Investigating gall midges (Asphondylia), associated microfungi and parasitoids in some chenopod plant hosts (Amaranthaceae) in south-eastern Australia
2021
Rixon, Megan E. | Bayly, Michael J. | McLay, Todd G. B. | Lebel, Teresa
The hidden diversity and interactions of gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), their associated microfungal symbiont(s), and parasitoid wasps in temperate saltmarshes have been little studied in Australia. Over a period of two years, we investigated the gall-associated communities of the dominant saltmarsh plants, Tecticornia arbuscula and Salicornia quinqueflora, across south-eastern Australian coastal and inland salt-lake sites. We discovered that i) many gall midge species are more widely distributed than previously thought; ii) co-distribution of species affecting different plant organs on the same host is also widespread; iii) diversity of gall midges (6 species previously named; 5 species identified here as new) and parasitoid wasps (17 sp. prov.) is likely higher than we uncovered; iv) parasitoid wasps associated with gall midges belonged to diverse lineages and appear to be widespread generalists; v) while the microfungus usually associated with most Cecidomyiinae larval chambers is Botryosphaeria dothidea, we discovered a provisional new species of Botryosphaeria associated with a novel Asphondylia sp. in western South Australia. We also show that targeted amplicon sequencing is a valuable tool for investigating all components of multi-trophic level systems. Our research has contributed to a greater understanding of the basic biology of gall midge interactions within temperate saltmarsh ecosystems in southern Australia, and highlights the value of investigating all trophic levels in these complex interactions simultaneously.
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