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Variation in Attraction to Host Plant Odors in an Invasive Moth Has a Genetic Basis and is Genetically Negatively Correlated with Fecundity

Najar-Rodriguez, A. ; Schneeberger, M. ; Bellutti, N. ; Dorn, S.

In: Behavior Genetics, 2012, vol. 42, no. 4, p. 687-697

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    Title
    • Variation in Attraction to Host Plant Odors in an Invasive Moth Has a Genetic Basis and is Genetically Negatively Correlated with Fecundity
    Author
    • Najar-Rodriguez, A.. Institute of Agricultural Sciences/Applied Entomology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9/LFO, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Schneeberger, M.. Institute of Agricultural Sciences/Animal Genetics, ETH Zurich, Tannenstrasse 1, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Bellutti, N.. Institute of Agricultural Sciences/Applied Entomology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9/LFO, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Dorn, S.. Institute of Agricultural Sciences/Applied Entomology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9/LFO, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Behavior Genetics, 2012, vol. 42, no. 4, p. 687-697. Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:317399
    Summary
    Lepidopteran insects are major pests of agricultural crops, and mated female moths exploit plant volatiles to locate suitable hosts for oviposition. We investigated the heritability of odor-guided host location behavior and fecundity in the cosmopolitan oriental fruit moth Grapholita (Cydia) molesta, an oligophagous herbivore that attacks fruit trees. We used a full-sib/half-sib approach to estimate the heritability and the genetic correlation between these two traits. Results document a considerable genetic basis for olfactory attraction of females (h 2 =0.37±0.17) and their fecundity (h 2 =0.32±0.13), as well as a genetic trade-off between female attraction and fecundity (r g =−0.85±0.21). These estimations were empirically corroborated by comparing two strains maintained in the laboratory for different numbers of generations. The long-term reared strain lost its olfactory discrimination ability but achieved significantly higher fecundity compared with the short-term reared strain. Our results highlight that genetic studies are relevant for understanding the evolution of odor-guided behavior in herbivore insects and for judging the promise of pest management strategies involving behavioral manipulation with plant volatiles