Hybrid crosses of the meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Homoptera: Cercopidae) between New Zealand and Welsh populations

Abstract

Crossing experiments with polymorphic meadow spittlebugs Philaenus spumarius (L.), obtained from New Zealand and Wales, were performed. Eight of the total of 18 hybrid crosses set up between the two regions were successful, producing 165 fertile progeny. Some insects mated up to 6 times and stayed up to 24 h in copula. Although the average number of eggs laid per female was 68.5 (range 19–134), the family sizes produced by the crossing experiments ranged between 6 and 56 adult offspring. The pure‐bred flavicollis (FLA) and lateralis (LAT) forms of Philaenus spumarius have not been crossed in previous studies of this species. The two genetically controlled forms, FLA and LAT, which were expressed by the alleles “F” and “L” respectively, were co‐dominant to each other and produced the marginellus (MAR) phenotype in the heterozygous (F/L) combination in both females and males. The FLA, LAT, and two other phenotypes—leucocephalus (LCE) and typicus (TYP)—that appeared in the progeny were also clearly expressed in both sexes.