AI Article Synopsis
- The study highlights how native species can quickly adapt to exploit invasive species that have no local predators, boosting their own ecological roles.
- An Australian true bug has evolved longer mouthparts over the last 30-40 years, allowing it to feed on the invasive balloon vine imported from tropical America.
- This genetic adaptation has led to a significant increase in seed predation rates, suggesting that native species can shift their behaviors to help manage invasive threats.
Article Abstract
The increased demographic performance of biological invaders may often depend on their escape from specifically adapted enemies. Here we report that native taxa in colonized regions may swiftly evolve to exploit such emancipated exotic species because of selection caused by invaders. A native Australian true bug has expanded it host range to include a vine imported from tropical America that has become a serious environmental weed. Based on field comparisons and historical museum specimens, we show that over the past 30-40 years, seed feeding soapberry bugs have evolved 5-10% longer mouthparts, better suited to attack the forest-invading balloon vines, which have large fruits. Laboratory experiments show that these differences are genetically based, and result in a near-doubling of the rate at which seeds are attacked. Thus a native biota that initially permits invasion may rapidly respond in ways that ultimately facilitate control.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00800.x | DOI Listing |
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