A selective fungal transport organ (mycangium) maintains coarse phylogenetic congruence between fungus-farming ambrosia beetles and their symbionts.

ABSTRACT: Thousands of species of ambrosia beetles excavate tunnels in wood to farm fungi. They maintain associations with particular lineages of fungi, but the phylogenetic extent and mechanisms of fidelity are unknown. We test the hypothesis that selectivity of their mycangium enforces fidelity at coarse phylogenetic scales, while permitting promiscuity among closely related fungal mutualists. We confirm a single evolutionary origin of the Xylosandrus complex-a group of several xyleborine genera that farm fungi in the genus Ambrosiella. Multi-level co-phylogenetic analysis revealed frequent symbiont switching within major Ambrosiella clades, but not between clades. The loss of the mycangium in Diuncus, a genus of evolutionary cheaters, was commensurate with the loss of fidelity to fungal clades, s

SUBMITTER: Skelton J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6367168 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature