Host plant preferences in the comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album): Do parents and offspring agree?

Oviposition preference not necessarily predicts offspring performance in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on vegetable crops

Given the new spread and potential damage of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Asia, it has become imperative to understand the development biology of this invasive species on selected vegetable crops in newer geographical regions. In this study, we investigated the ovipositional preference of FAW females on different host plants, under choice- and non-choice tests. In addition, using the age-stage, two-sex life table theory, we assessed the performance of immature FAW individuals fed and reared on selected vegetable crops to get information related to development time, survival, reproduction and longevity. Fall armyworm females had an oviposition preference on maize compared to other vegetable crops, including cabbage and soybean, and reluctance for tomato, which was confirmed during the choice and non-choice tests. In contrast to the oviposition preference, our results also suggest that despite low preference for cabbage, soybean, and tomato, these crops seemed to provide a high benefit for an appropriate offspring performance, exceeding in some cases the benefits from a maize-based diet. Information from this study was discussed in terms of FAW ecology and how female’s decision affects their reproductive fitness, and the survival and performance of its offspring.

Chromosome Level Assembly of the Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

The comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album, Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera) is a model insect species, most notably in the study of phenotypic plasticity and plant-insect coevolutionary interactions. In order to facilitate the integration of genomic tools with a diverse body of ecological and evolutionary research, we assembled the genome of a Swedish comma using 10X sequencing, scaffolding with matepair data, genome polishing, and assignment to linkage groups using a high-density linkage map. The resulting genome is 373 Mb in size, with a scaffold N50 of 11.7 Mb and contig N50 of 11,2Mb. The genome contained 90.1% of single-copy Lepidopteran orthologs in a BUSCO analysis of 5,286 genes. A total of 21,004 gene-models were annotated on the genome using RNA-Seq data from larval and adult tissue in combination with proteins from the Arthropoda database, resulting in a high-quality annotation for which functional annotations were generated. We further documented the quality of the chromosomal assembly via synteny assessment with Melitaea cinxia. The resulting annotated, chromosome-level genome will provide an important resource for investigating coevolutionary dynamics and comparative analyses in Lepidoptera.

Molasses Grass Induces Direct and Indirect Defense Responses in Neighbouring Maize Plants

Plants have evolved intricate defence strategies against herbivore attack which can include activation of defence in response to stress-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by neighbouring plants. VOCs released by intact molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora), have been shown to repel stemborer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), from maize and enhance parasitism by Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron). In this study, we tested whether the molasses grass VOCs have a role in plant-plant communication by exposing different maize cultivars to molasses grass for a 3-week induction period and then observing insect responses to the exposed plants. In bioassays, C. partellus preferred non-exposed maize landrace plants for egg deposition to those exposed to molasses grass. Conversely, C. sesamiae parasitoid wasps preferred volatiles from molasses grass exposed maize landraces compared to volatiles from unexposed control plants. Interestingly, the molasses grass induced defence responses were not observed on hybrid maize varieties tested, suggesting that the effect was not simply due to absorption and re-emission of VOCs. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses revealed strong induction of bioactive compounds such as (R)-linalool, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene from maize landraces exposed to molasses grass volatiles. Our results suggest that constitutively emitted molasses grass VOCs can induce direct and indirect defence responses in neighbouring maize landraces. Plants activating defences by VOC exposure alone could realize enhanced levels of resistance and fitness compared to those that launch defence responses upon herbivore attack. Opportunities for exploiting plant-plant signalling to develop ecologically sustainable crop protection strategies against devastating insect pests such as stemborer C. partellus are discussed.

