Comparative study on the responses of maxillary sensilla styloconica of cotton bollwormHelicoverpa armigera and Oriental tobacco budwormH. assulta larvae to phytochemicals

Using the electro-physiological technique, the sensory mechanisms of maxillary sensilla styloconica to stimulants and deterrents were explored on two closely related species, the generalist Helicoverpa armigera and the specialist H. assulta. The results showed that: (i) in both species, cells sensitive to sucrose and azadirachtin were mainly in the lateral sensillum styloconicum, and those to inositol were in the medial sensillum styloconicum; (ii) sensitivity of medial sensillum styloconicum in H. assulta to inositol was higher than that in H. armigera; (iii) among 6 tested deterrents, only azadirachtin evoked high impulse discharge from the lateral sensillum styloconicum in both insects; (iv) the deterrents could disturb stimulants evoking impulse discharge from maxillary sensilla styloconica of both species in different degrees: To sucrose evoking impulses on lateral sensillum styloconicum, for H. armigera capsaicin had a strong inhibition and gossypol had a weak inhibition, while for H. assulta tann     

Genetic basis of sex pheromone blend difference between Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The two closely related moth species, Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta, are sympatric in China. Both species use a mixture of (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald) and (Z)-9-hexadecenal (Z9-16:Ald) as their sex pheromones but in widely different ratios. Hybridization and backcrossing experiments between H. armigera and H. assulta were conducted and sex pheromone compositions of the parent species, their F(1) hybrids and backcrosses were compared to study the genetic basis of the production of their sex pheromone blend composition. Results show that the difference in sex pheromone blend ratios of these Helicoverpa species is mainly controlled by an autosomal locus with two alleles, with the allele from H. armigera being almost completely dominant over that derived from H. assulta.     

棉铃虫不同寄主种群遗传分化的RAPD分析

应用RAPD技术对生活于辣椒,烟草和番茄3种不同寄主上的棉铃虫（Helicover pa armigera)种群,并以烟草烟青虫（H.assulta)为外群进行了种群遗传分化的研究,研究结果表明：4个处理内个体间最大的遗传距离均小于处理间最小的遗传距离,烟青虫的遗传距离为0．177－0．346,棉铃虫的辣椒种群为0．289－0．404,烟草种群为0．396－0．505,番茄种群为0．329－0．382,采用UPDGA法进行聚类,并构建系统发育树。各处理成聚的遗传距离为：烟青虫是0．334,棉铃虫的辣椒种群是0．372,烟草种群是0．463,番茄种群是0．360。各处理均首先成聚,棉铃虫与烟青虫成聚的遗传距离（0．703）,稍大于棉铃虫各种群的成聚值（0．639）。上述结果表明,棉铃虫不同寄主种群已经存在明显的遗传分化。     

棉铃虫和烟青虫性信息素腺体脂肪醇和乙酸酯转化的比较研究

棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera和烟青虫H. assulta属于可同域发生的近缘种昆虫,通过产生比例相反的两种性信息素化合物——顺9-十六碳烯醛和顺11-十六碳烯醛维持种间生殖隔离。本研究应用外源不饱和脂肪醇及乙酸酯在棉铃虫和烟青虫性信息素腺体进行在体转化,利用气相色谱法分析转化产物,从酶学角度探讨了上述两近缘种昆虫性信息素腺体组分差异的形成原因。实验结果表明,两种昆虫信息素腺体表皮伯醇氧化酶对外源顺9-十六碳烯醇、顺11-十六碳烯醇和反10-十六碳烯醇无催化专一性,说明末端氧化过程对于醛类性信息素组分特定比例的形成不起作用。棉铃虫性信息素腺体组织具有较高的乙酸酯酶活性,可水解外源乙酸酯,但烟青虫性信息素腺体乙酸酯酶活性很低。这些发现对于进一步了解两种昆虫的生殖隔离机制有重要参考价值。     

