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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196187
Title: GENETIC STUDIES USING THE ORANGE BODY COLOR TYPE OF NEZARA VIRIDULA (HEMIPTERA:PENTATOMIDAE): INHERITANCE, SPERM PRECEDENCE, AND DISASSORTATIVE MATING

Author
item Follett, Peter
item Calvert, Frances
item GOLDEN, MARY - UH MANOA

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2006
Publication Date: 5/1/2007
Citation: Follett, P.A., Calvert, F.W., Golden, M. 2007. Genetic studies using the orange body color type of nezara viridula (hemiptera:pentatomidae): inheritance, sperm precedence, and disassortative mating. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 100:433-438.

Interpretive Summary: Nezara viridula (L.) is a pest of macadamia nuts and leguminous crops in Hawaii. N. viridula has body color polymorphisms. Nezara viridula f. smaragdula is the common green morph, whereas the rare morph N. viridula f. aurantiaca is uniformly orange. The orange form was discovered for the first time in Hawaii in 2005. Crossing studies were conducted to determine the inheritance of the orange body color trait. Mendelian genetic analysis suggested that orange body color is a simple, sex-linked recessive trait. In sperm precedence studies using orange females crossed with green then orange males, or visa versa, the last male accounted for a greater proportion of offspring (mean P2 = 73.3%) providing evidence for both the sperm mixing and sperm displacement hypotheses. Green females preferred mating with orange males (88%) compared with green males (12%) suggesting negative assortative mating may operate.

Technical Abstract: Nezara viridula (L.) has body color polymorphisms. Nezara viridula f. smaragdula is the common green morph, whereas the rare morph N. viridula f. aurantiaca is uniformly orange. Crossing studies were conducted to determine the inheritance of the orange body color trait. Mendelian genetic analysis suggested that orange body color is a simple, sex-linked recessive trait. In sperm precedence studies using orange females crossed with green then orange males, or visa versa, the last male accounted for a greater proportion of offspring (mean P2 = 73.3%) providing evidence for both the sperm mixing and sperm displacement hypotheses. Green females preferred mating with orange males (88%) compared with green males (12%) suggesting negative assortative mating may operate.