Stage- and weather-dependent dispersal in the brown garden snail Cornu aspersum

International audienceDispersal decisions are often condition-dependent, influenced by the interaction of individual phenotype and environmental conditions. Terrestrial Gastropods are simultaneous hermaphrodites, a reproductive system rarely studied in the context of dispersal. Moreover, the energetic cost of their movement is one of the highest among animals. Despite these features, which make them valuable models to understand the trade-offs between dispersal and other life-history traits, their dispersal strategies have been barely explored. We studied the movements of subadults and adults of the brown garden snail Cornu aspersum in a semi-natural 4-patch network, for 2 months in 2011 (a dry year) and 1 month in 2012 (a wet year). We assessed the effects of life-history stage (subadult/adult) and weather conditions on dispersal propensity and dispersal speed. Snails were more mobile under humid and warm weather, but nearly all individuals left patches when the relative humidity was close to 100 % in 2012. Because such humidity levels are potentially lethal to C. aspersum, we argue these extreme emigration rates might be an emergency escape response to harmful conditions. Despite a theoretically higher cost of movement, we found that subadults emigrated more, and dispersed faster and further, than adults. Thus, and contrary to what was expected, direct costs of movement do not play the main role in shaping dispersal in C. aspersum. Observed differences between subadults and adults in dispersal behaviour are discussed in the context of intraspecific competition, inbreeding avoidance and relative costs of male and female reproduction

Brachylaima spp. (Trematoda) parasitizing Cornu aspersum (Gastropoda) in France with potential risk of human consumption

The edible land snail Cornu aspersum, native to the Mediterranean coastlines of North Africa, is widely distributed on most continents and often invasive in areas where introduction is recent. This species could contribute to the geographic spread of parasites as demonstrated for Brachylaima spp. These cosmopolitan trematodes may represent a threat to human health, like in Australia where Brachylaima cribbi infects humans. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the occurrence of Brachylaima spp. in two French populations of C. aspersum, Thorigné-Fouillard (Ille-et-Vilaine), and Arçais (Deux-Sèvres), with an overall prevalence of 10.4% (Thorigné-Fouillard) and 73.3% (Arçais), respectively and a metacercarial intensity on average three times higher in Thorigné-Fouillard (37) than in Arçais (11). Cornu aspersum may act as a first and second intermediate host, as demonstrated in Arçais. The morphometrics of metacercariae, particularly the great body length about 2 mm, discriminate our Brachylaima species from those already described in C. aspersum (B. cribbi in Australia, and B. aspersae, B. llobregatensis and B. mascomai in Europe). Molecular analysis, based on 28S and COI, suggests the occurrence of two species in our study, one of which is probably Brachylaima mesostoma, an intestinal parasite of passeriform birds described in Central Europe. We underline the need for further research to identify species of Brachylaima in France and measure the health hazard of consuming field-collected snails

Life-history traits, pace of life and dispersal among and within five species of Trichogramma wasps: a comparative analysis

Major traits defining the life history of organisms are often not independent from each other, with most of their variation aligning along key axes such as the pace-of-life axis. We can define a pace-of-life axis structuring reproduction and development time as a continuum from less-fecund, longer-developing ″slow″ types to more-fecund, shorter-developing ″fast″ types. Such axes, along with their potential associations or syndromes with other traits such as dispersal, are however not universal; in particular, support for their presence may be taxon and taxonomic scale-dependent. Knowing about such life-history strategies may be especially important for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics, as these trait syndromes may constrain trait variation or be correlated with other traits. To understand how life-history traits and effective dispersal covary, we measured these traits in controlled conditions for 28 lines from five species of Trichogramma, which are small endoparasitoid wasps frequently used as a biological model in experimental evolution but also in biocontrol against Lepidoptera pests. We found partial evidence of a pace-of-life axis at the interspecific level: species with higher fecundity also had faster development time. However, faster-developing species also were more likely to delay egg-laying, a trait that is usually interpreted as ″slow″. There was no support for similar covariation patterns at the within-species line level. There was limited variation in effective dispersal between species and lines, and accordingly, we did not detect any correlation between effective dispersal probability and life-history traits. We discuss how expanding our experimental design by accounting for the density-dependence of both the pace of life and dispersal might improve our understanding of those traits and how they interact with each other. Overall, our results highlight the importance of exploring covariation at the ″right″ taxonomic scale, or multiple taxonomic scales, to understand the (co)evolution of life-history traits. They also suggest that optimizing both reproductive and development traits to maximize the efficiency of biocontrol may be difficult in programs using only one species

