Naslov
A decade of populations genetics and geometric morphometrics research on the western corn rootworm in Southern Europe: what have we learned and where to from here?

Autori
Mikac, Katarina M. ; Lemić, Darija ; Bažok, Renata

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Book of Abstracts ECE 2018 / Dallai, Romano i sur. - Napulj : Event Planet s.r.l, 2018, 15-15

Skup
9th European Congress of Entomology

Mjesto i datum
Napulj, Italija, 02.07.2018. - 06.07.2018

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Western corn rootworm, population genetics, invasive species, geometric morphometrics

Sažetak
The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is the worst pest of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States, and its spread through Europe has caused a flood of research into its biology, ecology, and management under European environmental conditions. Research from our genetic work conducted over the past decade have focused on comparing historical and contemporary levels of genetic diversity and gene flow across southern Europe and investigated introduction routes from the USA. We have shown little to no genetic structure across large geographic distances indicating that in southern Europe the species essentially is part of one large population that each year advances its invasion front and edges further into Western Europe. Indeed other authors have since confirmed these results. While these results found and methods used were important they were not the outcome expected nor did the tools used prove to be a management panacea and as such we continued to test other tools for monitoring the pest with the ultimate goal of seeking out a cheaper, quicker and easier monitoring tool that would have use as a reliable population biomarker. Through the use of geometric morphometrics it has been possible to find discernible patterns in wing shape that related to in-field resistance (ie. crop rotation resistance, Bt maize resistance). We have found an affordable and accessible technique that reliably demonstrates that hind-wing shape and size differences can be used to reveal differences among rootworm populations, and thus can be used as a biomarker for resistance detection as part of a larger integrated resistance management strategy for the species. The results of our research have important implications for ongoing rootworm monitoring and management, particularly where genetic capabilities and monetary investment in such techniques may not be feasible (e.g. in developing countries).

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Poljoprivreda (agronomija)

POVEZANOST RADA