Environmental Entomology (1997) 26, 67-75

Wenhua Lu, George G. Kennedy and Fred Gould (1997)
Genetic variation in larval survival and growth and response to selection by Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on tomato
Environmental Entomology 26 (1), 67-75
Abstract: Leptinotarsa decemineata (Say) originating from potato in Massachusetts (UM strain) differed from those originating from potato in New York (NY strain) in their ability to use tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller, as a host. Larvae from the UM strain had higher survival and weighed more on tomato than larvae from the NY strain. Both strains responded to selection for adaptation to tomato. Larval survival to 4-d and the weight of 4-d-old larvae significantly increased in the NY strain after adults and larvae were maintained on tomato for 3 generations. The UM strain did not respond to selection during 4 generations; but 4-d-old larvae reared on tomato were significantly larger after 12 generations of selection than in the unselected control. In both strains, weights of larvae reared on tomato increased when selection on tomato occurred only during the larval stage. Reciprocal crosses between the selected and unselected strains provided no evidence for sex linkage or cytoplasmic inheritance of the differences in larval survival and larval weight on tomato. Similarly, there was no evidence that the foodplant of the mother affected the survival of her offspring on either tomato or potato. However, there was evidence that the choice of food plant made by the mother during larval and adult stages affected the 4-d weight of her offspring on tomato; this effect was observed in the unselected NY strain, but not in a UM strain that had been selected in the larval stage on tomato for 8 generations. Increased adaptation to tomato was not associated with a decrease in adaptation to potato, as measured by weight and survival of 4-d-old larvae.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): George G. Kennedy

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Leptinotarsa decemlineata	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	U.S.A. (NE)