Sex-specific expression of circadian rhythms enables allochronic speciation.

ABSTRACT: Noctuid moths provide prime examples of species in various stages of allochronic speciation, where reproductive barriers are mediated by genetic divergence in daily or seasonal timing. Theory indicates that allochronic divergence might be one of the most plausible mechanisms of adaptive speciation, especially when timing is subject to divergent ecological selection. Here, we show that the validity of this theoretical expectation is entirely contingent on species characteristics of the mating system. Our analysis focuses on the moth Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), which occurs as two strains that differ in circadian reproductive activity. Unlike in generic models of assortative mating, where chronotypes diverge under mild assumptions, individual-based evolutionary sim

SUBMITTER: van Doorn GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11790224 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature