Evolution of reproductive isolation of spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm, is a noctuid moth occurring in North and South America. In this species, two host strains have been identified in the late 1980s (Pashley et al. 1985; Pashley 1986), a so-called corn-strain and a so-called rice-strain. The two strains differ in mitochondrial DNA sequences in the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase 1(ND1) genes. There are also strain-specific amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP), restriction length fragment polymorphisms (RFLP), a so-called Frugiperda Rice (FR) repetitive nuclear DNA sequence, present in high copy number in the rice-strain and mostly lower copy number in the corn-strain and nucleotide polymorphisms within the triose phosphate isomerase gene (Tpi). Recently, sex pheromone differences have been found between populations of the two strains. However, these differences were not consistent between the studies, suggesting that geographic variation may be confounded with strain-specific variation, or that pheromones may vary within strains as well. The relative importance of the pheromone differences between the two strains still needs to be established, i.e. are males of the two strains differentially attracted to the different pheromone blends. Since other physiological, developmental, and behavioral differences have been found between the strains, in this overview we integrate strain-specific variation in sexual communication with other possible pre- and postmating barriers that are likely involved in the differentiation between the two strains.Fil: Groot, Astrid T.. University of Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Unbehend, Melanie. Instituto Max Planck Institut für Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Hänniger, Sabine. Instituto Max Planck Institut für Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Juárez, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Kost, Silvia. Instituto Max Planck Institut für Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Heckel, David G.. Instituto Max Planck Institut für Chemische Okologie; Alemani

Sexual communication of Spodoptera frugipera from west Africa: adaptation of an invasive species and implications for pest management

Open Access Journal; Published online: 19 Feb 2020The pest species Spodoptera frugiperda, which is native to North and South America, has invaded Africa in 2016. The species consists of two strains, the corn-strain and rice-strain, which differ in their sexual communication. When we investigated populations from Benin and Nigeria, consisting of corn-strain and rice-corn-hybrid descendants, we found no strain-specific sexual communication differences. Both genotypes exhibited the same pheromone composition, consisting of around 97% (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14:Ac), 2% (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7–12:Ac), and 1% (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate (Z9–12:Ac), they had similar electrophysiological responses, and all mated around three hours into scotophase. However, we found geographic variation between African and American populations. The sex pheromone of African corn-strain and hybrid descendant females was similar to American rice-strain females and showed higher percentages of the male-attracting minor component Z7–12:Ac. In addition, African males exhibited the highest antennal sensitivity towards Z7–12:Ac, while American males showed highest sensitivity towards the major pheromone component Z9–14:Ac. Increasing the production of and response to the critical minor component Z7–12:Ac may reduce communication interference with other African Spodoptera species that share the same major pheromone component. The implications of our results on pheromone-based pest management strategies are discussed

bric a brac controls sex pheromone choice by male European corn borer moths

The sex pheromone system of similar to 160,000 moth species acts as a powerful form of assortative mating whereby females attract conspecific males with a species-specific blend of volatile compounds. Understanding how female pheromone production and male preference coevolve to produce this diversity requires knowledge of the genes underlying change in both traits. In the European corn borer moth, pheromone blend variation is controlled by two alleles of an autosomal fatty-acyl reductase gene expressed in the female pheromone gland (pgFAR). Here we show that asymmetric male preference is controlled by cis-acting variation in a sex-linked transcription factor expressed in the developing male antenna, bric a brac (bab). A genome-wide association study of preference using pheromone-trapped males implicates variation in the 293kb bab intron 1, rather than the coding sequence. Linkage disequilibrium between bab intron 1 and pgFAR further validates bab as the preference locus, and demonstrates that the two genes interact to contribute to assortative mating. Thus, lack of physical linkage is not a constraint for coevolutionary divergence of female pheromone production and male behavioral response genes, in contrast to what is often predicted by evolutionary theory

Geographic Variation in Sexual Attraction of Spodoptera frugiperda Corn- and Rice-Strain Males to Pheromone Lures

