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The mosaic distribution pattern of two sister bush-cricket species and the possible role of reproductive interference.

ABSTRACT: Reproductive interference can shape regional distribution patterns in closely related species, if prezygotic isolation barriers are weak. The study of such interaction could be more challenging in nuptial gift-giving species due to the direct nutritional effects on both sexes of both species during copulation. We mapped the distribution of two sister bush-cricket species, Pholidoptera aptera and Pholidoptera transsylvanica, at the northern margin of their overlapping ranges in Europe, and with a behavioral experiment, we tested the possibility of heterospecific mating. We found a very rare coexistence of species locally (0.5%, n = 391 sites) with mostly mutually exclusive distribution patterns, resulting in a mosaic pattern of sympatry, whereas they occupied the same climate niche in forest-dominated mountain landscape. Over 14 days of a mating experiment with seven mixed groups of conspecifics and heterospecifics (n = 56 individuals in total), the number of received spermatophores per female was 3-6 in P. aptera and 1-7 in P. transsylvanica. In total, we found 8.1% of heterospecific copulations (n = 99 transferred spermatophores with genetic identification of the donor species), while we also confirmed successful transfer of heterospecific sperms into a female's reproductive system. Because bush-cricket females also obtain required nutrition from a heterospecific spermatophylax what should increase their fitness and fecundity, we suggest that their flexibility to mate with heterospecifics is beneficial and drives reproductive interference. This may substantially limit the reproductive success of the less frequent species (P. transsylvanica), coupled with eventual detrimental effects from hybridization, and result in the competitive exclusion of that species from their areas of coexistence.

SUBMITTER: Dorkova M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7069280 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The mosaic distribution pattern of two sister bush-cricket species and the possible role of reproductive interference.

Dorková Martina M Krištín Anton A Jarčuška Benjamín B Kaňuch Peter P

Ecology and evolution 20200208 5

Reproductive interference can shape regional distribution patterns in closely related species, if prezygotic isolation barriers are weak. The study of such interaction could be more challenging in nuptial gift-giving species due to the direct nutritional effects on both sexes of both species during copulation. We mapped the distribution of two sister bush-cricket species, <i>Pholidoptera aptera</i> and <i>Pholidoptera transsylvanica</i>, at the northern margin of their overlapping ranges in Euro ...[more]

PMID: 32185002

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Project description:Background and aimsHeterospecific pollen transfer may reduce the fitness of recipient species, a phenomenon known as reproductive interference. A theoretical study has predicted that distributions of species pairs affected by reproductive interference may be syntopic under negligible reproductive interference, sympatric but with partitioning at small spatial scale (i.e. allotopic) under weak interference, or exclusive when reproductive interference is strong. Verifying these predictions is essential for evaluation of the applicability of reproductive interference as a general assembly rule of biological communities. The aim of this study was to test these predictions in two sympatrically distributed wild Geranium species, G. thunbergii and G. wilfordii.MethodsTo measure the effect of reproductive interference, the associations between the relative abundance of the counterpart species and seed set in the focal species, and seed set reduction following mixed pollination, were analysed. The possibility of hybridization with viable offspring was examined by genotyping plants in the field and after mixed pollination. Fertility of putative hybrids was based on their seed set and the proportion of pollen grains with apertural protrusions. A transect study was conducted to examine spatial partitioning, and possible influences of environmental conditions (canopy openness and soil moisture content) on partitioning between the species were analysed.Key resultsNeither abundance of the counterpart species nor heterospecific pollen deposition significantly affected seed set in the focal species, and hybridization between species was almost symmetrical. Putative hybrids had low fertility. The two species were exclusively distributed at small scale, although environmental conditions were not significantly different between them.ConclusionsThe allotopy of the two species may be maintained by relatively weak reproductive interference through bidirectional hybridization. Re-evaluation of hybridization may allow ongoing or past reproductive interference to be recognized and provide insight into the distributional relationships between the interacting plants.

Dataset Information

The mosaic distribution pattern of two sister bush-cricket species and the possible role of reproductive interference.

Publications

The mosaic distribution pattern of two sister bush-cricket species and the possible role of reproductive interference.

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