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Sex ratio distorting microbes exacerbate arthropod extinction risk in variable environments

Adam M Fisher1, Robert J Knell2, Tom A R Price3

  • 1School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK.

Ecology and Evolution
|April 4, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Maternally-inherited sex ratio distorting microbes (SRDMs) that feminize offspring increase extinction risk in arthropod populations. This risk is amplified in variable environments, with transmission rate and sex ratio skew being key drivers of extinction.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Maternally-inherited sex ratio distorting microbes (SRDMs) are prevalent in arthropods, often causing female-biased sex ratios.
  • SRDMs can impact host populations through mechanisms like male-killing, feminization, or parthenogenesis, leading to ecological and evolutionary shifts.
  • Existing research disproportionately focuses on male-killing SRDMs, neglecting other mechanisms and their broader impact on arthropod diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of feminizing SRDMs on arthropod population extinction risk, particularly in changing environments.
  • To model the epidemiology of microbially-induced feminization as an understudied mechanism of sex ratio distortion.
  • To identify key epidemiological and environmental factors influencing extinction risk.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an individual-based model to simulate host population dynamics under feminizing SRDM infection.
  • Assessed extinction risk across various environmental variability and epidemiological scenarios.
  • Identified specific traits and mechanisms driving population extinction.

Main Results:

  • Feminizing SRDMs significantly increase arthropod population extinction risk.
  • Environmental variability exacerbates the extinction risk posed by feminizers.
  • Transmission rate emerged as the most critical epidemiological factor influencing extinction, with sex ratio skew identified as the primary mechanism driving extinction.

Conclusions:

  • Feminizing SRDMs pose a substantial threat to arthropod population viability.
  • SRDMs, particularly feminizers, are crucial determinants of arthropod resilience to environmental change.
  • Understanding diverse SRDM mechanisms is vital for predicting and mitigating arthropod population declines.
Keywords:
Wolbachiaarthropod extinctionenvironmental changeepidemiologyfeminiserssex ratio

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