Mechanisms of premating isolation between Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa assulta are sympatric sibling species, and in the laboratory they can interbreed and produce viable offspring. To assess the contributions of temporal barriers and sexual barriers to premating isolation, we investigated both the temporal rhythms of calling behavior and pheromone titers of H. armigera and H. assulta females and the behavioral responses of males to conspecific and heterospecific calling females in a wind tunnel. Both H. armigera and H. assulta females called throughout the scotophase, and there was more calling during the second half of the scotophase than during the first half. Maximal pheromone titer and maximal calling activity in H. armigera synchronously occurred at the sixth hour into the scotophase, whereas, in H. assulta, the maximal pheromone titer occurred 2 h before the peak of calling. Pheromone blend ratios of the two species were opposite and, within each species, changes in the ratio within the scotophase and at different ages were relatively small. Males of both H. armigera and H. assulta responded strongly to their conspecific calling females in the wind tunnel and completed the whole courtship sequence. In contrast, they did not land and had no copulation attempts in response to heterospecific calling females. These results show that the two species do not have obvious temporal differences in calling behavior and pheromone production, and the specificity of sex pheromone blend emitted by females plays a key role in their premating isolation. In addition, we summarized the potential isolation mechanisms of H. armigera and H. assulta.     

Hybridization between Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa assulta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): development and morphological characterization of F1 hybrids

Reciprocal hybridizations between Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) were studied. The cross between females of H. armigera and males of H. assulta yielded only fertile males and sterile individuals lacking an aedeagus, valva or ostium bursae. A total of 492 larvae of the F1 generation were obtained and 374 of these completed larval development and pupated. Only 203 pupae were morphologically normal males, the remaining 171 pupae were malformed. Larvae and pupae that gave rise to morphologically abnormal adults exhibited longer development times. Sterility was not only associated with malformed external sex organs, but also a range of abnormalities of the internal reproductive system: (i) loss of internal reproductive organs, (ii) with one to three copies of an undeveloped bursa copulatrix; or (iii) with one or two undeveloped testes. Normal male hybrid adults showed higher flight activity in comparison with males of both species. In contrast, the cross between females of H. assulta and males of H. armigera yielded morphologically normal offspring (80 males and 83 females). The interaction of the Z-chromosome from H. assulta with autosomes from H. armigera might result in morphological abnormalities found in hybrids and backcrosses, and maternal-zygotic incompatibilities might contribute to sex bias attributed to hybrid inviability.     

Cytochrome P450 and actin genes expressed in Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa armigera: paralogy/orthology identification, gene conversion and evolution.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis was conducted using conserved cytoplasmic actin and diversified cytochrome P450 (P450) sequences isolated from Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa armigera, two species thought to be closely related based on allozyme analyses. These sequences were compared in turn with published sequences from other insects to gain insight into how different gene families evolve. In Bombyx mori and these Helicoverpa species, cytoplasmic actin genes are present as a pair of tandemly duplicated paralogs with coding sequence identities as high as 95.5% (B. mori), 98.9% (H. zea) and 98.5% (H. armigera) due to recent 5'-polar gene conversions. Phylogeny and interspecies comparisons assign the six actin genes into two orthologous groups: HaA3a/HzA3a/BmA3 and HaA3b/HzA3b/BmA4, which exhibit more similarities between H. zea and H. armigera than between Helicoverpa species and B. mori. Like the actin genes in H. zea, four CYP6B genes exist as two pairs of duplicated paralogs with recent 5'-polar gene conversions. Interspecific comparisons and phylogeny analysis identified three groups of orthologous CYP6B genes: H. zea CYP6B8 or CYP6B28/H. armigera CYP6B7, H. zea CYP6B27/H. armigera CYP6B6, and H. zea CYP6B9/H. armigera CYP6B2/Heliothis virescens CYP6B10. The low degree of divergence in the first two of these groups is comparable to allelic variation within a single species. These orthologous relationships and the high degrees of similarity in both actin and P450 genes strongly indicate that these Helicoverpa species are extremely closely related.     

烟草挥发物对2近缘种夜蛾产卵行为的影响及其成分分析

寡食性烟夜蛾Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée)和广食性棉铃虫H.armigera (Hübner)是铃夜蛾属2近缘种,烟草是其共同寄主.室内实验测定了1个普通烟草品种和4个黄花烟草品种叶片挥发物对二者电生理和行为反应的影响.结果表明,烟夜蛾处女雌蛾和交配雌蛾对4个黄花烟草品种叶片挥发物的EAG反应均显著高于普通烟草,而棉铃虫对普通烟草叶片挥发物的反应显著高于黄花烟草;二者的行为反应与EAG测试结果相似,黄花烟草叶片挥发物对烟夜蛾有较强的引诱作用,棉铃虫对普通烟草叶片挥发物有较强趋性;两种夜蛾雄蛾对这些挥发物的EAG和行为反应均没有雌蛾强烈,性别差异显著;GC-MS分析表明,与K326相比,马合烟叶片挥发物中尼古丁的相对含量高(76.91%),绿叶气味种类多但芳香族化合物种类少,挥发物种类和含量的不同是否与两种夜蛾产卵趋性差异相关,有待进一步研究.     

