title: Host-plant associated genetic divergence of twoDiatraeaspp. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) stemborers on novel crop plants.
abstract: Diatraea lineolataandDiatraea 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.Diatraealarvae 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 ofD. lineolataorD. saccharalispopulations on the four host plants. Percent parasitism was also determined for each moth on its host plants.D. lineolatawas collected from corn in the rainy season and sorghum in the dry season.D. saccharaliswas most abundant on sugarcane in the rainy season and sorghum in the dry season. The AFLP analysis found two genetically divergent populations of bothD. lineolataandD. 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 bothDiatraeaspp. on sorghum suggest that host-associated differentiation is occurring on this novel introduced crop plant.
authors.affiliation: University of California Merced Merced CA USA.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.affiliation: Agronomy University of El Salvador San Salvador El Salvador.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sermeno Chicas
authors.affiliation: Agronomy University of El Salvador San Salvador El Salvador.
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serrano Cervantes
authors.affiliation: Agronomy University of El Salvador San Salvador El Salvador.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.affiliation: Systematic Entomology Lab USDA-ARS Beltsville MD USA.
authors.forename: Sonja J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.affiliation: Systematic Entomology National Museum of Natural History USDA Washington DC USA.
authors.forename: M Alma
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Solis
keywords: adaptation; biological control; biotypes; host plant phenology; host plant volatiles; host‐associated differentiation; parasitism