Assortative Mating between European Corn Borer Pheromone Races: Beyond Assortative Meeting

BACKGROUND: Sex pheromone communication systems may be a major force driving moth speciation by causing behavioral reproductive isolation via assortative meeting of conspecific individuals. The 'E' and 'Z' pheromone races of the European corn borer (ECB) are a textbook example in this respect. 'Z' females produce and 'Z' males preferentially respond to a 'Z' pheromone blend, while the 'E' race communicates via an 'E' blend. Both races do not freely hybridize in nature and their populations are genetically differentiated. A straightforward explanation would be that their reproductive isolation is a mere consequence of "assortative meeting" resulting from their different pheromones specifically attracting males towards same-race females at long range. However, previous laboratory experiments and those performed here show that even when moths are paired in a small box - i.e., when the meeting between sexual partners is forced - inter-race couples still have a lower mating success than intra-race ones. Hence, either the difference in attractivity of E vs. Z pheromones for males of either race still holds at short distance or the reproductive isolation between E and Z moths may not only be favoured by assortative meeting, but must also result from an additional mechanism ensuring significant assortative mating at close range. Here, we test whether this close-range mechanism is linked to the E/Z female sex pheromone communication system. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using crosses and backcrosses of E and Z strains, we found no difference in mating success between full-sisters emitting different sex pheromones. Conversely, the mating success of females with identical pheromone types but different coefficients of relatedness to the two parental strains was significantly different, and was higher when their genetic background was closer to that of their male partner's pheromone race. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that the close-range mechanism ensuring assortative mating between the E and Z ECB pheromone races is unrelated to the difference in female sex pheromone. Although the nature of this mechanism remains elusive, our results show that it is expressed in females, acts at close range, segregates independently of the autosome carrying Pher and of both sex chromosomes, and is widely distributed since it occurs both in France and in the US

Gene flow in the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis: implications for the sustainability of transgenic insecticidal maize.

Strategies proposed for delaying resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins expressed by transgenic maize require intense gene flow between individuals that grew on transgenic and on normal (referred to as refuges) plants. To investigate gene flow in the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), the genetic variability at 29 sampled sites from France was studied by comparing allozyme frequencies at six polymorphic loci. Almost no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations occurred, and a high stability of allelic distribution was found among samples collected in the same site over two or three different generations, indicating a high stability of the genetic structure over time. The overall genetic differentiation was low at the region and whole country level, suggesting a high and homogeneous gene flow. These results are discussed in relation to the sustainability of transgenic insecticidal maize

Carbon stable isotopes: a tool for studying the mating, oviposition, and spatial distribution of races of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis , among host plants in the field

International audienceThe European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a polyphagous corn pest species that includes two host races: one feeding on corn (Zea mays L.) and one feeding on mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) and hop (Humulus lupulus L.). Being able to determine the type of host plant on which field-caught moths fed as larvae would allow for the quantification of mating rates within and between races, as well as the quantification of the spatial distribution and oviposition of both races in the field. We found that stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) are areliable indicator of host-plant photosynthetic type (C3 or C4) regardless of adult food and intensity of metabolism; so even when food or metabolism had a significant effect on wing δ13C values, the magnitude of this effect was too small to obscure the signal characterizing host-plant type. Egg and spermatophore δ13C values similarly reflect female and male host-plant type, respectively, regardless of adult feeding. We found 224 host-plant species of O. nubilalis in the literature, including 19 species with C4-type photosynthesis. However, in temperate areas, corn is probably the only significant C4 source of adult moths. Accordingly, wing δ13C values were more variable in field-caught moths showing a typical C3-type δ13C value than in those showing a typical C4-type δ13C value.La pyrale du maïs, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera : Cram1b1i8d5ae), est une espèce polyphage ravageuse du maïs, divisée en une race se nourrissant sur le maïs (Zea mays L.) et une race se nourrissant sur l’armoise (Artemisia vulgaris L.) et le houblon (Humulus lupulus L.). La détermination du type de plante hôte sur lequel des adultes capturés in natura se sont développés à l’état larvaire permettrait de quantifier, en conditions naturelles, les taux de croisements intra- et inter-races, ainsi que la distribution spatiale et l’oviposition des individus issus des deux races. Nous montrons ici que les isotopes stables du carbone sont des indicateurs fiables du type photosynthétique (C3 ou C4) des plantes hôtes, et ce quels que soit le type de nourriture consommé par les adultes et l’intensité de leurmétabolisme. En effet, bien que la nourriture ou le métabolisme des adultes aient un effet significatif sur la teneur en δ13C des ailes, l’intensité de ces effets est trop faible pour brouiller le signal provenant de la plante hôte. De même, les valeurs de δ13C des pontes et des spermatophores reflètent parfaitement la plante hôte d’origine respectivement des femelles et des mâles, et ce indépendamment du régime alimentaire des papillons. Dans la littérature, nous avons répertorié 224 espèces de plantes hôtes d’O. nubilalis, dont 19 ont un type photosynthétique C4. Toutefois, le maïs est probablement la seule source significative d’adultes issus de plantes en C4 en zone tempérée. De manière concordante, les valeurs de δ13C des ailes de papillons capturés in natura sont plus variables chez les individus présentant des valeurs de δ13C typiques de C3 que chez les individus présentant des valeurs de δ13C typiques de C4

