Host Plant-Associated Population Variation in the Carob MothEctomyelois ceratoniaein Iran: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis Suggests a Nutritional Basis.

Abstract

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller, 1839) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is the most important pest of pomegranate in Iran. As it has been rarely recorded on other host plants, control methods have mostly been focused on its populations on pomegranate. In this study, shapes and sizes of wings were compared in populations on 4 host plants (pomegranate, fig, pistachio and walnut) using a landmark-based geometric morphometric method, and analysis of partial warp scores and centroid sizes. The results showed significantly smaller wing size in populations on pomegranate and a significant host plant-associated shape difference among populations as a consequence of allometric growth. This suggests that the wing size and shape differences among test populations may not have a genetic basis and could happen because of differences in the nutritional content of host plants. The results of the analysis suggest that the female carob moth lays her eggs on host plants that provide suitable conditions for hatching. The larger size of moths on hosts other than pomegranate showed that some host plants such as fig, pistachio and walnut can provide for increased stored nutritional reserves by larvae that may result in more successful over-wintering and higher fecundity in adults. This suggests that in spite of the more extensive activity of carob moth on pomegranate in Iran, populations on other host plants can have an important effect on expanding pest population sizes in following years which should be considered in control methods.

Host-plant dependent wing phenotypic variation in the neotropical butterfly Heliconius erato

“…To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that larval diet influences the shape of a given body structure in a butterfly. The results obtained are in agreement with other studies that have detected this kind of host‐related phenotypic plasticity in the carob moth and in cactophilic Drosophila (Mozaffarian, Sarafrazi & Ganbalani, 2007; Soto, Hasson & Manfrin, 2008). The shape variation provided a considerable level of discrimination among individuals reared on different host‐plants.…”

Comparative study of the sex pheromone of carob moth, Apomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller, 1839) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from four regions of Iran using headspace solid phase micro extraction - gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

“…In addition, the ratios of these components in from the different geographical regions differed. In response to the studies of Mozaffarian et al (2007) and Ziaaddini et al (2010), the authors of the present study decided to investigate these pheromone compounds from different parts of Iran. In summary, SPME followed by GC/MS was an excellent technique for the analysis and study of volatiles of A. ceratoniae as an important pest of pomegranate.…”

Evidence of selection on phenotypic plasticity and cost of plasticity in response to host-feeding sources in the major Chagas disease vector Triatoma infestans

“…In some moths, aphids, flies and butterflies, food items ingested during larval development included diverse chemical compounds that influenced wing plasticity and other morphological traits. For example, in the 16 carob moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae, wing size and shape were related to different host plants that provided different stored nutritional reserves during the larval stage (Mozaffarian et al, 2007). In the aphid Brevicoryne brassicae, the nutritional quality of different host plants was considered as a source of phenotypic plasticity (Leal-Aguilar et al, 2008).…”