Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman)
<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman is a serious pest of various cultivated plants, with three, distinct lineages within a cryptic species complex. Despite the well-known significance of this pest, many attributes of these lineages are not yet fully understood, including their reproductive beh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/396 |
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| author | Kristóf Domonkos Király Márta Ladányi József Fail |
| author_facet | Kristóf Domonkos Király Márta Ladányi József Fail |
| author_sort | Kristóf Domonkos Király |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman is a serious pest of various cultivated plants, with three, distinct lineages within a cryptic species complex. Despite the well-known significance of this pest, many attributes of these lineages are not yet fully understood, including their reproductive behaviour. We performed no-choice-design cross-mating experiments under a controlled laboratory environment with virgin adult individuals from all three lineages. The behaviour of thrips was recorded with a camera mounted on a stereomicroscope, and the recordings were analysed in detail. We found that the so-called leek-associated lineages of this cryptic species complex are reproductively isolated from the tobacco-associated lineage; therefore, they represent different species. Divergence in the behaviour of conspecific and heterospecific pairs became evident only after contact. There were no marked differences between the lineages in their precopulatory and copulatory behaviour, except in the duration of the latter. We confirmed mating between thelytokous females and arrhenotokous males; however, we assume some form of loss of function in the sexual traits of asexual females. The post-mating behaviour of males indicated the presence and role of an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone. We also demonstrated differences between lineages regarding their activity and their propensity for exhibiting an escape response upon interaction with heterospecific thrips. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:50:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9aff606361a3407f9e954e39e33a8885 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:50:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9aff606361a3407f9e954e39e33a88852023-11-30T20:51:35ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-03-0111339610.3390/biology11030396Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman)Kristóf Domonkos Király0Márta Ladányi1József Fail2Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 44 Ménesi út, H-1118 Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Mathematics and Basic Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 29-43 Villányi út, H-1118 Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 44 Ménesi út, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman is a serious pest of various cultivated plants, with three, distinct lineages within a cryptic species complex. Despite the well-known significance of this pest, many attributes of these lineages are not yet fully understood, including their reproductive behaviour. We performed no-choice-design cross-mating experiments under a controlled laboratory environment with virgin adult individuals from all three lineages. The behaviour of thrips was recorded with a camera mounted on a stereomicroscope, and the recordings were analysed in detail. We found that the so-called leek-associated lineages of this cryptic species complex are reproductively isolated from the tobacco-associated lineage; therefore, they represent different species. Divergence in the behaviour of conspecific and heterospecific pairs became evident only after contact. There were no marked differences between the lineages in their precopulatory and copulatory behaviour, except in the duration of the latter. We confirmed mating between thelytokous females and arrhenotokous males; however, we assume some form of loss of function in the sexual traits of asexual females. The post-mating behaviour of males indicated the presence and role of an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone. We also demonstrated differences between lineages regarding their activity and their propensity for exhibiting an escape response upon interaction with heterospecific thrips.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/396mate recognitionarrhenotokythelytokylineagespheromonespeciation |
| spellingShingle | Kristóf Domonkos Király Márta Ladányi József Fail Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) Biology mate recognition arrhenotoky thelytoky lineages pheromone speciation |
| title | Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) |
| title_full | Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) |
| title_fullStr | Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) |
| title_short | Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (<i>Thrips tabaci</i> Lindeman) |
| title_sort | reproductive isolation in the cryptic species complex of a key pest analysis of mating and rejection behaviour of onion thrips i thrips tabaci i lindeman |
| topic | mate recognition arrhenotoky thelytoky lineages pheromone speciation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/3/396 |
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