Reproductive Isolation in the Cryptic Species Complex of a Key Pest: Analysis of Mating and Rejection Behaviour of Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman).

ABSTRACT: Thrips tabaci Lindeman is a serious pest of various cultivated plants, with three, distinct lineages within a cryptic species complex. Despite the well-known significance of this pest, many attributes of these lineages are not yet fully understood, including their reproductive behaviour. We performed no-choice-design cross-mating experiments under a controlled laboratory environment with virgin adult individuals from all three lineages. The behaviour of thrips was recorded with a camera mounted on a stereomicroscope, and the recordings were analysed in detail. We found that the so-called leek-associated lineages of this cryptic species complex are reproductively isolated from the tobacco-associated lineage; therefore, they represent different species. Divergence in the behaviour of conspec

SUBMITTER: Kiraly KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8945011 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature