scholarly journals Evidence for facultative migratory flight behavior in Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) in India

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245665
Author(s):  
Patil Jyothi ◽  
Prabhuraj Aralimarad ◽  
Vijaya Wali ◽  
Shivansh Dave ◽  
M. Bheemanna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Wing Loading ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Migratory Flight ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Single Night ◽  
Polyphagous Insect

Despite its deleterious impact on farming and agriculture, the physiology and energetics of insect migration is poorly understood due to our inability to track their individual movements in the field. Many insects, e.g. monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus (L.), are facultative migrants. Hence, it is important to establish whether specific insect populations in particular areas migrate. The polyphagous insect, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is especially interesting in this regard due to its impact on a variety of crops. Here, we used a laboratory-based flight mill assay to show that Helicoverpa armigera populations clearly demonstrate facultative migration in South India. Based on various flight parameters, we categorized male and female moths as long, medium or short distance fliers. A significant proportion of moths exhibited long-distance flight behavior covering more than 10 km in a single night, averaging about 8 flight hours constituting 61% flight time in the test period. The maximum and average flight speeds of these long fliers were greater than in the other categories. Flight activity across sexes also varied; male moths exhibited better performance than female moths. Wing morphometric parameters including forewing length, wing loading, and wing aspect ratio were key in influencing long-distance flight. Whereas forewing length positively correlated with flight distance and duration, wing loading was negatively correlated.

scholarly journals Measuring Intraspecific Variation in Flight-Related Morphology of Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus): Which Sex Has the Best Flying Gear?

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Davis ◽  
Michael T. Holden
Keyword(s):  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Muscle Size ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Wing Loading ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Lepidopteran Species ◽  
Individual Body

Optimal flight in butterflies depends on structural features of the wings and body, including wing size, flight muscle size, and wing loading. Arguably, there is no butterfly for which flight is more important than the monarch (Danaus plexippus), which undergoes long-distance migrations in North America. We examined morphological features of monarchs that would explain the apparent higher migratory success and flight ability of females over males. We examined 47 male and 45 female monarch specimens from a project where monarchs were reared under uniform conditions. We weighed individual body parts, including the thorax (flight muscle) and wings, and computed wing loading and wing thickness for all specimens. When we compared each morphological trait between sexes, we found that females did not differ from males in terms of relative thorax (wing muscle) size. Females were generally smaller than males, but females had relatively thicker wings than males for their size, which suggests greater mechanical strength. Importantly, females had significantly lower wing loading than males (7% lower). This would translate to more efficient flight, which may explain their higher migratory success. Results of this work should be useful for interpreting flight behavior and/or migration success in this and other Lepidopteran species.

scholarly journals Genome Sequence of Acinetobacter sp. Strain HA, Isolated from the Gut of the Polyphagous Insect Pest Helicoverpa armigera

2012 ◽  
Vol 194 (18) ◽  
pp. 5156-5156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaya Malhotra ◽  
Ankita Dua ◽  
Anjali Saxena ◽  
Naseer Sangwan ◽  
Udita Mukherjee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Instar Larva ◽  
Draft Genome Sequence ◽  
Coding Sequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Polyphagous Insect

ABSTRACTIn this study,Acinetobactersp. strain HA was isolated from the midgut of a fifth-instar larva ofHelicoverpa armigera. Here, we report the draft genome sequence (3,125,085 bp) of this strain that consists of 102 contigs, 2,911 predicted coding sequences, and a G+C content of 41%.

scholarly journals Gene-flow between populations of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is highly variable between years

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.D. Scott ◽  
K.S. Wilkinson ◽  
N. Lawrence ◽  
C.L. Lange ◽  
L.J. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Resistance Management ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
To Come ◽  
Average Gene

