Molecular Delineation of Parasitoid Community Interacting with a Range-expanding Host to Reveal Altered Interactions under Range Expansions

Authors

Hunter Akins, Binghamton University--SUNY

Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Book

Description

The effects of changing conditions due to climate change on species interactions are not fully understood. One outcome is that species undergo range expansions, but interactions may become out of sync as species move at different rates. Oak gall wasp species, Neuroterus saltatorius, has undergone a recent poleward range expansion from mainland western North America to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. To uncover if and how interactions with parasitoid wasps were altered under expansions, including if specialist parasitoids failed to track the host species to its expanded range, we sequenced parasitoid wasps reared out of N. saltatorius at sites throughout the native and expanded range. DNA extractions and PCR were performed on different morphospecies to sequence the Universal barcoding gene (CO1). Sequences were blasted to find the closest match in GenBank databases, and confirm families. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for each wasp family, and we used molecular delineation approaches to delineate clades.

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Recommended Citation

Akins, Hunter, "Molecular Delineation of Parasitoid Community Interacting with a Range-expanding Host to Reveal Altered Interactions under Range Expansions" (2024). Research Days Posters 2024. 17.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/17