Mycangial fungus benefits the development of a leaf-rolling weevil, Euops chinesis

Abstract

While a wide array of insects form symbiotic relationships with microbes, the underlying mechanisms of these relationships are various and complex. In this study, we investigated the role that the mycangial fungus Penicillium herquei plays in the development of the leaf-rolling weevil Euops chinesis, which feeds on the knotweed Fallopia japonica. The weevil inoculates the fungus during oviposition into a leaf-roll that it creates for its larvae. We found that removal of P. herquei inocula from leaf-rolls significantly decreased the weevil's survival rate especially in the larval stage. Although inoculation with P. herquei had no effect on the plant's lignin content, it significantly decreased the cellulose content of the knotweed leaves. P. herquei also showed antibiotic properties against two fungi (Rhizopus sp.) that attack the weevil's leaf-rolls. Our results suggest that the mycangial fungus may help alter leaf chemical components and protect against pathogens thus improve leaf-rolls for the development of E. chinesis.