Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2015) 156, 301-311

Eduardo Tadeo, Jeffery L. Feder, Scott P. Egan, Hannes Schuler, Martin Aluja and Juan Rull (2015)
Divergence and evolution of reproductive barriers among three allopatric populations of Rhagoletis cingulata across eastern North America and Mexico
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 156 (3), 301-311
Abstract: Geography is often a key factor facilitating population divergence and speciation. In this regard, the geographic distributions of flies in the genus Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in temperate North America have been affected by cycles of Pleistocene glaciation and interglacial periods. Fluctuations in climatic conditions may have had their most dramatic effects on geographically isolating Rhagoletis flies in the central highland region of Mexico. During past periods of allopatry, a degree of post-zygotic reproductive isolation appears to have evolved between hawthorn-infesting populations of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) in the central Eje Volcanico Trans Mexicano (EVTM) and those from the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains (SMO) of Mexico, as well as hawthorn flies from the eastern USA. Here, we investigate the generality of this finding in the genus Rhagoletis by testing for reproductive isolation among populations of Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) collected from infested domesticated sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) in the USA and black cherry [Prunus serotina Ehrh. (both Rosaceae)] from the SMO and EVTM. We report evidence for marked post-mating reproductive isolation among certain R. cingulata populations. The high levels of reproductive isolation were observed between R. cingulata flies from populations in the USA and SMO differed from the pattern seen for R. pomonella, primarily involving the EVTM. In addition, egg hatch was significantly reduced for crosses between SMO males and EVTM females, but not greatly in the opposite direction. We discuss potential causes for the different patterns of post-mating reproductive isolation among Rhagoletis flies.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Hannes Schuler, Martín Aluja

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rhagoletis pomonella		Mexico
	Rhagoletis cingulata	Cherry (Prunus avium - Prunus cerasus)	Mexico