Dispersal syndromes in challenging environments: A cross‐species experiment

Dispersal is a central biological process tightly integrated into life-histories, morphology, physiology and behaviour. Such associations, or syndromes, are anticipated to impact the eco-evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured populations, and cascade into ecosystem processes. As for dispersal on its own, these syndromes are likely neither fixed nor random, but conditional on the experienced environment. We experimentally studied how dispersal propensity varies with individuals' phenotype and local environmental harshness using 15 species ranging from protists to vertebrates. We reveal a general phenotypic dispersal syndrome across studied species, with dispersers being larger, more active and having a marked locomotion-oriented morphology and a strengthening of the link between dispersal and some phenotypic traits with environmental harshness. Our proof-of-concept metacommunity model further reveals cascading effects of context-dependent syndromes on the local and regional organisation of functional diversity. Our study opens new avenues to advance our understanding of the functioning of spatially structured populations, communities and ecosystems. Keywords: context-dependent dispersal; dispersal strategy; distributed experiment; predation risk; resource limitatio

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

Individual and environmental drivers of dispersal in a hermaphrodite species, the land snail Cornu aspersum

Les comportements de dispersion, c'est-À-Dire les mouvements conduisant à des flux de gènes dans l'espace, jouent un rôle majeur dans de nombreux processus écologiques et évolutifs. Les Gastéropodes terrestres sont des hermaphrodites simultanés dont le mouvement est extrêmement coûteux, une combinaison de traits très intéressante pour étudier les liens entre dispersion et autres traits d'histoire de vie. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons étudié (i) les relations complexes entre dispersion, croissance, reproduction mâle et femelle chez le petit-Gris Cornu aspersum, un escargot anthropophile, (ii) comment la dispersion et le comportement exploratoire de cette espèce varient en fonction de la compétition ressentie et de l'hétérogénéité environnementale, (iii) comment la propension à disperser coévolue avec d'autres traits à l'échelle interspécifique. Cornu aspersum passe par une phase subadulte mâle de durée variable avant de devenir adulte et hermaphrodite. Le comportement de dispersion s'exprime principalement pendant cette phase subadulte, et sa diminution chez les adultes est liée à l'accroissement de l'investissement dans la fonction femelle. Cette espèce disperse de façon très densité-Dépendante : les individus quittent les sites à haute densité et s'installent dans ceux peu peuplés, une stratégie qui facilite la colonisation et la persistance en environnements instables. La propension à explorer augmente en environnements urbains fragmentés, malgré les coûts plus élevés du mouvement. Au niveau interspécifique, dispersion et généralisme sont liés, ce qui rend les espèces spécialistes doublement vulnérables, mais facilite le succès des généralistes en milieux hétérogènes. Cette combinaison de traits a probablement joué un rôle majeur dans la colonisation de nombreux milieux anthropisés par cette espèce à travers le monde.Dispersal behaviours, i.e. movements leading to gene flow in space, play a key role in many ecological and evolutionary processes. Terrestrial gastropods are simultaneous hermaphrodites and have an extremely high cost of locomotion, a seldom studied combination of traits which makes them very valuable to investigate the links between dispersal and other life-History traits. During this project, we investigated (i) the complex relationships and trade-Offs between dispersal behaviour, growth, male and female reproduction in the anthropophilous brown garden snail Cornu aspersum, (ii) how its dispersal and exploration vary as a function of competition and environmental heterogeneity, (iii) how dispersal ability coevolved with other traits at the interspecific level. This snail presents a male-Biased subadult phase of varying duration before reaching adulthood and hermaphroditism. Dispersal behavior was mostly expressed during this subadult stage, and its decrease in adults was linked to investment in the female function. Brown garden snail dispersal is highly density-Dependant: snails leave crowded sites and settle readily in low-Density patches, a strategy that facilitates colonization and persistence in spatio-Temporally variable environments. Their movement propensity increases in urban, fragmented habitats, despite the higher costs of movement. At the interspecific level, dispersal and ecological generalism are linked in a dispersal syndrome, which makes specialist species doubly vulnerable, but increases success odds of generalists in heterogeneous landscapes . This combination of traits is likely to have played a major role in the successful worldwide colonization of many anthropogenic landscapes by this species

Déterminants individuels et environnementaux de la dispersion chez une espèce hermaphrodite, l'escargot Cornu aspersum

