Divergence and evolution of reproductive barriers among three allopatric populations of Rhagoletis cingulata across eastern North America and Mexico. Issue 3 (14th July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tadeo, Eduardo; Feder, Jeffery L.; Egan, Scott P.; Schuler, Hannes; Aluja, Martin; Rull, Juan
• Is Part Of: Entomologia experimentalis et applicata. Volume 156:Issue 3(2015:Sep.)
• Page Start: 301
• Page End: 311
• Publication Date: 2015-07-14
• Subjects: Entomology -- Periodicals; 595.7
• DOI: 10.1111/eea.12331
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-8703

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="eea12331-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Geography is often a key factor facilitating population divergence and speciation. In this regard, the geographic distributions of flies in the genus <italic>Rhagoletis</italic> (Diptera: Tephritidae) in temperate North America have been affected by cycles of Pleistocene glaciation and interglacial periods. Fluctuations in climatic conditions may have had their most dramatic effects on geographically isolating <italic>Rhagoletis</italic> flies in the central highland region of Mexico. During past periods of allopatry, a degree of post‐zygotic reproductive isolation appears to have evolved between hawthorn‐infesting populations of <italic>Rhagoletis pomonella</italic> (Walsh) in the central Eje Volcanico Trans Mexicano (EVTM) and those from the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains (SMO) of Mexico, as well as hawthorn flies from the eastern USA. Here, we investigate the generality of this finding in the genus <italic>Rhagoletis</italic> by testing for reproductive isolation among populations of <italic>Rhagoletis cingulata</italic> (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) collected from infested domesticated sweet cherry (<italic>Prunus avium</italic> L.) in the USA and black cherry [<italic>Prunus serotina </italic>Ehrh. (both Rosaceae)] from the SMO and EVTM. We report evidence for marked post‐mating reproductive isolation among certain <italic>R. cingulata</italic> populations. The high levels of reproductive isolation were observed between <italic>R. cingulata</italic> flies from populations in the USA and SMO differed from the pattern seen for <italic>R. pomonella</italic>, primarily involving the EVTM. In addition, egg hatch was significantly reduced for crosses between SMO males and EVTM females, but not greatly in the opposite direction. We discuss potential causes for the different patterns of post‐mating reproductive isolation among <italic>Rhagoletis</italic> flies.</p> </abstract>