Leila Goodrum, “Implications for Speciation of Genetic Architecture Affecting Signal-Preference Variation in Plant-Feeding Insects”
Mentor: Rafa Rodriguez, Biological Sciences, Letters & Science (College of)
Oral Presentation: 9:15am Union E260
The course of speciation depends in part on the genetic architecture of traits enabling reproductive isolation, such as mating signals and mate preferences. Here we report on the genetic architecture of male advertisement signals and female mate preferences in Enchenopa binotata treehoppers – a species complex of plant-feeding insects that communicate with plant-borne vibrational signals that is a case study of speciation involving ecological specialization and signal-preference codivergence. We worked with members of the complex that occur on the same host plant at our study site. We reared hybrid and own-species (control) crosses, then recorded male signals and described female preferences using laser vibrometry and vibrational playbacks. Male signal features and female preferences for them showed continuous covariation, with hybrid phenotypes clustering at the maternal range. This suggests a polygenic genetic architecture, with sex-linkage on the maternal X chromosome. This genetic architecture may facilitate the establishment of signal-preference linkage disequilibrium and assortative mating at the beginning of speciation.