Host plant choice in the comma butterfly-larval choosiness may ameliorate effects of indiscriminate oviposition

In most phytophagous insects, the larval diet strongly affects future fitness and in species that do not feed on plant parts as adults, larval diet is the main source of nitrogen. In many of these insect-host plant systems, the immature larvae are considered to be fully dependent on the choice of the mothers, who, in turn, possess a highly developed host recognition system. This circumstance allows for a potential mother-offspring conflict, resulting in the female maximizing her fecundity at the expense of larval performance on suboptimal hosts. In two experiments, we aimed to investigate this relationship in the polyphagous comma butterfly, Polygonia c-album, by comparing the relative acceptance of low- and medium-ranked hosts between females and neonate larvae both within individuals between life stages, and between mothers and their offspring. The study shows a variation between females in oviposition acceptance of low-ranked hosts, and that the degree of acceptance in the mothers correlates with the probability of acceptance of the same host in the larvae. We also found a negative relationship between stages within individuals as there was a higher acceptance of lower ranked hosts in females who had abandoned said host as a larva. Notably, however, neonate larvae of the comma butterfly did not unconditionally accept to feed from the least favorable host species even when it was the only food source. Our results suggest the possibility that the disadvantages associated with a generalist oviposition strategy can be decreased by larval participation in host plant choice.

No evidence for change in oviposition behaviour of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) after widespread adoption of transgenic insecticidal cotton

Cotton growing landscapes in Australia have been dominated by dual-toxin transgenic Bt varieties since 2004. The cotton crop has thus effectively become a sink for the main target pest, Helicoverpa armigera. Theory predicts that there should be strong selection on female moths to avoid laying on such plants. We assessed oviposition, collected from two cotton-growing regions, by female moths when given a choice of tobacco, cotton and cabbage. Earlier work in the 1980s and 1990s on populations from the same geographic locations indicated these hosts were on average ranked as high, mid and low preference plants, respectively, and that host rankings had a heritable component. In the present study, we found no change in the relative ranking of hosts by females, with most eggs being laid on tobacco, then cotton and least on cabbage. As in earlier work, some females laid most eggs on cotton and aspects of oviposition behaviour had a heritable component. Certainly, cotton is not avoided as a host, and the implications of these finding for managing resistance to Bt cotton are discussed.

Choosing between good and better: optimal oviposition drives host plant selection when parents and offspring agree on best resources

Insect preferences for particular plant species might be subjected to trade-offs among several selective forces. Here, we evaluated, through laboratory and field experiments, the feeding and ovipositing preferences of the polyphagous leafminer Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in relation to adult and offspring performance and enemy-free space. Female leafminers preferred laying their eggs on Vicia faba (Fabaceae) over Beta vulgaris var. cicla (Chenopodiaceae), in both laboratory and field choice experiments, although no oviposition preference was observed in no-choice tests. Females fed more often on B. v. var. cicla (no-choice test) or showed no feeding preference (choice test), even when their realized fecundity was remarkably higher on V. faba. Offspring developed faster, tended to survive better, and attained bigger adult size on the preferred host plant. Also, a field experiment showed higher overall parasitism rates for leafminers developing on B. v. var. cicla, with a nonsignificant similar tendency in field surveys. According to these results, host plant selection by L. huidobrensis appears to be driven mainly by variation in host quality. Moreover, the consistent oviposition choices for the best host and the labile feeding preferences observed here, suggest that host plant selection might be driven by maximization of offspring fitness even without a conflict of interest between parents and offspring. Overall, these results highlight the complexity of decisions performed by phytophagous insects regarding their host plants, and the importance of simultaneous evaluation of the various driving forces involved, in order to unravel the adaptive significance of female choices.

Trade-offs of host use between generalist and specialist Helicoverpa sibling species: adult oviposition and larval performance

