The diversity of parasites in mutual systems and the impact of parasites on the mutual systems

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22247003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: KATO Makoto 京都大学, 人間・環境学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80204494)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 川北 篤 京都大学, 生態学研究センター, 准教授 (80467399) ; 吹春 俊光 千葉県立中央博物館, 研究員 (50250147)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 絶対送粉共生 / 寄生者 / 菌従属栄養植物 / 菌根共生 / 送粉者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In plant-pollinator and plant-mycorrhiza mutualisms, diverse parasites are known to invade the mutual systems. We explored diversity, ecology and origin of these parasites, and examined the impact of the parasites on the mutualism. In Phyllanthaceae-Epicephala obligate pollination mutualism, the floral odor was different between male and female flowers, and parasitism of braconid wasps on pollinator wasp/seeds had a great impact on performance of the pollinator moths and the Phyllanthaceae plants. Mycoheterotrophic plants are parasites in mycorrhizal mutualisms, and pollinator and fungal partners of mycoheterotrophic plants such as Orchidaceae, Burmanniaceae and Triuridaceae were investigated. The mycoheterotrophic plant Gastrodia pubilabiata was revealed to be pollinated by drosophilid flies, whose larvae are parasites of fruit body of the mycorrhizal partner of the mycoheterotrophic plant.

Free Research Field

生態学