James R. M. Bickerstaff’s research while affiliated with Australian National Insect Collection, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and other places

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Publications (6)


Social family structure and biogeography contribute to genomic divergence and cryptic speciation in the only eusocial beetle species, Austroplatypus incompertus (Curculionidae: Platypodinae)
  • Preprint
  • File available

November 2024

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70 Reads

James R. M. Bickerstaff

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Eusociality in insects has arisen multiple times independently in Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants), Blattodea (termites) and Coleoptera (beetles). In Hymenoptera and Blattodea, the evolution of eusociality led to massive species proliferation. In the hyperdiverse Coleoptera, eusociality evolved only once, in the ancient Australian ambrosia beetle species Austroplatypus incompertus (Curculionidae: Platypodinae). This species occurs in mesic eucalypt forests of eastern Australia, from Victoria to northern New South Wales. Based on few individuals collected from the southern and northern edges of the species distribution it was initially described as two distinct species; however, the names were later synonymised as no morphological differences were found in analyses of more specimens. Recent mitochondrial haplotype analyses revealed substantial latitudinal divergence across the distribution of A. incompertus. To address this apparent disparity between morphological and molecular data, we sequenced and analysed a SNP panel of over 6,656 biallelic markers from 187 individuals of 11 sites across 1000 km of this species range. Our data indicate that eusocial demographic processes such as low colony establishment success rate, limited dispersal and reliance on few reproductive individuals, together with substantial habitat fragmentation contributed to the population genetic structure of this species. We further identified that the Hunter Valley biogeographic barrier split the species into two distinct clades, with both clades in secondary close contact on the Barrington Tops plateau without any discernible admixture. Our results support the resurrection of a second species of Austroplatypus which has important consequences for the evolution eusociality in Coleoptera and the systematics of Platypodinae.

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Fig. 1. The ambrosia beetles a) Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) (PSHB) and b) Euwallacea similis (Ferrari). Length approx. 2.4 mm for each species. Photos by Hermes E. Escalona.
Fig. 2. Distribution and density of annotated protein-coding genes along the pseudo-chromosome scaffolds for a) Euwallacea fornicatus and b) Euwallacea similis.
Fig. 3. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree of 2,108 single copy complete BUSCO Endopteryota odb_10 sequences for pseudo-chromosome-level assemblies for Scolytinae. All nodes were strongly supported with 100 bootstrap support. Scale bar indicated 0.03 substitutions per nucleotide position. Stacked bar charts to the right of the tips are the relative proportion of repetitive element composition as annotated in the species' genome.
Fig. 4. Ribbon plot showing the synteny and structural and chromosomal rearrangement in Scolytinae chromosomal assemblies. Syntenic blocks of single copy complete BUSCO Endopteryota odb_10 sequences link pseudo-chromosome scaffolds between assemblies. Black bars represent individual pseudochromosome scaffolds and are labeled according to the name provided in the assembly. Scaffolds are organized following the Dendroctonus ponderosae assembly order, and the lengths of the bars representing scaffolds indicate total number of BUSCOs on a pseudo-chromosome scaffold and not scaffold length. Pseudo-chromosome scaffold labels follow how they were published either on NCBI or their respective publications, and the X-chromosome label in parentheses is inferred based on syntenic linkages. Lines connect orthologous BUSCO genes across scaffolds, and the color code follows the Bilaterian-Cnidarian-Sponge Linkage Groups (BCnS LGs) as in Schultz et al. (2023).
Protein and repeat annotation statistics for the assemblies produced
Chromosome Structural Rearrangements in Invasive Haplodiploid Ambrosia Beetles Revealed by the Genomes of Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) and Euwallacea similis (Ferrari) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

October 2024

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96 Reads

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1 Citation

Genome Biology and Evolution

James R M Bickerstaff

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Tom Walsh

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Leon Court

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Bark and ambrosia beetles are among the most ecologically and economically damaging introduced plant pests worldwide. Life history traits including polyphagy, haplodiploidy, inbreeding polygyny and symbiosis with fungi contribute to their dispersal and impact. Species vary in their interactions with host trees, with many attacking stressed or recently dead trees, such as the globally distributed E. similis (Ferrari). Other species, like the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff), can attack over 680 host plants and is causing considerable economic damage in several countries. Despite their notoriety, publicly accessible genomic resources for Euwallacea Hopkins species are scarce, hampering our understanding of their invasive capabilities as well as modern control measures, surveillance and management. Using a combination of long and short read sequencing platforms we assembled and annotated high quality (BUSCO > 98% complete) pseudo-chromosome level genomes for these species. Comparative macro-synteny analysis identified an increased number of pseudo-chromosome scaffolds in the haplodiploid inbreeding species of Euwallacea compared to diploid outbred species, due to fission events. This suggests that life history traits can impact chromosome structure. Further, the genome of E. fornicatus had a higher relative proportion of repetitive elements, up to 17% more, than E. similis. Metagenomic assembly pipelines identified microbiota associated with both species including Fusarium fungal symbionts and a novel Wolbachia strain. These novel genomes of haplodiploid inbreeding species will contribute to the understanding of how life history traits are related to their evolution and to the management of these invasive pests.