Much attention has been paid to the question of the relative importance of female behaviour versus larval feeding capacities in determining the host range of herbivorous insects. Host-use trade-offs displayed by generalist and specialist sister species of the genus Helicoverpa were evaluated to examine the relationship between maternal choice and offspring performance. The prediction of optimal oviposition theory, that females will choose to lay eggs on plants on which their offspring perform best as larvae, was tested by measuring oviposition preference and larval performance of Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta on tobacco, sunflower, and hot pepper. These two measures were more highly correlated in the specialist H. assulta. Both species exhibited the same oviposition preference ranking: tobacco > sunflower > hot pepper. H. armigera larvae preferred sunflower, followed by tobacco and hot pepper; while H. assulta larvae preferred tobacco to sunflower and hot pepper, consistent with their mothers' oviposition preference. Duration of the total period from egg to adult emergence for each species was significantly shorter on the host plant preferred by the larvae. H. assulta had shorter larval duration and higher relative growth rate than H. armigera on tobacco and hot pepper, and vice versa for sunflower, indicating species differences in host utilization. Thus, while only the specialist H. assulta displayed the predicted optimal oviposition pattern, females of both species show the least preference for the plant on which their offspring perform worst. Selection for optimal oviposition may be stronger on the specialist, which has fewer choices and lower lifetime fecundity than the generalist.

Host plant flowering increases both adult oviposition preference and larval performance of a generalist herbivore

Most adult Lepidoptera feed on nectar, whereas caterpillars consume mainly structural tissue such as leaves, stems, flowers, and/or fruits. This may result in behavioral trade-offs in which search time for high-quality oviposition sites suitable for larval food is restricted by adult foraging needs. Here we report on the preference for and performance on flowering and nonflowering host plants of the generalist herbivore Helicoverpa armigera to explore whether there are such behavioral trade-offs between moth and their caterpillars offpsring. We found that the adult moths have a strong oviposition preference for flowering tobacco and sunflower plants. Young caterpillars preferred to feed on the inflorescences. Adult-realized fecundity was almost 10 times higher when ovipositing on flowering plants. Weight at pupation, which is correlated with potential future fecundity of the caterpillars, was also higher when feeding on flowers. We found no evidence for a behavioral trade-off and conclude that a general preference for flowers by Helicoverpa armigera is highly beneficial from a nutritional perspective for both adults and larvae. The results suggest that the manipulation of flowering plants for the attraction of oviposition is relevant to pest control of this polyphagous species.

Role of larval host plants in the climate-driven range expansion of the butterfly Polygonia c-album

1. Some species have expanded their ranges during recent climate warming and the availability of breeding habitat and species' dispersal ability are two important factors determining expansions. The exploitation of a wide range of larval host plants should increase an herbivorous insect species' ability to track climate by increasing habitat availability. Therefore we investigated whether the performance of a species on different host plants changed towards its range boundary, and under warmer temperatures. 2. We studied the polyphagous butterfly Polygonia c-album, which is currently expanding its range in Britain and apparently has altered its host plant preference from Humulus lupulus to include other hosts (particularly Ulmus glabra and Urtica dioica). We investigated insect performance (development time, larval growth rate, adult size, survival) and adult flight morphology on these host plants under four rearing temperatures (18-28.5 degrees C) in populations from core and range margin sites. 3. In general, differences between core and margin populations were small compared with effects of rearing temperature and host plant. In terms of insect performance, host plants were generally ranked U. glabra > or = U. dioica > H. lupulus at all temperatures. Adult P. c-album can either enter diapause or develop directly and higher temperatures resulted in more directly developing adults, but lower survival rates (particularly on the original host H. lupulus) and smaller adult size. 4. Adult flight morphology of wild-caught individuals from range margin populations appeared to be related to increased dispersal potential relative to core populations. However, there was no difference in laboratory reared individuals, and conflicting results were obtained for different measures of flight morphology in relation to larval host plant and temperature effects, making conclusions about dispersal potential difficult. 5. Current range expansion of P. c-album is associated with the exploitation of more widespread host plants on which performance is improved. This study demonstrates how polyphagy may enhance the ability of species to track climate change. Our findings suggest that observed differences in climate-driven range shifts of generalist vs. specialist species may increase in the future and are likely to lead to greatly altered community composition.

