Why does only Athalia Japonica enter summer diapause among three sympatric Athalia sawflies feeding on crucifers?

Abstract

SummaryThis report assesses the primary factor for the evolution of summer diapause of the three species of sawfly, Athalia japonica, A. rosae and A. infumata that feed on cruciferous plants and coexist in the same area. A. japonica has two discrete spring and autumn generations, but A. rosae and A. infumata 5–6 generations. Only A. japonica enters summer diapause in response to the long daylengths in spring. Although these three sawflies usually feed on the same cultivated crucifers, they differ markedly in the utilization of wild crucifers. They oviposit only on young leaves. A. japonica mainly uses Cardamine plants which sprout in spring and autumn. A. rosae and A. infumata primarily use hosts with new leaves all the year round, i.e. cultivated crucifers and Rorippa indica, respectively. The thermal threshold for development is lower in A. japonica than in the other two species. The low heat tolerance of A. japonica is adapted only to cool shady habitats where Cardamine grows. Presumably, summer diapause of A. japonica is adaptation to the deterioration of the primary host plants rather than unfavorable climatic conditions. This interpretation is supported by the movement patterns of the three Athalia sawflies, alternative means to escape from deteriorated habitat conditions.