Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian
ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant
harvester ants

J 2022

Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants

ORTIZ MARTÍNEZ, David, Lenka DUŠÁTKOVÁ and Stanislav PEKÁR

Basic information

Original name

Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants

Authors

ORTIZ MARTÍNEZ, David (724 Spain, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Lenka DUŠÁTKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Stanislav PEKÁR (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Ecological Entomology, Hoboken, Wiley, 2022, 0307-6946

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10616 Entomology

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.200

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/22:00125953

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.13114

UT WoS

000730585000001

Keywords in English

ant predators; arachnid diet; Messor; myrmecophagy; stenophagy

Abstract

V originále

Trophic specialists often follow unique evolutionary pathways, show potential applications in biological control, and suffer from increased ecological vulnerability. The myrmecophagous spider genus Zodarion, highly diversified across the Mediterranean, is among the few predatory groups showing strict stenophagy. Most Zodarion species display narrow distributions, but a few of them occur across hundreds to thousands of kilometres, raising questions on the causes of their comparatively higher distributional success. In this study, through extensive geographic sampling and the metabarcoding of gut contents, we explored the diets of the three most widely distributed Iberian species of Zodarion: Zodarion alacre and the two lineages of Zodarion styliferum. Our data support the three species as strictly myrmecophagous, showing diets largely based on the granivorous Messor ants. Auxiliary prey includes other ants of the subfamilies Myrmicinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae. The diet breadth of both Z. styliferum lineages was slightly narrower than that of Z. alacre, coinciding with their higher physiological and behavioural efficiency for predating on Messor. We discard that the relatively large distribution range of our three focal Zodarion species is related to breaking the boundaries of myrmecophagy, and instead argue that such success could be favoured by their specialisation on Messor ants, which are also abundant and widespread across the Iberian Peninsula.

Links

EF16_027/0008360, research and development project

Name: Postdoc@MUNI

Citovat

ORTIZ MARTÍNEZ, David, Lenka DUŠÁTKOVÁ and Stanislav PEKÁR. Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants. Ecological Entomology. Hoboken: Wiley, 2022, vol. 47, No 3, p. 305-313. ISSN 0307-6946. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.13114.

@article{1858758,
   author = {Ortiz Martínez, David and Dušátková, Lenka and Pekár, Stanislav},
   article_location = {Hoboken},
   article_number = {3},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.13114},
   keywords = {ant predators; arachnid diet; Messor; myrmecophagy; stenophagy},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0307-6946},
   journal = {Ecological Entomology},
   title = {Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13114},
   volume = {47},
   year = {2022}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1858758
AU  - Ortiz Martínez, David - Dušátková, Lenka - Pekár, Stanislav
PY  - 2022
TI  - Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants
JF  - Ecological Entomology
VL  - 47
IS  - 3
SP  - 305-313
EP  - 305-313
PB  - Wiley
SN  - 03076946
KW  - ant predators
KW  - arachnid diet
KW  - Messor
KW  - myrmecophagy
KW  - stenophagy
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13114
N2  - Trophic specialists often follow unique evolutionary pathways, show potential applications in biological control, and suffer from increased ecological vulnerability. The myrmecophagous spider genus Zodarion, highly diversified across the Mediterranean, is among the few predatory groups showing strict stenophagy. Most Zodarion species display narrow distributions, but a few of them occur across hundreds to thousands of kilometres, raising questions on the causes of their comparatively higher distributional success. In this study, through extensive geographic sampling and the metabarcoding of gut contents, we explored the diets of the three most widely distributed Iberian species of Zodarion: Zodarion alacre and the two lineages of Zodarion styliferum. Our data support the three species as strictly myrmecophagous, showing diets largely based on the granivorous Messor ants. Auxiliary prey includes other ants of the subfamilies Myrmicinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae. The diet breadth of both Z. styliferum lineages was slightly narrower than that of Z. alacre, coinciding with their higher physiological and behavioural efficiency for predating on Messor. We discard that the relatively large distribution range of our three focal Zodarion species is related to breaking the boundaries of myrmecophagy, and instead argue that such success could be favoured by their specialisation on Messor ants, which are also abundant and widespread across the Iberian Peninsula.
ER  -

ORTIZ MARTÍNEZ, David, Lenka DUŠÁTKOVÁ and Stanislav PEKÁR. Gut content metabarcoding of three widespread Iberian ant-eating spiders reveals specialisation on the same abundant harvester ants. \textit{Ecological Entomology}. Hoboken: Wiley, 2022, vol.~47, No~3, p.~305-313. ISSN~0307-6946. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.13114.

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