AbstractBoth large and small scale migrations of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner in Australia were investigated using AMOVA analysis and genetic assignment tests. Five microsatellite loci were screened across 3142 individuals from 16 localities in eight major cotton and grain growing regions within Australia, over a 38-month period (November 1999 to January 2003). From November 1999 to March 2001 relatively low levels of migration were characterized between growing regions. Substantially higher than average gene-flow rates and limited differentiation between cropping regions characterized the period from April 2001 to March 2002. A reduced migration rate in the year from April 2002 to March 2003 resulted in significant genetic structuring between cropping regions. This differentiation was established within two or three generations. Genetic drift alone is unlikely to drive genetic differentiation over such a small number of generations, unless it is accompanied by extreme bottlenecks and/or selection. Helicoverpa armigera in Australia demonstrated isolation by distance, so immigration into cropping regions is more likely to come from nearby regions than from afar. This effect was most pronounced in years with limited migration. However, there is evidence of long distance dispersal events in periods of high migration (April 2001–March 2002). The implications of highly variable migration patterns for resistance management are considered.

Floral Visitation Can Enhance Fitness of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Long-Distance Migrants

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (6) ◽  
pp. 2655-2662
Author(s):  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Shengyuan Zhao ◽  
Menglun Wang ◽  
Wenhua Yu ◽  
Kris A G Wyckhuys ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Nutritional Ecology ◽  
Pollen Grain ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Evening Primrose ◽  
History Effects ◽  
Adult Feeding ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera

Abstract Numerous insect species engage in seasonal, trans-latitudinal migration, in response to varying resource availability, climatic conditions and associated opportunities, to maximize fitness and reproductive success. For certain species, the interaction between migrant adults and individual host plants is well-studied under laboratory conditions, but scant knowledge exists on the nutritional ecology of wild (i.e., field-caught) moths. During 2017–2018, we trapped adults of the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) along its migration pathway in northeastern China and used pollen grain analysis to assess its visitation of particular host plants. Next, we assessed life history effects of adult feeding on carbohydrate-rich resources, for migrant individuals. Pollen grain analysis revealed H. armigera visitation of 32 species from 28 families, with the largest carrier ratio for northward migrants. Evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) accounted for 48% of pollen grains, indicating a marked H. armigera feeding preference. Furthermore, feeding on sugar-rich foods benefited adult fitness, enhanced fecundity by 65–82% and increased flight distance by 38–55% as compared to unfed individuals. Also, the degree of enhancement of reproduction and flight performance following sugar feeding varied between different migratory cohorts. Our work combines (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]-assisted) palynology and laboratory-based life history trials to generate novel perspectives on the nutritional ecology of long-distance migratory insects. These findings can aid the development of population monitoring and ‘area-wide’ management strategies for a globally-important agricultural pest.

scholarly journals Exposure to Non-Native Tropical Milkweed Promotes Reproductive Development in Migratory Monarch Butterflies

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ania A. Majewska ◽  
Sonia Altizer
Keyword(s):  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Reproductive Diapause ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Asclepias Curassavica ◽  
Migratory Syndrome ◽  
Directional Flight

Background: North American monarchs (Danaus plexippus) are well-known for their long-distance migrations; however, some monarchs within the migratory range have adopted a resident lifestyle and breed year-round at sites where tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is planted in the southern coastal United States. An important question is whether exposure to exotic milkweed alters monarch migratory physiology, particularly the ability to enter and remain in the hormonally-induced state of reproductive diapause, whereby adults delay reproductive maturity. Cued by cooler temperatures and shorter photoperiods, diapause is a component of the monarch’s migratory syndrome that includes directional flight behavior, lipid accumulation, and the exceptional longevity of the migratory generation. Methods: Here, we experimentally test how exposure to tropical milkweed during the larval and adult stages influences monarch reproductive status during fall migration. Caterpillars reared under fall-like conditions were fed tropical versus native milkweed diets, and wild adult migrants were placed in outdoor flight cages with tropical milkweed, native milkweed, or no milkweed. Results: We found that monarchs exposed to tropical milkweed as larvae were more likely to be reproductively active (exhibit mating behavior in males and develop mature eggs in females) compared to monarchs exposed to native milkweed. Among wild-caught fall migrants, females exposed to tropical milkweed showed greater egg development than females exposed to native or no milkweed, although a similar response was not observed for males. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that exposure to tropical milkweed can increase monarch reproductive activity, which could promote continued residency at year-round breeding sites and decrease monarch migratory propensity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document