BIOL 1020 Natural Selection Lab Report

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Apr 3, 2024

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1 The Impact of Natural Selection on Eurosta Solidaginis Gall Size and Survival Rate Abstract: The goal of this lab was to investigate the survival of larvae within galls in relation to gall size. This experiment was carried out by collecting galls from open fields in southern Ontario during the fall of 2018.Their diameter was measured along the goldenrod stream, and then cutting them up to check if the larvae survived the attack or not. I predicted that galls in which larvae survive would be smaller than galls in which larvae did not. Larger galls, according to natural selection, are more likely to have other species implant their own larvae for a better chance of survival, killing the pre-existing larvae (survival of the fittest). Our findings revealed that the average diameter of dead discovered larvae was 17 mm, while the average diameter of those that survived was 19 mm. I came to the conclusion that the results did not support the prediction that galls with larvae survive will be smaller than galls without larvae. Introduction: Natural selection is a natural process that leads to the survival and reproduction of people or groups who are best adapted to their environment, as well as the preservation of genetic features that are best suited to that environment (Merriam- Webster "Natural Selection"). Gall fly larvae are put within the plant through oviposition, which is carried out by a female gall fly. Young galls become apparent three weeks after oviposition. Plant hormones are excreted by larval flies, which cause the plant to produce galls. The galls have a hard, corky surface, while the inside is made up of specialised nutritive tissues that provide sustenance to the growing fly. The fly larva digs out a tunnel in the late summer and early fall to leave the gall in spring. It then enters hibernation during the winters. Meanwhile, many predators put their own larvae within the gall, killing the host gall fly larvae in the process. The parasitoid wasp Eurytoma gigantea, for example, pierces the gall and lays its eggs in the chamber using a long ovipositor. Another potential predator

2 is the downy woodpecker, attacks the larvae over the winter. You'll find wasp or beetle larva(e) in the gall instead of a fly larva if wasps or beetles attacked the fly larva. If a bird ate the fly larva, you'll see a hole in the gall that the bird produced. We hypothesise that galls where larvae survive will be smaller than galls where larvae did not survive, based on our method of collecting, evaluating the galls, and the fate of the gall fly. Methods: To improve the accuracy of our data, each student was instructed to collect at least one goldenrod with a gall. Callipers were used to measure the diameter of each gall at its widest point to the nearest 0.1 mm. We took note of this information and then proceeded to open the gall by cutting the gall horizontally with the knife. We separately examined the gall containments to see if the larvae had survived or not and that if it had been a different variety of larvae. We double-checked to see if it was a larger fat cream-colored larva, and if it wasn't, we determined what species it was and documented it as well. Our findings were plotted in two graphs, one depicting larval fate in relation to diameter (Figure 1) and the other depicting larvae status in relation to diameter (Figure 2). Results: We made two graphs and two tables out of the information we gathered. Figure 1 depicted larval destiny in relation to gall diameter, resulting in the conclusion that the mean diameter of dead found larvae was 17 mm, whereas the mean diameter of alive found larvae was 19 mm. Two dots represent the means of dead and alive larvae, while "whiskers" represent the size of the standard deviation, which is a measure of how spread apart the numbers are in respect to the mean. The size of galls containing larvae that

3 survived compared to those that did not (t = 2.0, P = 0.038) was significantly different. The gall diameters for each gall collected are shown in Figure 2 and are categorised by the source of death. Mordellistena convicta was the most common source of mortality. The least prevalent source of mortality was the parasitoid wasp which came as a shock given according to the site Solidago done by Warren Abrahamson, they are the most common predator towards the gall fly larvae. Finally, our data revealed that the average diameter of dead discovered larvae was 17 mm, whereas the average diameter of those that survived was 19 mm. The notion that galls where larvae survive will be smaller than galls where larvae do not survive was not supported by these findings. Figure 3 depicts the comparison between the parameters of the gall specie larvae alive vs gall specie larvae dead. Figure 4 compares the gall diameters and the larval fate after attack by each predator.

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4 Gall Fly Larval Fate Mean Gall Diameter (mm) Dead Alive t = 2.0 P = 0.038 Natural

5 Gall Diameter (mm) Gall Fly Larval Fate Natural Selections

6 Alive Dead Mean 19.59 Mean 17.23090909 Standard Error 0.62540958 Standard Error 0.60893721 Median 19.63 Median 16.85 Mode #N/A Mode #N/A Standard Deviation 2.422200888 Standard Deviation 4.039232496 Sample Variance 5.867057143 Sample Variance 16.31539915 Kurtosis - 0.194306697 Kurtosis 3.771862815 Skewness - 0.451168034 Skewness 1.457931026 Range 8.4 Range 19.64 Minimum 14.78 Minimum 11.36 Maximum 23.18 Maximum 31 Sum 293.85 Sum 758.16 Count 15 Count 44 Confidence Level(95.0%) 1.341370138 Confidence Level(95.0%) 1.228038906 Statistic output Alive vs Dead (Figure 3)

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7 Survived Eurytoma.obtusiventris Eurytoma.gigantea Mordellistena.convicta Mean 19.59 20.125 17.30857143 16.55615385 Standard Error 0.62540958 1.315 0.89439905 0.836805999 Median 19.63 20.125 17.25 16.82 Standard Deviation 2.422200888 1.859690835 2.366357458 3.017146937 Sample Variance 5.867057143 3.45845 5.599647619 9.103175641 Range 8.4 2.63 7.07 10.15 Minimum 14.78 18.81 14.1 11.86 Maximum 23.18 21.44 21.17 22.01 Sum 293.85 40.25 121.16 215.23 Count 15 2 7 13 Confidence Level(95.0%) 1.341370138 16.70865923 2.18851563 1.823243645 Unknown.insect Early.larval.death Chickadee Woodpecker Mean 17.31777778 14.514 26.84 Standard Error 0.908548564 0.677910515 3.671366685 Median 17.99 14.98 30 Standard Deviation 2.725645693 2.143741278 6.358993631 Sample Variance 7.429144444 4.595626667 40.4368 Range 8.29 5.53 11.48 Minimum 12.55 11.36 19.52 Maximum 20.84 16.89 31 Sum 155.86 145.14 80.52 Count 9 10 3 Confidence Level(95.0%) 2.095116745 1.533540125 15.79661589 Discussion: Our hypothesis was that smaller galls would survive longer than larger galls. We discovered that galls that were larger survived longer after the experiment. Our theory was Statistic output Fate type (Figure 4)

8 refuted by our findings, which we discovered after reviewing the data. Galls containing larvae that survive will be smaller than galls containing larvae that do not survive. Our findings could have been different if predators like the downy woodpecker were more prevalent in the study area, as they favour larger galls. Performing this lab in the winter may yield different findings since fewer predators, such as wasps, are available, increasing the survival rate of smaller sized galls while decreasing the survival rate of larger diameter galls due to their targeted predator, the downy woodpecker. We didn't take into account any environmental or genetic factors that could have influenced the gall survival rate. Natural selection may have influenced survival rates since some galls had weaker genes than others. Some environmental factors that could have affected the gall survival rate are the plants the gall was on or the temperature. We can test these hypothesis by checking what type of insects or birds feed on what type of plants depending on the temperature and weather. Conclusion: Natural selection is important in the wild. It can result in speciation, which occurs when one species gives rise to a new, separate species. It is one of the processes that drives evolution and contributes to our understanding of the diversity of life on our planet. It is not pervasive in nature. It only acts over certain traits. Finally, due to predation and other relevant factors such as climate and the goldenrod itself, the idea that galls where larvae survive will be smaller than galls where larvae do not survive has been proven untrue.

9 References: Mapes, C.C. and Davies, P.J. 2001. Indole-3-acetic acid and ball gall development on Solidago altissima . New Phytologist . 151: 195-202. “Natural Selection.” Merriam-Webster  , Merriam-Webster, Retrieved November 14, 2019, from https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/ natural selection. “Natural Selection.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural selection. “Solidago Gall.” Solidago Eurosta Gall, WARREN ABRAHAMSON, 2019 from http://solidago.scholar.bucknell.edu/eurosta/.

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