Morphometric and molecular differences among Calvertius tuberosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) populations associated with Andean and coastal populations of Araucaria araucana in the La Araucanía Region, Chile

Phenotypic variability in the Old World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations in India

“…A complex web of interactions between genotype and environment produces the phenotypic variation (Houle et al., 2010) and understanding of such differences are extensively used for biodiversity and phylogenetic studies in the diverse group of insects (Jimenez et al., 2018), despite the availability of wide range of molecular techniques. The results from the present study showed that the Indian populations of H. armigera occurring at different geographic locations (Latitude: 11°01'N to 30°54'N and Longitude: 73°42'E to 89°38'E), differed significantly for all the selected phenotypic traits studied at larval, pupal and adult stages.…”

“…This is an interesting case that requires further studies to form a conclusive understanding in this regard, by employing more informative molecular markers like microsatellites, coupled with morphometric observations over years. The infusion of morphometric and molecular analyses will also be required for comprehensive understanding regarding it's co‐evolutionary and phylogenetic interferences, as has been carried out for Meloidogyne graminicola in India (Salalia et al, 2017) and Calvertius tuberosus in Chile (Jimenez et al., 2018). The detailed description regarding the phenotypic structure of H. armigera in India offered here will be very helpful in devising appropriate area wide management strategies for this pest besides a deeper understanding of its population biology in the region.…”

“…However, it is not possible to perceive the natural world without considerable knowledge regarding the morphological characteristics of organisms, which play pivotal roles in the identification, geographical distributions, evolution, development and delimitation of species (Hendrichs et al., 2015). The inclusion of phenotypic data substantially improves the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses, proving to be useful not only for the solution of taxonomic problems but also for coevolution studies and phylogenetic inferences (Jimenez et al., 2018). Though certain molecular evidences are supporting the idea that intraspecific variations exist within Indian populations of H. armigera (Venkatesan et al., 2016), but sufficient phenotypic data to validate this fact is lacking.…”