HOST SELECTION BEHAVIOR OF LEPTOPHOBIA ARIPA (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE)

Host Selection Behavior and the Fecundity of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on Multiple Host Plants

Insect herbivores often have higher densities on host plants grown in monocultures than those in diverse environments. The underlying mechanisms are thought to be that polyphagous insects have difficulty in selecting food or oviposition sites when multiple host plants exist. However, this hypothesis needs to be extensively investigated. Our field experiments revealed that the population of the ...

DNA barcodes identify Central Asian Colias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Pieridae)

A majority of the known Colias species (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Coliadinae) occur in the mountainous regions of Central-Asia, vast areas that are hard to access, rendering the knowledge of many species limited due to the lack of extensive sampling. Two gene regions, the mitochondrial COI 'barcode' region and the nuclear ribosomal protein RpS2 gene region were used for exploring the utility of th...

Phylogenetic systematics of Colotis and associated genera (Lepidoptera: Pieridae): evolutionary and taxonomic implications

We investigated the genetic diversity and phylogenetic placement of the butterflies in the genus Colotis and eight related pierid genera using sequence information from two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. To establish the status of species, we initially barcoded 632 specimens representative of all genera and most species and subspecies in those genera. A subset was then selected for phylog...

Rapid Divergence of Wing Volatile Profiles Between Subspecies of the Butterfly Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Complex signaling traits such as pheromone profiles can play an important role in the early stages of reproductive isolation between populations. These signals can diverge along multiple trait axes, and signal receivers are often sensitive to subtle differences in signal properties. In the Lepidoptera, prior research has highlighted that natural selection can drive rapid chemical signal diverge...

Project Summary: Chemical Perception Genes from the Lepidoptera, Odorant and Gustatory Receptors Mediating Host Selection and Feeding Behavior