Differential pheromone profile as a contributor to premating isolation between two sympatric sibling fruit fly species.

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) and Bactrocera neohumeralis (Hardy) are sibling fruit fly species that are sympatric over much of their ranges. Premating isolation of these close relatives is thought to be maintained in part by allochrony-mating activity in B. tryoni peaks at dusk, whereas in B.

Improved reference quality genome sequence of the plastic-degrading greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella.

Galleria mellonella is a pest of honeybees in many countries because its larvae feed on beeswax. However, G. mellonella larvae can also eat various plastics, including polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene, and therefore, the species is garnering increasing interest as a tool for plastic biodegradation research.

Genetic variation for rectal gland volatiles among recently collected isofemale lines and a domesticated strain of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Divergence between populations in mating behaviour can function as a potent premating isolating mechanism and promote speciation. However, very few cases of inherited intraspecific variation in sexual signalling have been reported in tephritid fruit flies, despite them being a highly speciose family. We tested for such variation in one tephritid, the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Qfly).

Climate stress resistance in male Queensland fruit fly varies among populations of diverse geographic origins and changes during domestication.

Background: The highly polyphagous Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni Froggatt) expanded its range substantially during the twentieth century and is now the most economically important insect pest of Australian horticulture, prompting intensive efforts to develop a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) control program. Using a "common garden" approach, we have screened for natural genetic variation in key environmental fitness traits among populations from across the geographic range of this species and monitored changes in those traits induced during domestication.

Results: Significant variation was detected between the populations for heat, desiccation and starvation resistance and wing length (as a measure of body size).

Cuticular Chemistry of the Queensland Fruit Fly (Froggatt).

The cuticular layer of the insect exoskeleton contains diverse compounds that serve important biological functions, including the maintenance of homeostasis by protecting against water loss, protection from injury, pathogens and insecticides, and communication. (Froggatt) is the most destructive pest of fruit production in Australia, yet there are no published accounts of this species' cuticular chemistry. We here provide a comprehensive description of cuticular chemistry.

Early events in speciation: Cryptic species of .

Understanding the earliest events in speciation remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Thus identifying species whose populations are beginning to diverge can provide useful systems to study the process of speciation. , a cactophilic fruit fly species with a broad distribution in North America, has long been assumed to be a single species owing to its morphological uniformity.

Methylation on RNA: A Potential Mechanism Related to Immune Priming within But Not across Generations.

Invertebrate immune priming is a growing field in immunology. This phenomenon refers to the ability of invertebrates to generate a more vigorous immune response to a second encounter with a specific pathogen and can occur within and across generations. Although the precise mechanism has not been elucidated, it has been suggested that methylation of DNA is a cornerstone for this phenomenon.