Factors limiting the spread of the protective symbiont Hamiltonella defensa in Aphis craccivora Aphids.

ABSTRACT: Many insects are associated with heritable symbionts that mediate ecological interactions, including host protection against natural enemies. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, is a polyphagous pest that harbors Hamiltonella defensa, which defends against parasitic wasps. Despite this protective benefit, this symbiont occurs only at intermediate frequencies in field populations. To identify factors constraining H. defensa invasion in Ap. craccivora, we estimated symbiont transmission rates, performed fitness assays, and measured infection dynamics in population cages to evaluate effects of infection. Similar to results with the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, we found no consistent costs to infection using component fitness assays, but we did identify clear costs to infection in populatio

SUBMITTER: Dykstra HR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4178609 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature