Does parasitoid pressure elicit defensive polyphenism in the green peach aphid?

Aphids are capable of adapting to parasitoid pressure in the absence of sexual reproduction using epigenetically controlled polyphenism. Asexual lineages of aphids could thus become resistant to parasitoids over time and with repeated exposure, hampering biocontrol efforts that rely on parasitoid wasps. Prior to this study, wing polyphenism and reproductive polyphenism had been reported as parasitoid-adaptive responses in asexual lineages of at least two species of aphids, but it remained unclear whether parasitoid exposure could induce other defensive polyphenisms. Using a rigorous, replicated experimental evolution design, we aimed to induce adaptive polyphenisms in the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer, through serial exposures of single asexual lines to the parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck over four consecutive generations. We attempted to measure changes in parasitoid susceptibility, reproductive schedule, body size, and production of pink or alate offspring compared to ...蚜虫可通过表观遗传调控的多型现象（epigenetically controlled polyphenism）在无有性生殖的条件下适应寄生蜂的胁迫压力。随着时间推移且经反复暴露后，蚜虫的无性谱系可逐渐获得对寄生蜂的抗性，这将阻碍依赖寄生蜂类昆虫的生物防治（biocontrol）工作。在本研究之前，已有至少两种蚜虫的无性谱系被报道存在翅型多型现象（wing polyphenism）与生殖型多型现象（reproductive polyphenism）这两类寄生适应性响应，但目前仍不清楚寄生蜂暴露是否可诱导其他防御性多型现象。本研究采用严谨且可重复的实验进化设计，以桃蚜（Myzus persicae Sulzer）为研究材料，通过将单一无性谱系连续四代暴露于烟蚜茧蜂（Aphidius colemani Viereck），试图诱导其产生适应性多型现象。我们拟测定与……相比，桃蚜在寄生蜂易感性、生殖节律、体型大小以及粉色型或有翅后代产量等方面的变化……