosolen. However, a few non- the fig ovule to form a gall (Galil and Eisikowitch 1971). pollinator species in Africa (Kerdelhue and Rasplus 1996) Most Agaoninae actively pollinate fig flowers during ovipo- and Asia (Jousselin et al. 2001a) with short ovipositors are sition by removing pollen from their thoracic pockets and known to crawl into the fig and oviposit internally. spreading it across the synstigma, a surface formed by numerous, closely packed pistillate flowers (Jousselin and Nonpollinating Fig Wasps Kjellberg 2001). Wasp larvae consume fig seeds, a single larva feeding on the contents (typically the endosperm) of a Nonpollinators occupy two trophic levels in the fig micro- single galled flower (Weiblen 2002). Sexual dimorphism cosm, as gallers and parasitoids. Sycomorus figs are attacked reflects the specialized roles of male and female fig wasps. by gallers of the genus Platyneura (Sycophaginae). The name Females are mated in their galls by males who are typically Platyneura takes priority over Apocryptophagus (J. Y. Rasplus, wingless, blind, and less pigmented than the winged 1997, personal communication) and includes all Sycomorus females. The emergence of females from their galls into the gallers known from Indo-Pacific, the center of Sycomorus fig fig cavity coincides with anthesis, when males chew an diversity. Platyneura are essentially seed parasites. Oviposi- opening in the syconium and females collect pollen from tion in a fig ovule induces an abnormal growth such that staminate flowers as they exit. The search for receptive syco- Platyneura galls are much larger than those of Ceratosolen. nia, followed by pollination and oviposition, marks the Each galler occupies a single flower (Galil et al. 1970) and completion of the pollinator life cycle (Jousselin et al. reduces fig fecundity by exactly one seed, while negatively 2001b). affecting pollinators through competition for floral re- Stability of this mutualism depends on the relative alloca- sources (Weiblen et al. 2001). tion of floral resources to pollen, seeds, and pollinators. Nonpollinators occupying the third trophic level in the Given that pollinators also eat seeds, there is potential evo- fig microcosm are parasitoids of other fig wasps. Three gen- lutionary conflict between seed production and seed con- era of parasitoids (Agaonidae: Sycoryctinae) associated with sumption (Cook and Rasplus 2003). Fig lineages have Sycomorus figs are Sycoscapter, Philotypesis, and Apocrypta. resolved this conflict independently by different means They are distinguished by ovipositors associated with three (Kameyama et al. 1999). This chapter focuses on the sub- different means of piercing the fig wall. Sycoscapter and genus Sycomorus,