Influência da aplicação de nitrogênio e fungicida no estádio de emborrachamento sobre o desempenho agronômico do arroz irrigado Effect of nitrogen and fungicide application at booting stage on irrigated rice crop performace

Limitações ao crescimento e desenvolvimento da planta de arroz provocados por deficiência nutricional, especialmente de nitrogênio e por doenças, afetam a capacidade fotossintética e a produtividade de grãos. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de nitrogênio e de fungicida no estádio de emborrachamento do arroz irrigado por inundação sobre a duração da área foliar fotossintetizante e a produtividade de grãos. O experimento foi desenvolvido no ano agrícola de 2005/2006, em área experimental de várzea do Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos, arranjados em esquema fatorial, constituíram-se de doses de nitrogênio (50, 100 e 150 kg ha-1), perfazendo o fator A, e práticas de manejo realizadas durante o estádio de emborrachamento (aplicação suplementar de 30 kg ha-1 de nitrogênio, pulverização com fungicida, combinação das duas práticas anteriores e um tratamento testemunha), que compuseram o fator D. As doses de nitrogênio utilizadas promoveram diferenças nas características avaliadas até o emborrachamento (número de colmos m-2, índice de área foliar e leitura SPAD); no entanto, não foi verificada interação entre os fatores estudados para as avaliações procedidas durante o período de enchimento de grãos. As práticas de manejo realizadas no emborrachamento não alteraram a área e a senescência foliar, a produtividade e os seus componentes. A baixa severidade de doenças foliares e o eficiente aproveitamento do nitrogênio, relacionados às condições ambientais favoráveis durante o ciclo da cultura, podem explicar, em parte, a falta de resposta às práticas de manejo utilizadas.<br>Factors limiting rice plant growing and development caused by nutritional deficiency, especially by lack of nitrogen and diseases, affect the photosynthetic capacity and rice yield. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of the nitrogen and fungicide application on booting stage in order to verify photosynthetic area and rice yield. This work was conducted in 2005/2006 in lowland area in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. The treatments were nitrogen rates (50, 100, and 150 kg ha-1), composing the factor A, and management practices during the booting stage (supplementary application of 30 kg ha-1 nitrogen, fungicide application, and the combination of the previous treatments, besides check treatment), composing the factor D. The treatments were arranged in a randomized experimental block design, in a factorial scheme with four replications. The nitrogen rates promoted differentiated effects in the evaluated characteristics until booting stage (number of stem m-2, leaf area index and SPAD reading). However, there was not verified interaction among the treatments during rice grains filling. The management practices carried out on booting stage did not affect foliar area and senescence, yield and components of rice yield. The low occurrence of diseases, the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and the suitable climatic conditions for rice yield can explain the lack response to the management practices