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荤素通吃的茧蜂

时间:2016-07-06 06:34:00作者: 陈华燕的博文来源: http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-361302-988908.html


荤素通吃的茧蜂

对于熟悉膜翅目昆虫的人们来说,一提到茧蜂,第一印象就是,它们是寄生于别的节肢动物尤其是昆虫的寄生蜂。通俗点讲就是,它们是靠吃荤(寄主的肉体)长大的。当然,如果你对茧蜂这个庞大的类群(全世界已知近2万种)更熟悉点的话,你会知道有极少数的种类是素食主义者,即是靠吃植物长大的,如有些种类能够取食植物的种子[1],而有些种类的幼虫能够使植物长出虫瘿――植物膨大的组织,幼虫就靠吃这些组织来完成发育[2-4]。致瘿的茧蜂很容易让人联想到它们是由那些寄生于致瘿昆虫如木虱的类群逐渐进化过来的,因为寄生于致瘿昆虫的茧蜂可能会由于虫瘿里的寄主昆虫数量不够多,不能提供足够的食物,从而改吃荤为吃素。虽然已发现有少数几种茧蜂能够寄生致瘿的木虱,但并没有证据支持这些种类能够取食虫瘿的植物组织的设想[5-6]。

最近发表于PLOS ONE的一篇文章报道了第一个荤素通吃的茧蜂新种[7]。这种名为Bracon garugaphagaeRanjith & Quicke自印度。雌蜂并没有像其它寄生蜂一样把卵产在寄主木虱的身体上致其麻痹,而是把粒卵产在由木虱Phacopteronlentiginosum Buckton羽叶白头树Garuga pinnata Roxb.产生的虫瘿里,幼虫孵化后才一口一个的取食木虱的若虫。吃完虫瘿里所有的木虱后,茧蜂的幼虫继续取食虫瘿的组织直到发育成熟才在虫瘿里作茧化蛹。下图摘自原文。

茧蜂Bracon garugaphagaeRanjith & Quicke的生物学特性  A: 雌蜂在木虱产生的虫瘿上产卵; B:茧蜂的卵; C:茧蜂的幼虫; D:虫瘿内的茧蜂的茧。(引自http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0156997

References:

[1] deMacêdo MV, Monteiro RT. Seed predation by a braconid wasp, Allorhogas sp. (Hymenoptera). J New York Ent Soc. 1989; 97:3592.

[2] Austin AD, Dangerfield PC. Biology of Mesostoa kerri Austin and Wharton(Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Mesostoinae), an endemic Australian waspthat causes stem galls on Banksiamarginata Cav. Aust. J. Bot. 1998, 46: 559.9.

[3] Flores S, Nassar JM, Quicke DLJ.Reproductive phenology and pre-dispersal seed predation in Protium tovarense (Burseraceae), with description of the firstknown phytophagous “Bracon” species(Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae). J Nat Hist. 2005, 39: 366385.

[4] Perioto NW, Lara RIR, Ferrerira CS,Fernandes DRR, Pedroso EDC, Volpe HXL et al. A new phytophagous Bracon Fabricius (Hymenoptera:Braconidae) associated with Protium ovatum(Burseraceae) fruits from Brazilian savannah. Zootaxa. 2011, 3000: 595.

[5] Li F, van Achterberg C, He J. Newspecies of the family Triozidae (Homoptera: Psylloidea) from China,and the first record of Psylloidea ashost of Braconidae (Hymenoptera). Zool Med Leiden. 2000, 74(21):3596.

[6] ChadwickCE, Nikitin MI. Records of parasitism in the families Ichneumonidae, Braconidaeand Aulacidae. J Ent Soc Aus (NSW). 1976; 9: 288.

[7] Ranjith AP, Quicke DLJ, Saleem UKA,Butcher BA, Zaldívar-Riverón A, Nasser M (2016) Entomophytophagy ('SequentialPredatory, then Phytophagous Behaviour') in an Indian Braconid ‘Parasitoid’Wasp (Hymenoptera): Specialized Larval Morphology, Biology and Description of aNew Species. PLoS ONE 11(6): e0156997.