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2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Molecular phylogeography of myrmecophyte-ant-scale insect tripartite symbiosis in Southeast Asian tropical forests

Research Project

Project/Area Number 14540577
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 生態
Research InstitutionShinshu University

Principal Investigator

ITINO Takao  Shinshu Univ., Faculty of Science, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (20176291)

Project Period (FY) 2002 – 2003
Keywordsants / symbiosis / coevolution / ant-plants / molecular phylogeny / mitochondrial DNA / coccids / cospeciation
Research Abstract

Many tropical plants house ants and thereby gain protection from herbivores. Most of these myrmecophyte-ant systems include scale insects as the third associate. Scale insects live inside the plant hollow stem, suck the plant sap, and provide honeydew to the ants. We investigate the evolution of the three-way interaction among myrmecophytic Macaranga plants, their inhabitant Crematogaster (Decacrema) ants, and the trophobiont Coccus scale insects. Previous studies show that these three genera have a tight association although a few other genera are sometimes involved.
The mtDNA COI phylogenies of comprehensively-sampled ants and scales reveal ten and five well-supported lineages, respectively. Comparisons of the two phylogenies and a published Maearanga phylogeny indicate an absence of cospeciation. Whereas the ant-scale and plant-scale interactions are diffuse, the ant-plant one is specific in the sense that host shifts have been constrained by plant stem traits that are themselves correlated with Macaranga phylogeny. Applying COI divergence rates of 1.5% per My, the Decacrema ants and the Coccus scales from Macaranga are inferred to be at least 12, and 10 My old, respectively, indicating that they have been diversifying contemporaneously since the mid-Miocene in the wet forest community of Southeast Asia.

  • Research Products

    (11 results)

All Other

All Publications (11 results)

  • [Publications] Murase, K., Itioka, T., Inui, Y., Itino, T.: "Species specificity in settling-plant selection by foundress ant queens in Macaranga-Crematogaster myrmecophytism in a Bornean dipterocarp forest."Journal of Ethology. 20. 19-24 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Hatada, A, Itioka, T., Yamaoka, R., Itino, T.: "Carbon and nitrogen contents of food bodies in three myrmecophytic species of Macaranga : implications for antiherbivore defense mechanisms."Journal of Plant Research. 115. 179-184 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itino, T., Itioka, T., Davies, S.J.: "Coadaptation and coevolution of Macaranga trees and their symbiotic ants."In : Genes, Behaviors and Evolution of Social Insects (eds.by Kikuchi, T., Higashi, S.and Azuma, N.) Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, Japan.. 283-294 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itino, T.: "Coevolution of ants and plants."In : Biodiversity of a Tropical Rainforest and Plant-animal Interaction (eds.by Momose, K., Hamid, A.A.and Roubik, D.W.) Springer, New York.. (in press). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Quek, S.P., Davies, S.J., Itino, T., Pierce, N.E: "Codiversification in an ant-plant mutualism : stem texture and the evolution of host use in Crematogaster (Formicidae : Myrmicinae) inhabitants of Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae)."Evolution. (in press). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 市野隆雄: "アリと植物-共生の自然史 In:ハチとアリの自然史(前田泰生・伊藤文紀・杉浦直人編)"北海道大学図書刊行会. 277 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Murase, K., Itioka, T., Inui, Y., Itino, T.: "Species specificity in settling-plant selection by foundress ant queens in Macaranga -Crematogaster myrmecophytism in a Bornean dipterocarp forest."Journal of Ethology. 20. 19-24 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Hatada, A., Itioka, T., Yamaoka, R., Itino, T.: "Carbon and nitrogen contents of food bodies in three myrmecophytic species of Macaranga : implications for antiherbivore defense mechanisms."Journal of Plant Research. 115. 179-184 (2002)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itino, T., Itioka, T., Davies, S.J.: "Coadaptation and coevolution of Macaranga trees and their symbiotic ants."Genes, Behaviors and Evolution of Social Insects (eds. by Kikuchi, T., Higashi, S., and Azuma, N.)(Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, Japan). 283-294 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itino, T.: "Coevolution of ants and plants."Biodiversity of a Tropical Rainforest and Plant-animal Interaction (eds. by Momose, K., Hamid, A.A. and Roubik, D.W.)(Springer, New York.). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Quek, S.P., Davies, S.J., itino, T., Pierce, N.E.: "Codiversification in an ant-plant mutualism : stem texture and the evolution of host use in Crematogaster (Formicidae : Myrmicinae) inhibitants of Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae)."Evolution. 58(3). (2004)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2005-04-19  

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