Quantitative genetics of preference and performance on chickpeas in the noctuid moth, Helicoverpa armigera

If a novel, resistant host-plant genotype arises in the environment, insect populations utilising that host must be able to overcome that resistance in order that they can maintain their ability to feed on that host. The ability to evolve resistance to host-plant defences depends upon additive genetic variation in larval performance and adult host-choice preference. To investigate the potential of a generalist herbivore to respond to a novel resistant host, we estimated the heritability of larval performance in the noctuid moth, Helicoverpa armigera, on a resistant and a susceptible variety of the chickpea, Cicer arietinum, at two different life stages. Heritability estimates were higher for neonates than for third-instar larvae, suggesting that their ability to establish on plants could be key to the evolution of resistance in this species; however, further information regarding the nature of selection in the field would be required to confirm this prediction. There was no genetic correlation between larval performance and oviposition preference, indicating that female moths do not choose the most suitable plant for their offspring. We also found significant genotype by environment interactions for neonates (but not third-instar larvae), suggesting that the larval response to different plant genotypes is stage-specific in this species.

Dynamics of host plant use and species diversity in Polygonia butterflies (Nymphalidae)

The ability of insects to utilize different host plants has been suggested to be a dynamic and transient phase. During or after this phase, species can shift to novel host plants or respecialize on ancestral ones. Expanding the range of host plants might also be a factor leading to higher levels of net speciation rates. In this paper, we have studied the possible importance of host plant range for diversification in the genus Polygonia (Nymphalidae, Nymphalini). We have compared species richness between sistergroups in order to find out if there are any differences in number of species between clades including species that utilize only the ancestral host plants ('urticalean rosids') and their sisterclades with a broader (or in some cases potentially broader) host plant repertoire. Four comparisons could be made, and although these are not all phylogenetically or statistically independent, all showed clades including butterfly species using other or additional host plants than the urticalean rosids to be more species-rich than their sisterclade restricted to the ancestral host plants. These results are consistent with the theory that expansions in host plant range are involved in the process of diversification in butterflies and other phytophagous insects, in line with the general theory that plasticity may drive speciation.

Superparasitism of larval hosts by the walnut fly, Rhagoletis juglandis, and its implications for female and offspring performance

The oviposition-preference-offspring-performance hypothesis predicts that female insects should prefer to deposit clutches on or in hosts that maximize offspring performance. An important assumption behind this prediction is that female fitness is tightly correlated with the fitness of any one offspring. In this study, we evaluate offspring performance in the walnut fly, Rhagoletis juglandis Cresson (Diptera: Tephritidae), in relation to a previously described oviposition preference for previously exploited host fruit. In particular, we examined how superparasitism of walnut hosts influences offspring survival and weight at pupation under field conditions. We found that superparasitism was common and that increases in larval densities within fruit were associated with reduced larval survival and weight at pupation. In a laboratory experiment, female size was correlated with lifetime fecundity. In this system, oviposition preference is therefore negatively, not positively, correlated with offspring performance. We argue that patterns of female preference in this system reflect direct benefits to females that are traded off against costs in terms of offspring fitness. Because female fitness is a product not only of offspring quality but also of the total number of offspring produced, female walnut flies may be optimizing their fitness by producing many less fecund offspring. Studies examining the preference-performance hypothesis should consider the reproductive conflicts between parents and offspring as potential factors that influence the congruence between parental preference and offspring performance.

Optimization of adult performance determines host choice in a grass miner

Models and empirical studies on host selection in plant-insect, algae-amphipod, host-parasite and prey-predator systems assume that oviposition preference is determined by the quality of the oviposition site for offspring development. According to the oviposition-preference-offspring-performance hypothesis, oviposition-preference hierarchy should correspond to host suitability for offspring development because females maximize their fitness by optimizing offspring performance. We show, we believe for the first time, that adult feeding site and related adult performance may explain most of the variation in adult feeding and oviposition site selection of an oligophagous grass miner, Chromatomyia nigra (Diptera). This study advances our understanding of the complex interactions between plants and herbivores because it shows that host-preference patterns are not only shaped by the optimization of offspring performance, as previously assumed, but also by the optimization of adult performance.