A phylogenomic analysis of lichen-feeding tiger moths uncovers evolutionary origins of host chemical sequestration.

ABSTRACT: Host species utilize a variety of defenses to deter feeding, including secondary chemicals. Some phytophagous insects have evolved tolerance to these chemical defenses, and can sequester secondary defense compounds for use against their own predators and parasitoids. While numerous studies have examined plant-insect interactions, little is known about lichen-insect interactions. Our study focused on reconstructing the evolution of lichen phenolic sequestration in the tiger moth tribe Lithosiini (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), the most diverse lineage of lichen-feeding moths, with 3000 described species. We built an RNA-Seq dataset and examined the adult metabolome for the presence of lichen-derived phenolics. Using the transcriptomic dataset, we recover a well-resolved phylogeny of the

SUBMITTER: Scott Chialvo CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5809314 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature