M Orsucci, P Audiot, F Dorkeld, A Pommier, M Vabre, B Gschloessl, S Rialle, D Severac, D Bourguet, R Streiff
BACKGROUND: Most phytophagous insects have morphological, behavioral and physiological adaptations allowing them to specialize on one or a few plant species. Identifying the mechanisms involved in host plant specialization is crucial to understand the role of divergent selection between different environments in species diversification, and to identify sustainable targets for the management of insect pest species. In the present study, we measured larval phenotypic and transcriptomic responses to host plants in two related phytophagous lepidopteran species: the European corn borer (ECB), a worldwide pest of maize, and the adzuki bean borer (ABB), which feeds of various dicotyledons...
April 18, 2018: BMC Genomics