Aluja M, Rull J, Pérez-Staples D, Díaz-Fleischer F, Sivinski J
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., C.P. 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
Bull Entomol Res. 2009 Apr;99(2):207-14. doi: 10.1017/S0007485308006299. Epub 2008 Dec 9.
The Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a polyphagous pestiferous insect with a geographical range encompassing highly variable environmental conditions. Considering that cryptic species have been recently found among South American representatives of the same taxonomic group as A. ludens, we tested whether or not some populations of A. ludens have evolved assortative mating as an isolating mechanism that maintains intrapopulation genetic differences and behavioral adaptations to local conditions. Males and females stemming from widely separated locations with similar environmental conditions and males and females stemming from populations within individual-flight range, but collected in different hosts (a native and an exotic one), mated randomly amongst themselves when placed in a field cage. Despite the fact that sibling males and females from two distinct populations also mated randomly amongst themselves, siblings engaged in significantly longer copulations than non-siblings, indicating that perhaps adults discriminated mates with similar genetic compositions. Our results have important practical implications as A. ludens is the most devastating pest of citrus in Mexico and Central America, and large-scale releases of sterile flies are used to control it.
墨西哥实蝇Anastrepha ludens (Loew)（双翅目：实蝇科）是一种多食性害虫，其地理分布范围涵盖了高度多变的环境条件。鉴于最近在与墨西哥实蝇同属一个分类群的南美代表中发现了隐存种，我们测试了墨西哥实蝇的一些种群是否已经进化出选型交配作为一种隔离机制，以维持种群内的遗传差异和对当地条件的行为适应。来自环境条件相似但地理位置相距甚远的雄性和雌性，以及来自个体飞行范围内但采集于不同寄主（一种本地寄主和一种外来寄主）的种群的雄性和雌性，当被放置在田间笼子中时，它们会相互随机交配。尽管来自两个不同种群的同胞雄性和雌性也会相互随机交配，但同胞之间的交配时间明显长于非同胞，这表明成年个体可能会区分具有相似基因组成的配偶。我们的研究结果具有重要的实际意义，因为墨西哥实蝇是墨西哥和中美洲最具破坏性的柑橘害虫，目前采用大规模释放不育苍蝇的方法来对其进行控制。
