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Exploring host‐associated differentiation in the N orth A merican native cranberry fruitworm, A crobasis vaccinii , from blueberries and cranberries
Author(s) -
Medina R.F.,
Szendrei Z.,
Harrison K.,
Isaacs R.,
Averill A.,
Malo E.A.,
RodriguezSaona C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/eea.12143
Subject(s) - biology , host (biology) , ericaceae , phenology , pest analysis , berry , botany , vaccinium , zoology , ecology
The factors explaining host‐associated differentiation ( HAD ) have not yet been fully characterized, especially in agricultural systems. It is thought that certain characteristics within a system may increase the probability for HAD to occur. These characteristics include relatively long‐standing evolutionary relationships between insects and their host plants, endophagy, and allochrony in host‐plant phenologies. We assessed the status of these characteristics as well as the presence of HAD in the cranberry fruitworm, A crobasis vaccinii Riley ( L epidoptera: P yralidae), a pest associated with blueberry and cranberry in eastern N orth A merica. We reveal the occurrence of two distinct populations of A . vaccinii that are allochronically isolated by the phenological stage of their respective host plants (cranberries or blueberries). Laboratory‐reared A . vaccinii adults collected from blueberries emerge at least 1 week earlier than adults from cranberries and the antennal sensitivity of adults to host‐plant volatiles differs between A . vaccinii collected from blueberry and cranberry. Despite finding characteristics indicative of HAD , we did not detect a genetic signature of HAD in A . vaccinii . These findings suggest that HAD may occur through behavioral and phenological mechanisms before there is sufficient genetic variation to be detected.