Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa.
J Insect Sci. 2010;10:176. doi: 10.1673/031.010.14136.
Pest species of insects are notoriously prone to escape the weapons deployed in management efforts against them. This is particularly true in herbivorous insects. When a previously successful tactic fails the insect population has apparently adapted to it and is often considered to be a new or distinct entity, and given the non-formal category 'biotype'. The entities falling under the umbrella term 'biotype' are not consistent either within or between biotypes, and their underlying genetic composition and origins, while generally unknown, are likely heterogeneous within and variable between biotypes. In some cases race or species may be more appropriate referents. Some examples of applications of the concept in the context of host plant resistance are discussed. It is argued here that the term 'biotype' and its applications are overly simplistic, confused, have not proved useful in current pest management, and lack predictive power for future management.
害虫物种通常容易逃避针对它们的管理措施所部署的武器。这在草食性昆虫中尤其如此。当以前成功的策略失败时，昆虫种群显然已经适应了它，通常被认为是一个新的或不同的实体，并被赋予了非正规的类别“生物型”。属于“生物型”这一总称的实体在生物型内部和之间都不一致，其潜在的遗传组成和起源虽然通常未知，但在生物型内部和之间可能是异质的和可变的。在某些情况下，种族或物种可能是更合适的参照。讨论了在寄主植物抗性方面应用这一概念的一些例子。这里认为，“生物型”及其应用过于简单化、混淆不清，在当前的害虫管理中没有证明是有用的，并且对未来的管理缺乏预测能力。
