The Genetics of Host Plant Acceptance in Pea Aphids.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of host-associated sympatric populations in phytophagous insects (so called "host races") connects adaptive divergence to barriers to gene flow. Pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) host races specialise on legume species, and because host plant choice leads to assortative mating, the genetic basis of host plant acceptance is key to understanding speciation. Aphids use smell and taste in their host plant selection. While chemosensory genes frequently emerge as "outliers" in genome scans, their link to plant acceptance behaviour remains unclear. We examined the genetic basis of host-associated phenotypes using an F2 cross between two pea aphid host-associated races (specialised on alfalfa-Medicago sativa- and pea-Pisum sativum), assaying behaviour on both host plants and conducting

SUBMITTER: Eyres I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573732 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature