2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Biodiversity hidden in flowers: Elucidation of the diversity of gall midges inhabiting flower buds and their ecosystem functions
| Project/Area Number |
22K20582
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
0602:Agricultural and environmental biology and related fields
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| Research Institution | Saga University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | Cecidomyiidae / Biodiversity / Diptera / タマバエ / ハエ目 / 多様性 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In Japan, about 600 sorts of galls formed by gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) are known so far after decades of intensive research, including those unidentified species. In this study, gall midges were investigated in the flowers and flower buds of numerous plants in 2022 and 2023.The molecular analyses of the collected gall midge larvae indicated the presence of dozens of gall midge species. Of the collected gall midges, the majority of species utilize flower buds associated with a single plant species, while some are oligo or polyphagous, found on flower buds of two or more plant species. Taxonomically, the gall midges inhabiting flower buds belong to at least five tribes within the Cecidomyiinae subfamily. These results strongly suggest that the trait of utilizing the flower buds of seed plants has evolved independently multiple times within Cecidomyiidae.
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| Free Research Field |
生産環境農学およびその関連分野
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) are estimated to be the most diverse insect taxon, with up to 1.8 million species estimated to exist worldwide. However, little is known about gall midge diversity and ecological functions. This research sheds light on their diversity in flower buds.
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