Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : Intraguild predation (IGP) is a type of biological interaction involving the killing and consuming of competing species that exploit similar and often limited resources. This phenomenon is widespread among a great variety of taxonomic groups and has already been reported for mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae. Moreover, the larvae of certain mosquito species of the tribe Sabethini have evolved modified mouthparts ending in rigid apical structures signaling their capacity to be effective intraguild predators. We assumed that IGP confers a selective advantage under severe competitive conditions by both providing an immediate energetic gain and reducing potential competition. Because potential competition is likely to increase with decreasing habitat size, we hypothesized that the proportion of species with modified mouthparts would increase in smaller aquatic habitats. We tested this hypothesis by examining the mosquito species naturally associated with phytotelmata of decreasing sizes in French Guiana. We show that the degree of specialization in mosquito-phytotelm associations is high, suggesting a long coevolutive process. Indeed, short-term interaction experiments confirmed that species with modified mouthparts are able to prey upon similarly-sized intraguild prey and are, thus, effective intraguild predators. In addition, these species are larger and associated with smaller phytotelmata than those with typical mouthparts. Moreover, below a certain threshold of phytotelm size, only species with modified mouthparts were present. These results show that IGP confers a selective advantage under severe competitive conditions and results from the coadaptation of mosquito species to their specific phytotelm habitat. The presence of functionally analogous structures in different mosquito genera also implies that IGP has emerged from convergent evolution in small phytotelmata.
ISSN: 0269-7653

hal-01603304
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01603304
DOI : 10.1007/s10682-016-9862-3
PRODINRA : 405771

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : A database providing information on mosquito specimens (Arthropoda: Diptera: Culicidae) collected in French Guiana is presented. Field collections were initiated in 2013 under the auspices of the CEnter for the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia (CEBA: http://www.labexceba.fr/en/). This study is part of an ongoing process aiming to understand the distribution of mosquitoes, including vector species, across French Guiana. Occurrences are recorded after each collecting trip in a database managed by the laboratory Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB), Toulouse, France. The dataset is updated monthly and is available online. Voucher specimens and their associated DNA are stored at the laboratory Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane (Ecofog), Kourou, French Guiana. The latest version of the dataset is accessible through EDB’s Integrated Publication Toolkit at http://130.120.204.55:8080/ipt/resource.do?r=mosquitoessur french_guiana or through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility data portal at http://www.gbif.org/dataset/5a8aa2ad-261c-4f61-a98e-26dd752fe1c5 It can also be viewed through the Guyanensis platform at http://guyanensis.ups-tlse.fr
ISSN: 1313-2989

hal-01601967
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01601967
DOI : 10.3897/zookeys.532.6176
PRODINRA : 397188
PUBMED : 26692809

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé : Devil's gardens are one of the most remarkable mutualistic associations between ants and plants. Myrmelachista ants eliminate all vegetation from around their host plants, resulting in wide forest clearings which have intrigued scientists from the start. Despite their noticeability, here we report the discovery of devil's gardens in remote highland cloud forests of the Eastern Amazon, more than 2000 km away from their nearest known analogues in Western Amazonia. We describe the ecological characteristics of these gardens and consider what factors could have produced the geographic isolation of Eastern Amazonian devil's gardens. Three hypotheses are investigated: (1) the host plant distribution restricts the distribution of the mutualism, (2) the ecological tolerances of Myrmelachista explain the isolation, and (3) the devil's gardens of the Eastern Amazon constitute relicts from ancient forest refugia. The distribution of the possible associated myrmecophytes and previously described ecological ranges of devil's gardens cannot explain their ecological restriction to cloud forests in Eastern Amazonia, but our discovery is consistent with the biogeographic refuge hypothesis (i.e. highlands along the Amazon Basin constitute refugia for humid forests that spread during the Cenozoic). Our finding opens exciting perspectives for comparative studies of the origin, ecology and evolutionary history of this ant-plant mutualism.
ISSN: 0266-4674

hal-01532640
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01532640
DOI : 10.1017/S0266467416000195
PRODINRA : 384619

