Seasonal cues induce phenotypic plasticity of Drosophila suzukii to enhance winter survival.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As global climate change and exponential human population growth intensifies pressure on agricultural systems, the need to effectively manage invasive insect pests is becoming increasingly important to global food security. Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest that drastically expanded its global range in a very short time since 2008, spreading to most areas in North America and many countries in Europe and South America. Preliminary ecological modeling predicted a more restricted distribution and, for this reason, the invasion of D. suzukii to northern temperate regions is especially unexpected. Investigating D. suzukii phenology and seasonal adaptations can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms through which insects express phenotypic plasticity, which lik

SUBMITTER: Shearer PW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4802914 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature