Aphid protective symbionts as unseen drivers of population and community dynamics and the impact for biological control
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour
Abstract
Background
Aphids are important agricultural insect pests that feed on plants and transmit devastating plant viruses. Biological control methods are increasingly being used to combat aphids, either by introducing natural enemies into the agroecosystem or managing the agroecosystem to support higher numbers of natural enemies. Our research investigates effects of aphid-suppressing rhizobacteria, parasitoid wasps, entomopathogenic fungi, and wildflower strips for reducing aphid populations on crop plants.
Almost all aphids host a primary bacterial symbiont and many host secondary bacterial symbionts. The latter can confer wide benefits, including resistance to natural enemies as entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids, but at a cost to aphid reproductive output. Thus, aphid symbionts can impact aphid population growth, dynamics, and reduce the efficacy of biological control. Most aphid-symbiont research has been on the model pea aphid, but species-specific outcomes mean these are difficult to extrapolate to other aphids. The cereal aphid (Sitobion avenae) has been relatively widely studied and tends to host more symbionts than many other studied aphid species, providing a useful system to study aphid symbiont communities. This project will use controlled experiments to investigate how aphid symbionts alter aphid population dynamics with consequences for biological control.
Objectives
1. To develop a set of experimental cereal aphid-symbiont lines from field collected samples, by manipulating the aphid internal microbiome through antibiotic curing and microinjections.
2. To determine the costs and benefits of hosting endosymbionts when challenged with different natural enemies (entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids).
3. To follow population/community dynamics over time using artificial community mesocosms and field experiments
Novelty and Timeliness
A recent meta-analysis highlighted the lack of species-specific information for cereal aphids and their bacterial symbionts, while recent field studies have shown strong responses of symbiont communities to field management and the abundance of natural enemies. Our established research system uses a wide range of natural enemies and aphid-suppressing rhizobacteria, with broad opportunities to create artificial communities to follow the population/community dynamics of aphid-symbiont lines.
Aphids are important agricultural insect pests that feed on plants and transmit devastating plant viruses. Biological control methods are increasingly being used to combat aphids, either by introducing natural enemies into the agroecosystem or managing the agroecosystem to support higher numbers of natural enemies. Our research investigates effects of aphid-suppressing rhizobacteria, parasitoid wasps, entomopathogenic fungi, and wildflower strips for reducing aphid populations on crop plants.
Almost all aphids host a primary bacterial symbiont and many host secondary bacterial symbionts. The latter can confer wide benefits, including resistance to natural enemies as entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids, but at a cost to aphid reproductive output. Thus, aphid symbionts can impact aphid population growth, dynamics, and reduce the efficacy of biological control. Most aphid-symbiont research has been on the model pea aphid, but species-specific outcomes mean these are difficult to extrapolate to other aphids. The cereal aphid (Sitobion avenae) has been relatively widely studied and tends to host more symbionts than many other studied aphid species, providing a useful system to study aphid symbiont communities. This project will use controlled experiments to investigate how aphid symbionts alter aphid population dynamics with consequences for biological control.
Objectives
1. To develop a set of experimental cereal aphid-symbiont lines from field collected samples, by manipulating the aphid internal microbiome through antibiotic curing and microinjections.
2. To determine the costs and benefits of hosting endosymbionts when challenged with different natural enemies (entomopathogenic fungi and parasitoids).
3. To follow population/community dynamics over time using artificial community mesocosms and field experiments
Novelty and Timeliness
A recent meta-analysis highlighted the lack of species-specific information for cereal aphids and their bacterial symbionts, while recent field studies have shown strong responses of symbiont communities to field management and the abundance of natural enemies. Our established research system uses a wide range of natural enemies and aphid-suppressing rhizobacteria, with broad opportunities to create artificial communities to follow the population/community dynamics of aphid-symbiont lines.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE/S00713X/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/09/2028 | |||
| 2887899 | Studentship | NE/S00713X/1 | 01/10/2023 | 31/03/2027 | Andrea Ceribelli |