Host-Plant Specialization Mediates the Influence of Plant Abundance on Host Use by Flower Head-Feeding Insects

Abstract Background Altica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a highly diverse and taxonomically challenging flea beetle genus that has been used to address questions related to host plant specialization, reproductive isolation, and ecological speciation. To further evolutionary studies in this interesting group, here we present a draft genome of a representative specialist, Altica viridicyanea, the first Alticinae genome reported thus far. Results The genome is 864.8 Mb and consists of 4490 scaffolds with a N50 size of 557 kb, which covered 98.6% complete and 0.4% partial insect Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Repetitive sequences accounted for 62.9% of the assembly, and a total of 17,730 protein-coding gene models and 2462 non-coding RNA models were predicted. To provide insight into host plant specialization of this monophagous species, we examined the key gene families involved in chemosensation, detoxification of plant secondary chemistry, and plant cell wall-degradation. Conclusions The genome assembled in this work provides an important resource for further studies on host plant adaptation and functionally affiliated genes. Moreover, this work also opens the way for comparative genomics studies among closely related Altica species, which may provide insight into the molecular evolutionary processes that occur during ecological speciation.

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Volatile organic compounds and host-plant specialization in European corn borer E and Z pheromone races

Chemoecology ◽

10.1007/s00049-012-0104-z ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 119-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ene Leppik ◽

Brigitte Frérot

Keyword(s):

Volatile Organic Compounds ◽

Host Plant ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

European Corn Borer ◽

Corn Borer ◽

Host Plant Specialization ◽

Volatile Organic

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Butterfly–host plant synchrony determines patterns of host use across years and regions

Oikos ◽

10.1111/oik.05720 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 128 (4) ◽

pp. 493-502

Author(s):

Tenna Toftegaard ◽

Diana Posledovich ◽

José A. Navarro‐Cano ◽

Christer Wiklund ◽

Karl Gotthard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Host Use

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The genetics of resistance to Morinda fruit toxin during the postembryonic stages in Drosophila sechellia

10.1101/014027 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Huang ◽

Deniz Erezyilmaz

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Octanoic Acid ◽

Major Effect ◽

Morinda Citrifolia ◽

Host Plant Specialization ◽

Drosophila Sechellia ◽

Single Host ◽

High Resolution Analysis ◽

Resolution Analysis

Many phytophagous insect species are ecologic specialists that have adapted to utilize a single host plant. Drosophila sechellia is a specialist that utilizes the ripe fruit of Morinda citrifolia, which is toxic to its sibling species, D. simulans. Here we apply multiplexed shotgun genotyping and QTL analysis to examine the genetic basis of resistance to M. citrifolia fruit toxin in interspecific hybrids. We find that at least four dominant and four recessive loci interact additively to confer resistance to the M. citrifolia fruit toxin. These QTL include a dominant locus of large effect on the third chromosome (QTL-IIIsima) that was not detected in previous analyses. The small-effect loci that we identify overlap with regions that were identified in selection experiments with D. simulans on octanoic acid and in QTL analyses of adult resistance to octanoic acid. Our high-resolution analysis sheds new light upon the complexity of M. citrifolia resistance, and suggests that partial resistance to lower levels of M. citrifolia toxin could be passed through introgression from D. sechellia to D. simulans in nature. The identification of a locus of major effect, QTL-IIIsima, is an important step towards identifying the molecular basis of host plant specialization by D. sechellia.

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Selective attention and host-plant specialization

Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships ◽

10.1007/978-94-009-1720-0_30 ◽

1996 ◽

pp. 125-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E. A. Bernays

Keyword(s):

Selective Attention ◽

Host Plant ◽

Host Plant Specialization

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Some ecological factors influencing the breeding success of the Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v45i2.24 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D.A. Edge

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Breeding Success ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Future Research ◽

Plant Abundance ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Nectar Sources ◽

Management Techniques ◽

Blue Butterfly

The Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen, 1862) (Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae), is endemic to the southern Cape and is currently listed as Endangered. This study looks at some of the key ecological factors influencing the breeding success of the species—host plant abundance and condition, nectar sources, climate/ microclimate, and vegetation management techniques. The adult butterfly population was monitored over an entire breeding season; host plants were identified and individually monitored; and egg counts were done. This enabled the effects of a number of different management techniques to be evaluated (burning, cutting, physical removal of invasive elements, and combinations thereof). A fivefold increase in the population of O. niobe was observed over the breeding season. This increase was positively correlated to a similar increase in host plant abundance in the areas where cutting and physical removal of invasive elements was practiced. Burning, by contrast, appeared to have a negative impact on host plant and butterfly abundance over the same period. Impacts of other factors such as climate, nectar sources and the natural strength of the second brood are discussed. A hypothesis, of megaherbivore activity as the principal historical disturbance mechanism promoting locally favourable conditions for O. niobe to establish and maintain colonies, is proposed. Recommendations for reserve management and future research are made.

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