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Hybridization, Behavioral Patterns, and Pre- and Postzygotic Isolation Between Two Recently Derived Species of Walnut-Infesting Rhagoletis Fruit Flies in the Highlands of Mexico

  • Ecology, Behavior and Bionomics
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Abstract

Episodes of isolation and secondary contact among populations of insects of Nearctic origin during Pleistocene glacial/postglacial climatic cycles had a strong evolutionary influence on the diversity of flies in the genus Rhagoletis in mountainous areas of Mexico. As a series of experiments undertaken to gather support for phylogenetic hypotheses on the origin of three walnut-infesting species in the suavis group, we examined pre- and postzygotic isolation between Rhagoletis completa Cresson, 1929 and R. ramosae Hernández-Ortiz, 1985. Despite morphological, biological, and behavioral differences, these two species were found to be capable of hybridization. Mating experiments in large enclosures revealed asymmetric sexual isolation. There were notable differences in male sexual behavior. While R. ramosae males mated exclusively on host fruit, R. completa males used fruit and alternative mating locations. During fruit-guarding and male-male contests, R. completa and R. ramosae males adopted markedly different wing postures. R. completa females were more reluctant to copulate with heterospecific males than R. ramosae females. During no choice crosses in small enclosures, there was a reduction of egg hatch for the hybrid cross of R. completa males × R. ramosae females. Our results and previous studies on reproductive isolation between other species pairs in the suavis group support a clade in which R. ramosae, R. zoqui Bush, 1966, and R. completa are close relatives all still capable of hybridizing.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Emilio Acosta for assistance in fruit collections and pupal processing.

Funding

This work was partly funded by the Mexican Campaña Nacional Contra Moscas de la Fruta (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural y Pesca-Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (to M.A.), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) special grant 1100/596/04 C-837-04 (to J.R.), and CONACyT CB 2005-25889-50008Q (to J.R.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico

    Eduardo Tadeo

  2. LIEMEN-División Control Biológico de Plagas, PROIMI Biotecnología-CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina

    Juan Rull

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  1. Eduardo Tadeo
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  2. Juan Rull
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JR and ET planed, designed, and executed experimental work; ET conducted data analyses; JR and ET wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Juan Rull.

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Tadeo, E., Rull, J. Hybridization, Behavioral Patterns, and Pre- and Postzygotic Isolation Between Two Recently Derived Species of Walnut-Infesting Rhagoletis Fruit Flies in the Highlands of Mexico. Neotrop Entomol 50, 505–514 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-021-00865-3

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