Subtle morphological differences can be essential to diagnosing closely related species, and an understanding of the genetic basis of these characters can contribute to understanding their divergences. We used voucher specimens from previous genetic analyses of population structure to subsequently analyse genome‐wide associations linking morphology to genetic variation in spruce budworms, a group of economically important and morphologically similar forest pests. In particular, we assessed the taxonomic value and genetic architecture of two morphological traits (wing pattern and genitalic spicule abundance) that have been reported to differ among spruce budworm species. Our results suggest that phallic spicule number has greater taxonomic utility than wing pattern for distinguishing Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) from Choristoneura occidentalis occidentalis Freeman and Choristoneura occidentalis biennis Freeman. However, there was considerable overlap among taxa for all phenotypic characters analysed. In a genome‐wide association study, wing pattern variation was significantly associated with four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci, including two adjacent SNPs. One SNP was flanked by sequence resembling RNA‐directed DNA polymerase from mobile element jockey‐like. This locus is a promising candidate for the study of wing pattern development in spruce budworms, as jockey‐like transposable elements and polymerases have documented roles in wing spot production in other Lepidoptera. Our study links classical taxonomic characters and genomic data to provide insights into the potential genetic architecture of species differences. It also demonstrates previously untapped morphological and taxonomic value in voucher specimens from earlier molecular genetic analyses.

中文翻译：

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凭证标本的重复使用提供了对害虫组（鳞翅目：绦虫科：Choristoneura）中翅膀颜色和生殖器差异的基因组关联和分类学价值的见解

细微的形态差异对于诊断密切相关的物种至关重要，了解这些特征的遗传基础有助于了解它们的差异。我们使用来自先前种群结构遗传分析的凭证样本，随后分析了将形态学与云杉 budworms 的遗传变异联系起来的全基因组关联，这是一组具有重要经济意义且形态相似的森林害虫。特别是，我们评估了两种形态特征（翼型和生殖器骨针丰度）的分类学价值和遗传结构，据报道这些特征在云杉芽虫物种之间存在差异。我们的结果表明，在区分 Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) 与 Choristoneura occidentalis occidentalis Freeman 和 Choristoneura occidentalis biennis Freeman 方面，阴茎骨针数比翼型具有更大的分类学效用。然而，对于所有分析的表型特征，分类群之间存在相当大的重叠。在一项全基因组关联研究中，翼型变异与四个单核苷酸多态性 (SNP) 位点显着相关，包括两个相邻的 SNP。一个 SNP 的两侧是类似于来自运动元件骑师样的 RNA 指导的 DNA 聚合酶的序列。该基因座是研究云杉 budworm 翅膀模式发育的有希望的候选者，因为类似骑师的转座元件和聚合酶已记录在其他鳞翅目翅斑产生中的作用。我们的研究将经典分类特征和基因组数据联系起来，以深入了解物种差异的潜在遗传结构。它还证明了早期分子遗传分析的凭证标本中以前未开发的形态学和分类学价值。