Abstract Detail

Systematics Section/ASPT

Swensen, Susan [1], Longwich, Adam J. [1], Condon, Marty [2].

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Gurania (Cucurbitaceae) and a comparison with morphological views of this genus.

Gurania (Cucurbitaceae) are a genus of monoecious vines native to Central and South America. Gurania serve as hosts to neotropical tephritid fruit flies in the genus Blepharoneura which, as larvae, feed on flowers or fruits of these vines. Plants in this genus have a complex architecture and life history where male and female flowers borne on sexually dimorphic branches are spatially and temporally isolated providing a mosaic of morphologically distinctive food sources for flies. Single species of Gurania are known to serve as hosts to as many as thirteen different morphologically cryptic species of flies. Fly diversity is clearly related host plant complexity, but also to their specificity to particular host species. Currently, there is no clear picture of host plant phylogeny. Taxonomic analysis based on the morphology of plant hosts has been difficult due to the presence of geographically-based variation within species that has led to an abundance of named species and no clear species concept. Species are genetically similar for many commonly-sequenced regions and thus, sequence-based phylogenetic reconstructions require the analysis of multiple, rapidly evolving gene regions. We present phylogenetic analyses based on several chloroplast intergenic spacer regions and the intron of a low-copy nuclear gene, serine/threonine phosphatase (s/t phos). The chloroplast regions offer relatively little phylogenetic utility compared to the nuclear intron. We compare the sequence-based phylogeny to a recent morphologically-based analysis of the genus.

Broader Impacts:

1 - Ithaca College, Biology, 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
2 - Cornell College, Biology, 600 First Street West, Mount Vernon, IA, 52314, USA

Keywords:
Gurania
molecular phylogeny.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Grand Salon A - D/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY030
Abstract ID:165
Candidate for Awards:None