Abstract

The codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.) is the most important apple pest in Croatia and Europe. Owing to its economic importance, it is a highly controlled species and the intense selection pressure the species is under has likely caused it to change its phenotype in response. Intensive application of chemical-based insecticide treatments for the control of CM has led to resistance development. In this study, the forewing morphologies of 294 CM (11 populations) were investigated using geometric morphometric procedures based on the venation patterns of 18 landmarks. Finite element method (FEM) was also used to further investigate the dispersal capabilities of moths by modelling wing deformation versus wind speed. Three treatments were investigated and comprised populations from integrated and ecological (susceptible) orchards and laboratory-reared non-resistant populations. Forewing shape differences were found among the three treatment populations investigated. Across all three population treatments, the movement of landmarks 1, 7, 8, 9, and 12 drove the wing shape differences found. A reliable pattern of differences in forewing shape as related to control practice type was observed. FEM revealed that as wind speed (m/s−1) increased, so too did wing deformation (mm) for CM from each of the three treatments modelled. CM from the ecological orchards displayed the least deformation followed by integrated then laboratory-reared CM, which had the highest wing deformation at the highest wind speeds. This study presents an affordable and accessible technique that reliably demonstrates wing shape differences, and thus its use as a population biomarker to detect resistance should be further investigated.

Highlights

  • The codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.) is the most important apple pest from the familyTortricidae causing economic losses in fruit production in Europe and globally [1,2,3,4]

  • A Principal component analysis (PCA) of the covariance matrix of the individual shape showed that the first three dimensions of the shape space accounted for 43% of the total variance (PC1 = 17.1%; PC2 = 13.4%; PC3 = 12.5%)

  • Because of adverse effects of insecticide use to human health and the greater environment [57], an area wide-integrated pest management (IPM) (AW-IPM) approach was use to human health and the greater environment [57], an area wide-IPM (AW-IPM) approach adopted for CM control worldwide

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Summary

Introduction

Tortricidae causing economic losses in fruit production in Europe and globally [1,2,3,4]. Damage to fruit, caused by larval feeding, results in quality and yield losses, the establishment of effective plant protection measures is a major management issue in apple growing. Over 70% of insecticide treatments used in commercial apple orchards are currently applied to control CM populations. Intensive application of insecticide treatments for the control of CM in the past lead to resistance development to various chemical groups of insecticides, and the diversity of insecticide resistance mechanisms has been well explored in European and worldwide CM populations [7,8,9]

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