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Variations in infection levels and parasite-induced mortality among sympatric cryptic lineages of native amphipods and a congeneric invasive species: Are native hosts always losing?

ABSTRACT: Shared parasites can strongly influence the outcome of competition between congeneric, sympatric hosts, and thus host population dynamics. Parasite-mediated competition is commonly hypothesized as an important factor in biological invasion success; invasive species often experience lower infection levels and/or parasite-induced mortality than native congeneric hosts. However, variation in infection levels among sympatric hosts can be due to contrasting abilities to avoid infection or different parasite-induced mortality rates following infection. Low parasite infection levels in a specific host can be due to either factor but have drastically different implications in interaction outcomes between sympatric hosts. We assessed acanthocephalan infection levels (prevalence and abundance) among cryptic molecular taxonomic units (MOTU) of the native G. pulex/G. fossarum species complex from multiple populations where they occur in sympatry. We concomitantly estimated the same parameters in the invasive Gammarus roeseli commonly found in sympatry with G. pulex/G. fossarum MOTUs. We then tested for potential differences in parasite-induced mortality among these alternative hosts. As expected, the invasive G. roeseli showed relatively low infection level and was not subject to parasite-induced mortality. We also found that both acanthocephalan infection levels and parasite-induced mortality varied greatly among cryptic MOTUs of the native amphipods. Contrary to expectations, some native MOTUs displayed levels of resistance to their local parasites similar to those observed in the invasive G. roeseli. Overall, cryptic diversity in native amphipods coupled with high levels of variability in infection levels and parasite-induced mortality documented here may strongly influence inter-MOTU interactions and native population dynamics as well as invasion success and population dynamics of the congeneric invasive G. roeseli.

SUBMITTER: Galipaud M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5715213 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Variations in infection levels and parasite-induced mortality among sympatric cryptic lineages of native amphipods and a congeneric invasive species: Are native hosts always losing?

Galipaud Matthias M Bollache Loïc L Lagrue Clément C

International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife 20170425 3

Shared parasites can strongly influence the outcome of competition between congeneric, sympatric hosts, and thus host population dynamics. Parasite-mediated competition is commonly hypothesized as an important factor in biological invasion success; invasive species often experience lower infection levels and/or parasite-induced mortality than native congeneric hosts. However, variation in infection levels among sympatric hosts can be due to contrasting abilities to avoid infection or different p ...[more]

PMID: 30951566

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Project description:Competition theory states that multiple species should not be able to occupy the same niche indefinitely. Morphologically, similar species are expected to be ecologically alike and exhibit little niche differentiation, which makes it difficult to explain the co-occurrence of cryptic species. Here, we investigated interspecific niche differentiation within a complex of cryptic bumblebee species that co-occur extensively in the United Kingdom. We compared the interspecific variation along different niche dimensions, to determine how they partition a niche to avoid competitive exclusion. We studied the species B. cryptarum, B. lucorum, and B. magnus at a single location in the northwest of Scotland throughout the flight season. Using mitochondrial DNA for species identification, we investigated differences in phenology, response to weather variables and forage use. We also estimated niche region and niche overlap between different castes of the three species. Our results show varying levels of niche partitioning between the bumblebee species along three niche dimensions. The species had contrasting phenologies: The phenology of B. magnus was delayed relative to the other two species, while B. cryptarum had a relatively extended phenology, with workers and males more common than B. lucorum early and late in the season. We found divergent thermal specialisation: In contrast to B. cryptarum and B. magnus, B. lucorum worker activity was skewed toward warmer, sunnier conditions, leading to interspecific temporal variation. Furthermore, the three species differentially exploited the available forage plants: In particular, unlike the other two species, B. magnus fed predominantly on species of heather. The results suggest that ecological divergence in different niche dimensions and spatio-temporal heterogeneity in the environment may contribute to the persistence of cryptic species in sympatry. Furthermore, our study suggests that cryptic species provide distinct and unique ecosystem services, demonstrating that morphological similarity does not necessarily equate to ecological equivalence.

Dataset Information

Variations in infection levels and parasite-induced mortality among sympatric cryptic lineages of native amphipods and a congeneric invasive species: Are native hosts always losing?

Publications

Variations in infection levels and parasite-induced mortality among sympatric cryptic lineages of native amphipods and a congeneric invasive species: Are native hosts always losing?

Similar Datasets

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