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Tank bromeliads form a conspicuous, yet neglected freshwater habitat in Neotropical forests. Recent studies driven by interests in medical entomology, fundamental aspects of bromeliad ecology and experimental research on food webs have, however, prompted increasing interest in bromeliad aquatic ecosystems. As yet, there is nothing in the literature about the life histories and environmental drivers of invertebrate population dynamics in tank bromeliads. Based on fortnightly samples taken over oneyear, size frequency plots and individual dry masses allowed us to establish the life cycles and growth rates of the dominant aquatic invertebrates in a common bromeliad species of French Guiana. Linear mixed-effect models and Mantel tests were used to predict changes in density, biomass, and growth rates in relation to temperature, rainfall, humidity and detrital resources. Annual variations in invertebrate densities and biomasses could be described according to three types of distribution: unimodal, bimodal or almost constant. Despite seasonal variations, precipitation, temperature, relative humidity and detritus concentration accounted significantly for changes in density and biomass, but we found no significant responses in growth rates of most invertebrate species. Species rather displayed non-seasonal life cycles with overlapping cohorts throughout the year. There was also a trend for delayed abundance peaks among congeneric species sharing similar functional traits, suggesting temporal partitioning of available resources. Beyond novel knowledge, quantitative information on life histories is important to predict food-web dynamics under the influence of external forcing and self-organisation. Our results suggest that changes in species distribution that will affect population dynamics through biotic interactions in space and/or time could have greater effects on food webs and ecosystem functioning than changes in environmental factors per se.
ISSN: 0046-5070

hal-01607779
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01607779
DOI : 10.1111/fwb.12862
PRODINRA : 407311

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Kluwer Academic Publishers
Résumé : International audience
The interlocking leaves of tank-forming bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) collect rainwater and detritus, thus creating a freshwater habitat for specialized organisms. Their abundance and the possibility of quantifying communities with accuracy give us unparalleled insight into how changes in local to regional environments influence community diversity in small water bodies. We sampled 365 bromeliads (365 invertebrate communities) along a southeastern to northwestern range in French Guiana. Geographic locality determined the species pool for bromeliad invertebrates, and local environments determined the abundance patterns through the selection of traits that are best adapted to the bromeliad habitats. Patterns in community structure mostly emerged from patterns of predator species occurrence and abundance across local-regional environments, while the set of detritivores remained constant. Water volume had a strong positive correlation with invertebrate diversity, making it a biologically relevant measure of the pools' carrying capacity. The significant effects of incoming detritus and incident light show that changes in local environments (e.g., the conversion of forest to cropping systems) strongly influence freshwater communities. Because changes in local environments do not affect detritivores and predators equally, one may expect functional shifts as sets of invertebrates with particular traits are replaced or complemented by other sets with different traits.
Hydrobiologia

hal-00845572
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00845572

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The mosquito species Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) was introduced into the Americas some 400 years ago from the African continent. Currently, this species is the primary agent behind dengue and chikungunya outbreaks in the pan-tropical area and its widespread distribution has likely played an important role in the recent expansion of the Zika virus. The biology of Ae. (Stg.) aegypti is particularly well known, which is not the case for its ecology. By adopting a cross-disciplinary approach I attempted to understand the relative contribution of biotic and abiotic factors as well as some evolutionary processes in the distribution of this species at the local and regional scales in French Guiana.Initially, I was interested in revising the core knowledge concerning the diversity of mosquitoes in French Guiana. By combining traditional and molecular taxonomy, this step allowed my colleagues and I to discover several new species and to create the appropriate tools to manage this type of entomological data.Secondly, we studied the spatio-temporal structure of resident aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in urban areas. This highlighted the existence of antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. In particular, the native mosquito Limatus durhamii Theobald 1901 appears to prevent the sustainable establishment of Ae. (Stg.) aegypti in slightly urbanized environments via a mechanism of competitive exclusion.
Le moustique Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) a été introduit dans les Amériques depuis le continent africain il y a environ 400 ans. Actuellement, cette espèce est la principale responsable des épidémies de dengue et de chikungunya dans la zone pantropicale et sa large répartition a très probablement joué un rôle important dans l’expansion récente du virus Zika. La biologie d’Ae. (Stg.) aegypti est particulièrement bien connue, ce qui n’est pas le cas de son écologie, en particulier de ses interactions avec les communautés résidentes. En adoptant une démarche pluridisciplinaire je me suis intéressé à la contribution relative des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques ainsi que de certains processus évolutifs dans la distribution de cette espèce à différentes échelles en Guyane française.Dans un premier temps j’ai participé à la révision des connaissances fondamentales sur la diversité des moustiques de Guyane. En alliant la taxonomie classique et moléculaire, cette étape a permis de découvrir plusieurs nouvelles espèces et de mettre en place des outils adaptés à la gestion de ce type de données, notamment pour une utilisation future.Dans un second temps la structuration spatio-temporelle des communautés résidentes de macro-invertébrés aquatiques a été étudiée en milieu urbain. Cela a permis de mettre en évidence l’existence d’interactions antagonistes et mutualistes avec les taxons des communautés résidentes. En particulier, le moustique autochtone Limatus durhamii Theobald 1901 semble empêcher l’établissement durable d’Ae. (Stg.) aegypti dans les milieux faiblement urbanisés via un mécanisme d’exclusion compétitive.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405425

NNT : 2016YANE0001
tel-01405425
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405425
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405425/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405425/file/These_Def_Talaga.pdf