Genetic differentiation of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and H. assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) based on AFLP markers

Abstract Here we use amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to assess genetic differentiation of Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta . The results indicated that both species-specific fingerprints and cluster analysis showed the ability of AFLP technique to discriminate the two sibling species; among a total 1963 AFLP markers amplified from nine primer combinations: 777 (39.6%) were H. armigera -specific, 602 (30.7%) were H. assulta -specific, and 584 (29.7%) were common bands. The mean number of H. armigera -specific bands was significantly more than that of H. assulta -specific bands for nine primer combinations ( P < 0.05); the intraspecific distance of H. armigera and H. assulta was 0.123 0 and 0.110 7 respectively, and the interspecific distance was 0.178 3. In addition, the percentage of polymorphic loci and estimated average heterozygosity were used to estimate genetic diversity of the two species. This study therefore demonstrates that AFLP analysis is a sensitive and reliable technique to study genetic differentiation and genetic relationships between species and provides sufficient molecular markers for future linkage map construction, location and eventual cloning of genes involved in traits differentiation.     

植物次生物质对烟青虫和棉铃虫食物利用及中肠解毒酶活性的影响

用分别添加0-5%(干重比)棉酚、烟碱、番茄苷和辣椒素4种植物次生物质的人工饲料饲养烟青虫Helicoverpa assulta和棉铃虫H. armigera 5龄幼虫48 h,测定这些次生物质对烟青虫和棉铃虫的营养效应和中肠谷胱甘肽S-转移酶（GST）及羧酸酯酶（CarE）活性的影响。结果表明：在实验浓度下,棉酚可显著降低烟青虫的相对消化率,但对棉铃虫却有助食作用;番茄苷抑制烟青虫的取食和生长,对其近似消化率和食物利用率也有显著的抑制作用,但食物转化率有明显升高,对棉铃虫的各营养指标无显著影响;烟碱对烟青虫和棉铃虫的相对生长率均无影响;辣椒素使烟青虫的取食量有大幅度的提高,对棉铃虫的取食量无影响,但引起其相对消化率的提高。由此可见,棉铃虫对4种次生物质有普遍的适应性,而烟青虫只对寄主植物所含的烟碱和辣椒素有较好的适应性。烟青虫和棉铃虫幼虫中肠CarE活性不受4种次生物质的影响,烟碱和辣椒素对烟青虫GST有显著的诱导作用,番茄苷对烟青虫GST活性则有抑制作用,4种次生物质对棉铃虫GST均无显著影响。     

表皮碳氢化合物分析用于棉铃虫与烟青虫幼虫分类鉴别

本文利用ＧＣ－ＭＳ技术分析了棉铃虫与烟青虫幼虫的表皮碳氢化合物,并与亚洲玉米螟幼虫表皮碳氢化合物进行了比较。结果表明,棉铃虫与烟青虫幼虫表皮碳氢化合物的组分与含量均有显著差异,与玉米螟相比,这二者之间的差异明显小于它们与玉米螟的差异,其表现与三者之间自然的系统发育关系相一致。     

Survival and development of Campoletis chlorideae on various insect and crop hosts: implications for Bt-transgenic crops

