RESUMO
Many insect taxa cultivate fungi for food. Compared to well-known fungus cultivation in social insects, our knowledge on fungus cultivation in nonsocial insects is still limited. Here, we studied the nutritional potentials of the fungal cultivar, Penicillium herquei, for the larvae of its nonsocial insect farmer, Euops chinensis, a specialist on Japanese knotweed Reynoutria japonica. Overall, fungal hyphae and leaf rolls contained significantly higher carbon (C), stable isotopes of C (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) but significantly lower C/N ratios compared to unrolled leaves, whereas insect bodies contained significantly higher N contents but lower C and C/N ratios compared to other types of samples. The MixSIAR model indicated that fungal hyphae contributed a larger proportion (0.626-0.797) to the diet of E. chinensis larvae than leaf materials. The levels of ergosterol, six essential amino acids, seven nonessential amino acids, and three B vitamins tested in fungal hyphae and/or leaf rolls were significantly higher than in unrolled leaves and/or larvae. The P. herquei genome contains the complete set of genes required for the biosynthesis of ergosterol, the essential amino acids valine and threonine, nine nonessential amino acids, and vitamins B2 and B3, whereas some genes associated with five essential and one nonessential amino acid were lost in the P. herquei genome. These suggest that P. herquei is capable of providing the E. chinensis larvae food with ergosterol, amino acids, and B vitamins. P. herquei appears to be able to synthesize or concentrate these nutrients considering that they were specifically concentrated in fungal hyphae. IMPORTANCE: The cultivation of fungi for food has occurred across divergent insect lineages such as social ants, termites, and ambrosia beetles, as well as some seldom-reported solitary insects. Although the fungal cultivars of these insects have been studied for decades, the dietary potential of fungal cultivars for their hosts (especially for those nonsocial insects) is largely unknown. Our research on the mutualistic system Euops chinensis-Penicillium herquei represents an example of the diverse nutritional potentials of the fungal cultivar P. herquei in the diet of the larvae of its solitary host, E. chinensis. These results demonstrate that P. herquei has the potential to synthesize or concentrate ergosterol, amino acids, and B vitamins and benefits the larvae of E. chinensis. Our findings would shed light on poorly understood fungal cultivation mutualisms in nonsocial insects and underscore the nutritional importance of fungal cultivars in fungal cultivation mutualisms.
Assuntos
Besouros , Penicillium , Complexo Vitamínico B , Gorgulhos , Animais , Gorgulhos/microbiologia , Larva/microbiologia , Besouros/microbiologia , Insetos/microbiologia , Aminoácidos Essenciais , Simbiose/genética , Dieta , ErgosterolRESUMO
A new species of Poropoea Foerster (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Trichogrammatidae) was obtained from eggs of attelabid beetles (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) associated with Combretum sp. (Myrtales, Combretaceae). This species is described from Ogooué-Ivindo province in north-eastern Gabon. The new species is easily distinguished from the known members of the genus Poropoea by the following combination of characters: female antennal club unsegmented, premarginal vein of the fore wing with a nodular premarginal vein and the stigma of the stigmal vein black, the wing lacks the RS1 track; front and hind legs more robust than the middle leg and with coxa and femur markedly enlarged, and ovipositor exserted to one-third of the gaster length. Morphological features of this new species are discussed and illustrated. A key to females of Poropoea species lacking the Rs1 track in the fore wing has been constructed and is presented here.
RESUMO
A new species, Omolabus (Sternolaboides) sokolovi Legalov n. sp. from Satipo, Central Peru, is described. New data for Hybolabus ater (Olivier, 1789), Omolabus (Perulabus) peruanus Legalov, 2004, O. (Pseudomolabus) westerduijni Legalov, 2008 and O. (Sternolaboides) ecuadorensis Legalov, 2007 are recorded. A verified species checklist of Peruvian Attelabidae based on literature and specimen examinations is presented. Distributions of 18 species from eight genera of two tribes found in the fauna of Attelabidae from Peru are given.
Se describe una nueva especie, Omolabus (Sternolaboides) sokolovi Legalov n. sp. de Satipo, centro de Perú. Se registran nuevos datos para Hybolabus ater (Olivier, 1789), Omolabus (Perulabus) peruanus Legalov, 2004, O. (Pseudomolabus) westerduijni Legalov, 2008 y O. (Sternolaboides) ecuadorensis Legalov, 2007. Basada en la literatura y exámenes de muestras, se elabora una lista de las 18 especies peruanas de Attelabidae, pertenecientes a ocho géneros de dos tribus, tambien se presentan sus distribuciones en Perú.