Do parasites track the local environmental adaptation of their hosts?
Research Mentor(s)
Dietmar Schwarz
Description
Parasite-host interactions are among the most important ecological relationships. These relationships are further complicated if a parasite spends some of its life cycle outside the host and thus must survive under multiple environmental conditions inside and outside the host. Thus, parasitoids must be able to adapt as its host changes to fit its environment. This project focuses on determining the relationship between the desiccation resistance of the fly host Rhagoletis zephyria and the parasitoid wasps attacking it. Collected samples from across Washington state underwent a controlled desiccation treatment before being frozen for analysis. Frozen samples were dissected to determine parasitization rate among different locations. Parasitized samples were smaller overall in comparison to unparasitized samples. The samples also exhibited a strong positive correlation between fly and parasitoid desiccation resistance. Additionally, some parasitized samples underwent PCR analysis to determine the species of parasitoids present and attempt to connect this to patterns in desiccation resistance. So far, all samples were identified as a species of Utetes wasps, and more samples are needed to examine parasitoid species-species patterns.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE - Biology
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Do parasites track the local environmental adaptation of their hosts?
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Parasite-host interactions are among the most important ecological relationships. These relationships are further complicated if a parasite spends some of its life cycle outside the host and thus must survive under multiple environmental conditions inside and outside the host. Thus, parasitoids must be able to adapt as its host changes to fit its environment. This project focuses on determining the relationship between the desiccation resistance of the fly host Rhagoletis zephyria and the parasitoid wasps attacking it. Collected samples from across Washington state underwent a controlled desiccation treatment before being frozen for analysis. Frozen samples were dissected to determine parasitization rate among different locations. Parasitized samples were smaller overall in comparison to unparasitized samples. The samples also exhibited a strong positive correlation between fly and parasitoid desiccation resistance. Additionally, some parasitized samples underwent PCR analysis to determine the species of parasitoids present and attempt to connect this to patterns in desiccation resistance. So far, all samples were identified as a species of Utetes wasps, and more samples are needed to examine parasitoid species-species patterns.