Abstract:  The parasitic wasp, Campoletis chlorideae is an important larval parasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera a serious pest of cotton, grain legumes and cereals. Large-scale deployment of Bt -transgenic crops with resistance to H. armigera may have potential consequences for the development and survival of C. chlorideae . Therefore, we studied the tritrophic interactions of C. chlorideae involving eight insect host species and six host crops under laboratory conditions. The recovery of H. armigera larvae following release was greater on pigeonpea and chickpea when compared with cotton, groundnut and pearl millet. The parasitism by C. chlorideae females was least with reduction in cocoon formation and adult emergence on H. armigera larvae released on chickpea. Host insects also had significant effect on the development and survival of C. chlorideae . The larval period of C. chlorideae was prolonged by 2–3 days on Spodoptera exigua , Mythimna separata and Achaea janata when compared with H. armigera , Helicoverpa assulta and Spodoptera litura . Maximum cocoon formation and adult emergence were recorded on H. armigera (82.4% and 70.5%, respectively) than on other insect hosts. These studies have important implications on development and survival of C. chlorideae on alternate insect hosts on non-transgenic crop plants, when there is paucity of H. armigera larvae on transgenic crops expressing Bt -toxins.     

Using COI gene sequence to barcode two morphologically alike species: the cotton bollworm and the oriental tobacco budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Due to limited morphological difference, the two closely related sister species, the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and the oriental tobacco budworm, H. assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), are very difficult to distinguish, especially at the larvae stage. Recently, DNA sequence has been widely used as a bio-barcode for species identification. In this study, we attempted to distinguish H. armigera and H. assulta using the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene (COI) gene sequence as the barcode. We determined a 658 bp segment of the COI gene for 28 individuals of H. armigera, 8 individuals of H. assulta, and 10 individuals of Mamestra brassicae (as the outgroup) in Yunnan Province, southwest of P. R. China, together with one H. assulta and two H. armigera reported sequences from GenBank. Twenty-three haplotypes were identified in all 49 samples. As expected, network analysis of the haplotypes of the three species presented a clustering pattern consistent with the respective species status. Haplotypes of the same species differed from each other by no more than three nucleotide substitutions. However, each haplotype of H. armigera differed from that of H. assulta by at least 22 nucleotide substitutions. Both species differed from M. brassicae by more than 50 nucleotide substitutions. 17 unique diagnostic nucleotides were also used to discriminate the two species. The finding of large COI sequence differences between H. armigera and H. assulta suggested that it could be used to distinguish the two morphologically alike species and be employed for quick species identification during pest control.     

Molecular markers to discriminate among four pest species of Helicoverpa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The four significant pest species in the Helicoverpa genus (H. armigera, H. assulta, H. punctigera and H. zea) are morphologically similar and can only be reliably distinguished through dissection of adult genitalia. Two partial regions of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes were amplified by PCR and digested with restriction endonucleases. The restriction patterns, generated by the endonucleases BstZ17I and HphI, demonstrated reliable differentiation of the four Helicoverpa pest species. This technique is fast, reliable and effective at distinguishing specimens irrespective of their life stages and offers support to conventional taxonomic differentiation based on morphological characters.     

Pheromone biosynthetic pathways in the moths Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa assulta

Sex pheromones of many Lepidopteran species have relatively simple structures consisting of a hydrocarbon chain with a functional group and usually one to several double bonds. The sex pheromones are usually derived from fatty acids through a specific biosynthetic pathway. We investigated the incorporation of deuterium-labeled palmitic and stearic acid precursors into pheromone components of Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa assulta. The major pheromone component for H. zea is (Z)11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald) while H. assulta utilizes (Z)9-hexadecenal (Z9-16:Ald). We found that H. zea uses palmitic acid to form Z11-16:Ald via delta 11 desaturation and reduction, but also requires stearic acid to biosynthesize the minor pheromone components Z9-16:Ald and Z7-16:Ald. The Z9-16:Ald is produced by delta 11 desaturation of stearic acid followed by one round of chain-shortening and reduction to the aldehyde. The Z7-16:Ald is produced by delta 9 desaturation of stearic acid followed by one round of chain-shortening and reduction to the aldehyde. H. assulta uses palmitic acid as a substrate to form Z9-16:Ald, Z11-16:Ald and 16:Ald. The amount of labeling indicated that the delta 9 desaturase is the major desaturase present in the pheromone gland cells of H. assulta; whereas, the delta 11 desaturase is the major desaturase in pheromone glands of H. zea. It also appears that H. assulta lacks chain-shortening enzymes since stearic acid did not label any of the 16-carbon aldehydes.     

