Abstract
The genus Helicoverpa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) includes phytophagous and polyphagous agricultural insect pests. In the Americas, a native pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and an invasive pest, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), are causing severe damage in vegetable and agronomic crops. The population structure of both species in South America is poorly understood, and the phylogenetic relatedness of H. armigera and H. zea suggests natural interspecific gene flow between these species. Using microsatellite loci, we investigated: 1) the genetic diversity and gene flow of H. armigera specimens from Brazil; 2) the genetic diversity and gene flow between H. zea specimens from Brazil and the United States; and 3) the possibility of interspecific gene flow and the frequency of putative hybrids in Brazil. We detected high intraspecific gene flow among populations collected in the same country. However, there is a geographic limit to gene flow among H. zea individuals from South and North America. Pairwise Fst and private alleles showed that H. armigera is more similar to H. zea from Brazil than H. zea from the United States. A comparative STRUCTURE analysis suggests natural hybridization between H. armigera and H. zea in Brazil. High gene flow and natural hybridization are key traits to population adaptation in new and disturbed environments, which can influence the management of these pests in the American continent.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.