Host‐plant associated genetic divergence of two Diatraea spp. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) stemborers on novel crop plants

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 6; no. 23; pp. 8632 - 8644
• Main Authors: Joyce, Andrea L., Sermeno Chicas, Miguel, Serrano Cervantes, Leopoldo, Paniagua, Miguel, Scheffer, Sonja J., Solis, M. Alma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2016; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: adaptation; Amplified fragment length polymorphism; Animal behavior; Artificial diets; biological control; biotypes; Butterflies & moths; Cereal crops; Corn; Crambidae; Crops; Cytochrome; Cytochrome oxidase I; Cytochromes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diatraea; Diatraea saccharalis; Divergence; DNA; Dry season; Flowers & plants; Genotypes; Herbivores; host plant phenology; host plant volatiles; Host plants; host‐associated differentiation; Insects; Laboratories; Larvae; Lepidoptera; Levels; Mitochondrial DNA; Original Research; Parasitism; Parasitoids; Population genetics; Populations; Rainy season; Rice; Saccharum officinarum; Seasons; Sorghum; Sugarcane; Central America; Mexico; El Salvador; United States > US; ISE, El Salvador; host plant volatiles; biotypes; parasitism; adaptation; biological control; host‐associated differentiation; host plant phenology
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2541

Diatraea lineolata and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) are moths with stemboring larvae that feed and develop on economically important grasses. This study investigated whether these moths have diverged from a native host plant, corn, onto introduced crop plants including sorghum, sugarcane, and rice. Diatraea larvae were collected from these four host plants throughout the year in El Salvador and were reared on artificial diet until moths or parasitoids emerged. Adult moths were subsequently identified to species. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) were used to examine whether or not there was genetic divergence of D. lineolata or D. saccharalis populations on the four host plants. Percent parasitism was also determined for each moth on its host plants. D. lineolata was collected from corn in the rainy season and sorghum in the dry season. D. saccharalis was most abundant on sugarcane in the rainy season and sorghum in the dry season. The AFLP analysis found two genetically divergent populations of both D. lineolata and D. saccharalis. Both moths had high levels of parasitism on their dominant host plant in the rainy season, yet had low levels of parasitism on sorghum in the dry season. The presence of two genotypes of both Diatraea spp. on sorghum suggest that host‐associated differentiation is occurring on this novel introduced crop plant. Diatraea lineolata and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) are moths with stemboring larvae that feed and develop on economically important grasses. This study investigated whether these moths have diverged from a native host plant, corn, onto introduced crop plants including sorghum, sugarcane, and rice. The presence of two genotypes of both Diatraea spp. on sorghum suggests that host‐associated differentiation is occurring on this novel introduced crop plant.