The corn- and rice-strains of Spodoptera frugiperda exhibit several genetic and behavioral differences and appear to be undergoing ecological speciation in sympatry. Previous studies reported conflicting results when investigating male attraction to pheromone lures in different regions, but this could have been due to inter-strain and/or geographic differences. Therefore, we investigated whether corn- and rice-strain males differed in their response to different synthetic pheromone blends in different regions in North America, the Caribbean and South America. All trapped males were strain typed by two strain-specific mitochondrial DNA markers. In the first experiment, we found a nearly similar response of corn and rice-strain males to two different 4-component blends, resembling the corn- and rice-strain female blend we previously described from females in Florida. This response showed some geographic variation in fields in Canada, North Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, and South America (Peru, Argentina). In dose-response experiments with the critical secondary sex pheromone component (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:OAc), we found some strain-specific differences in male attraction. While the response to Z7-12:OAc varied geographically in the corn-strain, rice-strain males showed almost no variation. We also found that the minor compound (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11-16:OAc) did not increase attraction of both strains in Florida and of corn-strain males in Peru. In a fourth experiment, where we added the stereo-isomer of the critical sex pheromone component, (E)-7-dodecenyl acetate, to the major pheromone component (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:OAc), we found that this compound was attractive to males in North Carolina, but not to males in Peru. Overall, our results suggest that both strains show rather geographic than strain-specific differences in their response to pheromone lures, and that regional sexual communication differences might cause geographic differentiation between populations.Fil: Unbehend, Melanie. Instituto Max Planck Institut Fur Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Hänniger, Sabine. Instituto Max Planck Institut Fur Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Vasquez, Gissella M.. University Of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Juárez, María Laura. Gobierno de Tucumán. Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo. Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Reisig, Dominic. University Of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Mcneil, Jeremy N.. University of Western Ontario. Department of Biology; CanadáFil: Meagher, Robert L.. United States Department Of Agriculture; Estados UnidosFil: Jenkins, David A.. United States Department of Agriculture; ArgentinaFil: Heckel, David G.. Instituto Max Planck Institut Fur Chemische Okologie; AlemaniaFil: Groot, Astrid T.. University Of Amsterdam; Países Bajos. Instituto Max Planck Institut Fur Chemische Okologie; Alemani

Variation in sexual communication and its role in divergence of two host strains of the noctuid moth Spodoptera frugiperda

The main aim of my thesis was to investigate sexual communication differences between corn- and rice-strain individuals in order to assess whether strain-specific pheromonal communication acts as prezygotic mating barrier between the two S. frugiperda strains. Another aim was to distinguish strain-specific variation from geographic variation and to determine the genetic basis of female pheromone differences. Based on the strain-specific variation found in signal and response, the importance of sexual communication as a prezygotic isolation barrier is discussed and I propose how sexual communication differences may have evolved

Chemical signatures in plant : insect interactions

Chemical signals are important cues throughout the life of an insect especially for mate location and for prey and host finding. The chemical signal, whether pheromone or plant volatile organic compound (VOC), remains specific because of the mixture, of the ratio of the components in mixture and of the release quantity. The plasticity of pheromone emissions is now studied in several insect species in relation to geographic variation, host plant specialization and chemical and light environment. The actual vision is that the pheromone composition is likely to be more plastic than previously assumed. The perception of the environmental odorscape produced by living plants and animals together addressed the question on the specific detection of the pheromone signal in the atmospheric blend of molecules. In agrobiocoenosis, the cultivated plants produce a specific odorscape. The insects rely on plant VOCs to locate the crop or the host plant, after which specific mixtures act as oviposition stimulants. The insect responses to host plants and their odours vary with the physiological status of both actors: the plant and the insect. Chemical signals released by plants vary with plant physiology, diel periodicity, climatic factors and pollution, and these signals can be species or even variety specific. Many of plants signalling compounds detected by insects have important roles as warning signals, which can also function in plant–plant communication

Pheromonal divergence between two strains of Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda consists of two genetically and behaviorally different strains, the corn- and the rice-strain, which seem to be in the process of sympatric speciation. We investigated the role of strain-specific sexual communication as a prezygotic mating barrier between both strains by analyzing strain-specific variation in female pheromone composition of laboratory and field strains, and also male attraction in wind tunnel and field experiments. Laboratory-reared and field-collected females from Florida exhibited strain-specific differences in their relative amount of (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:OAc) and (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate (Z9-12:OAc). In wind tunnel assays, we did not find strain-specific attraction of males to females. However, in field experiments in Florida, we observed some differential attraction to synthetic pheromone blends. In a corn field, the corn-strain blend attracted more males of both strains than the rice-strain blend, but both blends were equally attractive in a grass field. Thus, habitat-specific volatiles seemed to influence male attraction to pheromones. In dose-response experiments, corn-strain males were more attracted to 2 % Z7-12:OAc than other doses tested, while rice-strain males were attracted to a broader range of Z7-12:OAc (2-10 %). The attraction of corn-strain males to the lowest dose of Z7-12:OAc corresponds to the production of this compound by females; corn-strain females produced significantly smaller amounts of Z7-12:OAc than rice-strain females. Although corn-strain individuals are more restricted in their production of and response to pheromones than rice-strain individuals, it seems that differences in sexual communication between corn- and rice-strain individuals are not strong enough to cause assortative mating