Dynamics of a host–parasitoid interaction clarified by modelling and DNA sequencing

It has been hypothesised that the 2‐year oscillations in abundance of Xestia moths are mediated by interactions with 1‐year Ophion parasitoid wasps. We tested this hypothesis by modelling a 35‐year time series of Xestia and Ophion from Northern Finland. Additionally, we used DNA barcoding to ascerta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters 2020-05, Vol.23 (5), p.851-859
Main Authors: Mutanen, Marko, Ovaskainen, Otso, Várkonyi, Gergely, Itämies, Juhani, Prosser, Sean W. J., Hebert, Paul D. N., Hanski, Ilkka, Adler, Frederick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bar codes
Butterflies & moths
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA barcoding
DNA sequencing
Finland
Host-Parasite Interactions
Larva
Letter
Letters
MAPL
Modelling
Moths
Ophion
Oscillations
periodic occurrence
population dynamics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Species diversity
Wasps
Xestia
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Summary:It has been hypothesised that the 2‐year oscillations in abundance of Xestia moths are mediated by interactions with 1‐year Ophion parasitoid wasps. We tested this hypothesis by modelling a 35‐year time series of Xestia and Ophion from Northern Finland. Additionally, we used DNA barcoding to ascertain the species diversity of Ophion and targeted amplicon sequencing of their gut contents to confirm their larval hosts. Modelling of the time‐series data strongly supported the hypothesised host–parasitoid dynamics and that periodic occurrence of Xestia moths is mediated by Ophion. DNA barcodes revealed that Ophion included five species rather than just one while targeted amplicon sequencing verified that Ophion does parasitise Xestia. At least one Ophion species employs 1‐year Syngrapha interrogationis as an alternate host, but it did not detectably affect Xestia–Ophion dynamics. We also demonstrate the previously unrecognised complexity of this system due to cryptic parasitoid diversity. We provide evidence that the periodic fluctuations in abundance of Xestia moths are mediated by Ophion parasitoids. By sequencing the gut contents of adult parasitoids, we provide genetic evidence of their larval hosts. We also demonstrate cryptic diversity in the studied parasitoids.
ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.13486