The final frontier: ecological and evolutionary dynamics of a global parasite invasion.
Biol Lett
; 19(5): 20220589, 2023 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37222245
ABSTRACT
Studying rapid biological changes accompanying the introduction of alien organisms into native ecosystems can provide insights into fundamental ecological and evolutionary theory. While powerful, this quasi-experimental approach is difficult to implement because the timing of invasions and their consequences are hard to predict, meaning that baseline pre-invasion data are often missing. Exceptionally, the eventual arrival of Varroa destructor (hereafter Varroa) in Australia has been predicted for decades. Varroa is a major driver of honeybee declines worldwide, particularly as vectors of diverse RNA viruses. The detection of Varroa in 2022 at over a hundred sites poses a risk of further spread across the continent. At the same time, careful study of Varroa's spread, if it does become established, can provide a wealth of information that can fill knowledge gaps about its effects worldwide. This includes how Varroa affects honeybee populations and pollination. Even more generally, Varroa invasion can serve as a model for evolution, virology and ecological interactions between the parasite, the host and other organisms.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Parasitos
/
Ecossistema
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article