Dispersal behaviours, i.e. movements leading to gene flow in space, play a key role in many ecological and evolutionary processes. Terrestrial gastropods are simultaneous hermaphrodites and have an extremely high cost of locomotion, a seldom studied combination of traits which makes them very valuable to investigate the links between dispersal and other life-History traits. During this project, we investigated (i) the complex relationships and trade-Offs between dispersal behaviour, growth, male and female reproduction in the anthropophilous brown garden snail Cornu aspersum, (ii) how its dispersal and exploration vary as a function of competition and environmental heterogeneity, (iii) how dispersal ability coevolved with other traits at the interspecific level. This snail presents a male-Biased subadult phase of varying duration before reaching adulthood and hermaphroditism. Dispersal behavior was mostly expressed during this subadult stage, and its decrease in adults was linked to investment in the female function. Brown garden snail dispersal is highly density-Dependant: snails leave crowded sites and settle readily in low-Density patches, a strategy that facilitates colonization and persistence in spatio-Temporally variable environments. Their movement propensity increases in urban, fragmented habitats, despite the higher costs of movement. At the interspecific level, dispersal and ecological generalism are linked in a dispersal syndrome, which makes specialist species doubly vulnerable, but increases success odds of generalists in heterogeneous landscapes . This combination of traits is likely to have played a major role in the successful worldwide colonization of many anthropogenic landscapes by this species.Les comportements de dispersion, c'est-À-Dire les mouvements conduisant à des flux de gènes dans l'espace, jouent un rôle majeur dans de nombreux processus écologiques et évolutifs. Les Gastéropodes terrestres sont des hermaphrodites simultanés dont le mouvement est extrêmement coûteux, une combinaison de traits très intéressante pour étudier les liens entre dispersion et autres traits d'histoire de vie. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons étudié (i) les relations complexes entre dispersion, croissance, reproduction mâle et femelle chez le petit-Gris Cornu aspersum, un escargot anthropophile, (ii) comment la dispersion et le comportement exploratoire de cette espèce varient en fonction de la compétition ressentie et de l'hétérogénéité environnementale, (iii) comment la propension à disperser coévolue avec d'autres traits à l'échelle interspécifique. Cornu aspersum passe par une phase subadulte mâle de durée variable avant de devenir adulte et hermaphrodite. Le comportement de dispersion s'exprime principalement pendant cette phase subadulte, et sa diminution chez les adultes est liée à l'accroissement de l'investissement dans la fonction femelle. Cette espèce disperse de façon très densité-Dépendante : les individus quittent les sites à haute densité et s'installent dans ceux peu peuplés, une stratégie qui facilite la colonisation et la persistance en environnements instables. La propension à explorer augmente en environnements urbains fragmentés, malgré les coûts plus élevés du mouvement. Au niveau interspécifique, dispersion et généralisme sont liés, ce qui rend les espèces spécialistes doublement vulnérables, mais facilite le succès des généralistes en milieux hétérogènes. Cette combinaison de traits a probablement joué un rôle majeur dans la colonisation de nombreux milieux anthropisés par cette espèce à travers le monde

Déterminants individuels et environnementaux de la dispersion chez une espèce hermaphrodite, l'escargot Cornu aspersum

Dispersal behaviours, i.e. movements leading to gene flow in space, play a key role in many ecological and evolutionary processes. Terrestrial gastropods are simultaneous hermaphrodites and have an extremely high cost of locomotion, a seldom studied combination of traits which makes them very valuable to investigate the links between dispersal and other life-History traits. During this project, we investigated (i) the complex relationships and trade-Offs between dispersal behaviour, growth, male and female reproduction in the anthropophilous brown garden snail Cornu aspersum, (ii) how its dispersal and exploration vary as a function of competition and environmental heterogeneity, (iii) how dispersal ability coevolved with other traits at the interspecific level. This snail presents a male-Biased subadult phase of varying duration before reaching adulthood and hermaphroditism. Dispersal behavior was mostly expressed during this subadult stage, and its decrease in adults was linked to investment in the female function. Brown garden snail dispersal is highly density-Dependant: snails leave crowded sites and settle readily in low-Density patches, a strategy that facilitates colonization and persistence in spatio-Temporally variable environments. Their movement propensity increases in urban, fragmented habitats, despite the higher costs of movement. At the interspecific level, dispersal and ecological generalism are linked in a dispersal syndrome, which makes specialist species doubly vulnerable, but increases success odds of generalists in heterogeneous landscapes . This combination of traits is likely to have played a major role in the successful worldwide colonization of many anthropogenic landscapes by this species.Les comportements de dispersion, c'est-À-Dire les mouvements conduisant à des flux de gènes dans l'espace, jouent un rôle majeur dans de nombreux processus écologiques et évolutifs. Les Gastéropodes terrestres sont des hermaphrodites simultanés dont le mouvement est extrêmement coûteux, une combinaison de traits très intéressante pour étudier les liens entre dispersion et autres traits d'histoire de vie. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons étudié (i) les relations complexes entre dispersion, croissance, reproduction mâle et femelle chez le petit-Gris Cornu aspersum, un escargot anthropophile, (ii) comment la dispersion et le comportement exploratoire de cette espèce varient en fonction de la compétition ressentie et de l'hétérogénéité environnementale, (iii) comment la propension à disperser coévolue avec d'autres traits à l'échelle interspécifique. Cornu aspersum passe par une phase subadulte mâle de durée variable avant de devenir adulte et hermaphrodite. Le comportement de dispersion s'exprime principalement pendant cette phase subadulte, et sa diminution chez les adultes est liée à l'accroissement de l'investissement dans la fonction femelle. Cette espèce disperse de façon très densité-Dépendante : les individus quittent les sites à haute densité et s'installent dans ceux peu peuplés, une stratégie qui facilite la colonisation et la persistance en environnements instables. La propension à explorer augmente en environnements urbains fragmentés, malgré les coûts plus élevés du mouvement. Au niveau interspécifique, dispersion et généralisme sont liés, ce qui rend les espèces spécialistes doublement vulnérables, mais facilite le succès des généralistes en milieux hétérogènes. Cette combinaison de traits a probablement joué un rôle majeur dans la colonisation de nombreux milieux anthropisés par cette espèce à travers le monde