Insights into the evolution of herbivory from a leaf-mining, drosophilid fly

Aguilar, J. M.; Gloss, A. D.; Suzuki, H. C.; Verster, K. I.; Singhal, M.; Hoff, J.; Grebenok, R.; Nabity, P. D.; Behmer, S. T.; Whiteman, N. K.

doi:10.1101/2022.12.07.519390

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.12.07.519390

Insights into the evolution of herbivory from a leaf-mining, drosophilid fly

Aguilar, J. M.·Gloss, A. D.·Suzuki, H. C.·Verster, K. I.·Singhal, M.·Hoff, J.·Grebenok, R.·Nabity, P. D.·Behmer, S. T.·Whiteman, N. K.

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Abstract

Herbivorous insects and their host plants comprise most known species on Earth. Illuminating how herbivory repeatedly evolved in insects from non-herbivorous lineages is critical to understanding how this biodiversity is created and maintained. We characterized the trophic niche of Scaptomyza flava, a representative of a lineage nested within the Drosophila that transitioned to herbivory [~]15 million years ago. We used natural history studies to determine if S. flava is a true herbivore or a cryptic microbe-feeder. Specifically, we quantified oviposition substrate choice and larval viability across food-types, trophic-related morphological traits, and nitrogen isotope and sterol profiles across putatively herbivorous and non-herbivorous drosophilids. We confirmed that S. flava is an obligate herbivore of living plants. Paired with its genetic model host, Arabidopsis thaliana, S. flava is a novel and powerful system for exploring mechanisms underlying the evolution of herbivory, a complex trait that enabled the exceptional diversification of insects.

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Aguilar, J. M., Gloss, A. D., Suzuki, H. C., Verster, K. I., Singhal, M., Hoff, J., Grebenok, R., Nabity, P. D., Behmer, S. T., Whiteman, N. K.. 2022-12-11. Insights into the evolution of herbivory from a leaf-mining, drosophilid fly. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.07.519390

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