Abstract
ABSTRACTEpichloë fungi are endophytes within grasses that can form stromata on culms of their hosts. Botanophila flies visit the stromata for egg laying and in the process can vector spermatial spores, thereby cross fertilising the fungus. Following egg hatch, larval flies consume fungal tissue and spores. Thus, Epichloë individuals with traits that limit larval consumption could be at a selective advantage. We assessed Botanophila fly larvae from sites within the United States and Europe for infection by the bacterial sexual parasite Wolbachia through amplification of the Wolbachia surface protein gene (wsp). Nearly 70% of fly larvae in our samples were infected by Wolbachia. This is the first record of infection by Wolbachia within Botanophila and could have far reaching effects on not only the fly host, but also the Epichloë fungi upon which Botanophila feeds as well as the grass host within which the fungi live. For example, infection by Wolbachia could limit consumption of Epichloë spores by Botanophila larvae if the bacteria promoted premature larval death.
Highlights
The relationship between Botanophila flies and Epichloë fungi has long been a subject of interest to researchers due to the fly’s peculiar pollinator-like behaviour
We found Botanophila larvae on Epichloë typhina infecting Puccinella distans, Brachypodium pinnatum, Holcus mollis, Holcus lanatus, and Dactylis glomerata; Epichloë elymi infecting Elymus canadensis and Elymus virginicus; and Epichloë bromicola infecting Bromus benekeni and Elymus repens
We show that Wolbachia bacteria are present in the Botanophila genus, a relationship not previously recorded
Summary
The relationship between Botanophila flies and Epichloë fungi has long been a subject of interest to researchers due to the fly’s peculiar pollinator-like behaviour. This quasi-pollination interaction closely resembles that observed between some insects and their angiosperm hosts, such as the fig-fig wasp and yucca-yucca moth interaction, but is uncommon among fungi (Bultman 1995). Flies find stromata by tracking volatiles the fungi produce (Steinebrunner et al 2008a.) Once they locate a stroma, they alight and feed on perithecial tissues containing spermatial spores, and oviposit and defecate along the whole length of the stroma. Botanophila flies appear to be the main vectors of spores other vectors, like slugs, have been implicated (Rao et al 2012; Hoffman and Rao 2014)
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