The genome sequence of the hairy spider weevil, Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman, 1834)

October 2024

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16 Reads

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Barypeithes pellucidus (the hairy spider weevil; Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Curculionidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 743.70 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 11 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 20.18 kilobases in length.


The genome sequence of an Entiminae weevil, Polydrusus pterygomalis Boheman, 1840

September 2024

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4 Reads

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Entiminae weevil, Polydrusus pterygomalis (Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Curculionidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 1,051.50 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 11 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 20.95 kilobases in length.


Fig. 4 Phylogenetic trees of Wolbachia strains found in Scolytinae and other insects. Phylogenies are based on a wsp gene sequences (603 bp) and b Wolbachia MLST gene sequences (2079 bp). For all analyses support is provided at the nodes; black dots indicate both >0.95 posterior probability and >95% bootstrap support, dark grey dots indicate only >0.95 posterior probability, and light grey dots indicate only >95% bootstrap support. The Wolbachia strain infecting Cnestus solidus lineage 1 (wCsolid) is in bold. Wolbachia supergroup B sequences (wNo and the strains in the bottom clade in the MLST gene tree) were used as outgroups. Scale bars indicate 0.02 substitutions per nucleotide position.
Two sympatric lineages of Australian Cnestus solidus share Ambrosiella symbionts but not Wolbachia

November 2023

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63 Reads

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3 Citations

Heredity

Sympatric lineages of inbreeding species provide an excellent opportunity to investigate species divergence patterns and processes. Many ambrosia beetle lineages (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) reproduce by predominant inbreeding through sib mating in nests excavated in woody plant parts wherein they cultivate symbiotic ambrosia fungi as their sole source of nutrition. The Xyleborini ambrosia beetle species Cnestus solidus and Cnestus pseudosolidus are sympatrically distributed across eastern Australia and have overlapping morphological variation. Using multilocus sequencing analysis of individuals collected from 19 sites spanning their sympatric distribution, we assessed their phylogenetic relationships, taxonomic status and microbial symbionts. We found no genetic differentiation between individuals morphologically identified as C. solidus and C. pseudosolidus confirming previous suggestions that C. pseudosolidus is synonymous to C. solidus . However, within C. solidus we unexpectedly discovered the sympatric coexistence of two morphologically indistinguishable but genetically distinct lineages with small nuclear yet large mitochondrial divergence. At all sites except one, individuals of both lineages carried the same primary fungal symbiont, a new Ambrosiella species, indicating that fungal symbiont differentiation may not be involved in lineage divergence. One strain of the maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia was found at high prevalence in individuals of the more common lineage but not in the other, suggesting that it may influence host fitness. Our data suggest that the two Australian Cnestus lineages diverged allopatrically, and one lineage then acquired Wolbachia . Predominant inbreeding and Wolbachia infection may have reinforced reproductive barriers between these two lineages after their secondary contact contributing to their current sympatric distribution.


Associations of Australian platypodine ambrosia beetles with common plantation timber species, according to Boland et al. (2006). All documented associations between platypodines and trees are listed in the Supplementary Checklist.
A review of the distribution and host plant associations of the platypodine ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) of Australia, with an electronic species identification key

December 2020

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1,431 Reads

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4 Citations

Zootaxa

Ambrosia beetles (Platypodinae and some Scolytinae) are ecologically and economically important weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) that develop within the sapwood and heartwood of woody plants, and their larval and adult stages are dependent on fungal symbionts. Platypodinae mostly occur in tropical and subtropical biomes, with a few species occurring in temperate regions. Australia has 44 recorded platypodine species including 13 species which may only have been intercepted at or near ports of entries and are without established populations in Australia. The host tree associations and biogeography of Australian Platypodinae are largely undocumented, and no comprehensive identification key exists. Here, we review species records, host tree associations, biogeographic distributions, and morphological characteristics of Australian Platypodinae. For this, we examined collection specimens, monographs, catalogues, taxonomic inventories, journal articles and online databases, and developed an electronic LUCID identification key for 36 species recorded in Australia. This review and identification key will be a valuable resource for forestry managers and biosecurity officers and will support diagnostics and future research of these beetles, their biology, and ecological interactions.

Citations (2)


... Based on ITS sequences, the isolated strains were identified as Fusarium oxysporum species ( Figure 3A). However, relying only on a single gene for phylogenetic analysis is often uninformative at the species level and aligned across the members of complex or closely related species [50]. The EF1-α gene encodes an essential part of the protein translation machinery, and non-orthologous copies of the gene have not been discovered in the genus to be as helpful and informative for identifying Fusarium until the species level. ...

Reference:

Identification of Fusarium oxysporum Causing Leaf Blight on Dendrobium chrysotoxum in Yunnan Province, China
Two sympatric lineages of Australian Cnestus solidus share Ambrosiella symbionts but not Wolbachia

Heredity

... On the contrary, species, such as Crossotarsus externedentatus (Fairmaire), are important forestry pests worldwide distributed, also well known for causing significant harm to tree plantations (Bickerstaff et al., 2020). Although C. externedentatus individuals captured were relatively low at the mangrove sampling sites, it is also true that despite their unique economic and ecological role, this a species that have received little research attention particularly in mangroves areas. ...

A review of the distribution and host plant associations of the platypodine ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) of Australia, with an electronic species identification key

Zootaxa