三种夜蛾成虫口器感器的超微形态

为确定不同种类夜蛾口器及其感器在超微结构上的差异, 采用扫描电子显微镜对棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)、 烟夜蛾H. assulta (Guenée)和银纹夜蛾Argyrogramma agnata (Staudinger)3种鳞翅目(Lepidoptera)夜蛾科(Noctuidae)重要农业害虫雌、 雄成虫口器感器的超微形态进行了观察和比较。结果表明： 3种夜蛾雌、 雄成虫口器感器类型均无明显差异。棉铃虫和烟夜蛾口器感器在类型和形状上十分类似, 均具有毛形、 锥形和栓锥形感器; 喙管末端的栓锥感器粗、 密, 棱纹明显。银纹夜蛾口器感器与两种铃夜蛾区别明显, 除上述3类感器外, 还具有腔锥形感器; 其喙管末端的栓锥感器细、 疏, 棱纹不明显。结果显示口器感器可用于夜蛾的分类及亲缘关系研究。     

Exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) PCR markers of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Applying microsatellite DNA markers in population genetic studies of the pest moth Helicoverpa armigera is subject to numerous technical problems, such as the high frequency of null alleles, occurrence of size homoplasy, presence of multiple copies of flanking sequence in the genome and the lack of PCR amplification robustness between populations. To overcome these difficulties, we developed exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) nuclear DNA markers for H. armigera based on ribosomal protein (Rp) and the Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC) genes and sequenced alleles showing length polymorphisms. Allele length polymorphisms were usually from random indels (insertions or deletions) within introns, although variation of short dinucleotide DNA repeat units was also detected. Mapping crosses demonstrated Mendelian inheritance patterns for these EPIC markers and the absence of both null alleles and allele 'dropouts'. Three examples of allele size homoplasies due to indels were detected in EPIC markers RpL3, RpS6 and DDC, while sequencing of multiple individuals across 11 randomly selected alleles did not detect indel size homoplasies. The robustness of the EPIC-PCR markers was demonstrated by PCR amplification in the related species, H. zea, H. assulta and H. punctigera.     

Comparative study of sex pheromone composition and biosynthesis in Helicoverpa armigera, H. assulta and their hybrid

Two Helicoverpa species, H. armigera and H. assulta use (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (Z)-9-hexadecenal as their sex attractant pheromone components but in opposite ratios. Since both female and male interspecific hybrids produced by female H. assulta and male H. armigera have been obtained in our laboratory, we can make a comparative study of sex pheromone composition and biosynthesis in the two species and their hybrid. With GC and GC-MS analyses using single gland extracts, the ratio of (Z)-9-hexadecenal to (Z)-11-hexadecenal was determined as 2.1:100 in H. armigera, and 1739:100 in H. assulta. The hybrid has a ratio of 4.0: 100, which is closer to that of H. armigera, but significantly different from H. armigera. We investigated pheromone biosynthesis with labeling experiments, using various fatty acid precursors in H. armigera, H. assulta and the hybrid. In H. armigera, (Z)-11-hexadecenal is produced by delta11 desaturation of palmitic acid, followed by reduction and terminal oxidation; (Z)-9-hexadecenal results from delta11 desaturation of stearic acid, followed by one cycle of chain shortening, reduction and terminal oxidation. delta11 desaturase is the unique desaturase for the production of the two pheromone components. In our Chinese strain of H. assulta, palmitic acid is used as the substrate to form both the major pheromone component, (Z)-9-hexadecenal and the minor one, (Z)-11-hexadecenal. Our data suggest that delta9 desaturase is the major desaturase, and delta11 desaturase is responsible for the minor component in H. assulta, which is consistent with previous work. However, the weak chain shortening acting on (Z)-9 and (Z)-11-octadecenoic acid, which is present in the pheromone glands, does occur in this species to produce (Z)-7 and (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid. In the hybrid, the major pheromone component, (Z)-11-hexadecenal is produced by delta11 desaturation of palmitic acid, followed by reduction and terminal oxidation. The direct fatty acid precursor of the minor component, (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid is mainly produced by delta9 desaturation of palmitic acid, but also by delta11 desaturation of stearic acid and one cycle of chain shortening. The greater relative amounts of (Z)-9-hexadecenal in the hybrid are due to the fact that both palmitic and stearic acids are used as substrates, whereas only stearic acid is used as substrate in H. armigera. The evolutionary relationships between the desaturases in several Helicoverpa species are also discussed in this paper.