Population differences in host plant preference and the importance of yeast and plant substrate to volatile composition.

ABSTRACT: Divergent selection between environments can result in changes to the behavior of an organism. In many insects, volatile compounds are a primary means by which host plants are recognized and shifts in plant availability can result in changes to host preference. Both the plant substrate and microorganisms can influence this behavior, and host plant choice can have an impact on the performance of the organism. In Drosophila mojavensis, four geographically isolated populations each use different cacti as feeding and oviposition substrates and identify those cacti by the composition of the volatile odorants emitted. Behavioral tests revealed D. mojavensis populations vary in their degree of preference for their natural host plant. Females from the Mojave population show a marked

SUBMITTER: Date P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5468138 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature