Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Hover flies are common insects found throughout North America which provide multiple ecosystem services that can greatlybenefit crop production and improve sustainable agriculture. Adults are important pollinators for many global crops while larvaeprovide a diverse set of services from reducing environmental contamination via nutrient recycling to biological control of softbodiedpests such as aphids. Despite this, hover flies are often understudied and under-appreciated by the general public. Thispostdoctoral research project will partially address three major limitations to capitalizing on hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae)pollination and biological control services: 1) a lack of in-depth ecological knowledge of specific species, 2) a lack of familiaritywith hover flies by the general public, and 3) a lack of information on regional species diversity. These will be addressed throughtwo objectives.For Objective 1, we will seek to better understand the long-distance migratory strategies of the highly abundant, cruciallyimportant aphidophagous species Eupeodes americanus using a novel RADseq population genomics approach. Large-scaleseasonal migrations like these have major implications for farmers and other stakeholders because they determine whethercertain crops will be successfully pollinated, and aphid pests will be suppressed. Our aim is to examine the degree of geneticsimilarity and/or dissimilarity between populations across this species' range, thus allowing us to better understand migratorydynamics and implications for stakeholders. Objective 2 is to collaborate with the Georgia Botanical Garden's Connect to Protectprogram to alleviate "hover fly blindness" among the general public and underrepresented communities by distributingeducational materials including a Georgia species checklist and identification key. By improving the public's knowledge on hoverflies, people will be more inclined to appreciate and conserve these insects and the crucial benefits that they provide.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
60%
Applied
30%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The overall purpose of this research is to partially address major limitations to capitalizing on hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae)pollination and biological control services. Our objectives are to 1) use novel genomics technologies to examine continentalscalepopulation dynamics of a crucially important, partially migratory species, and 2) produce educational materials toalleviate "hover fly blindness" and inform the public of the beneficial services provided by these insects whilealso investigating regional species diversity and creating a publicly-accessible species checklist of Georgia hover flies coupledwith an identification key.
Project Methods
To examine for genetic similarity and/or dissimilarity among North American hover fly populations (i.e. Objective 1) of E.americanus, we are usinga Next Generation RADseq approach, an increasingly popular tool in population genomics. RADseqallows researchers to obtain a reduced version of an individual organism's genome which can then be explored. Restrictionenzymes cut the DNA at specific restriction-enzyme sites that occur throughout the genome. One then sequences thousands ofthese fragments, or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across multiple individuals. These SNPs are then used to comparein a population genomics framework using bioinformatics approaches.In our study we are samplingpopulations of E. americanus in five locations across eastern North America: Florida, Georgia,Illinois, New Jersey, and Quebecduring fall of 2021 and 2022. Upon collection, specimens are immediately placed in 95%ethanol to properly preserve DNA for analysis. When possible, collaborators arerecruited to send us specimens from theirrespected localities in order to save time and travel costs.We are utilizingthe original RADseq population genomics protocol to compare populations. SNP library construction isoutsourced through SNPsaurus (https://www.snpsaurus.com/), and bioinformatics areconducted via intra-lab collaborationusing the STACKS software pipeline.For the second objective, we are collaboratingwith the Georgia Botanical Gardens' Connect to Protect program(https://outreach.uga.edu/connect-to-protect/), which has over 60 gardens distributed throughout the state. The purpose ofConnect to Protect is to utilize native plant displays and educational materials to inform the public about the role of native plantsin promoting biodiversity. They have a special significance in serving underprivileged and underrepresented communitiesanywhere from urban city centers to rural towns, which we plan to utilize. We areusingthe Connect to Protect program and theirnetwork of gardens to A) perform educational presentations about hover flies and other beneficial garden insects, B) distributematerials about hover flies via their annual handbook, and C) survey Georgia hover fly fauna.In addition to these efforts, we are also creatingan easily accessible online identification guide to Georgia hover flies, coupledwith a species checklist and floral host plant database. Specimens observed or collected in Connect to Protect gardens as wellas those residing in the University of Georgia Collection of Arthropods are being examined to accomplish this goal. We alsoexamine specimens photographed as part of the Great Georgia Pollinator Census program (https://ggapc.org/).Allspecimen data including date, locality, and floral visitation records will be compiled into a publicly available, searchabledatabase. Finally, this will all be published open access with quality photographs and a morphological key to species in thejournal Zootaxa. While there are always limitations to public outreach, we will make strides to ensure this information is availableto anyone who is interested in identifying hover flies.