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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Heterospecific mating between distantly related species of stink bugs and its evolutionary implications

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Author(s):
Bianchi, Filipe M. [1] ; Genevcius, Bruno C. [2] ; Vicentini, Barbara da S. [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Biosci Inst, Dept Zool, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Museum Zool MZUSP, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Journal of Natural History; v. 51, n. 45-46, p. 2701-2709, 2017.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

The copulatory process in animal preceded by a series of integrated communication processes which are often under selection to guarantee species-specific courtship and copula. However, individuals of species supposedly in reproductive isolation frequently copulate in nature, which has sparked the attention of evolutionary biologists for decades. While studies on this topic have strongly focused on recently diverged species or populations, few instances of heterospecific copula between distantly related species are known. Here we, report an intriguing case of interspecific copula between two distantly related species of stink bugs in nature. We replicated this observation in laboratory conditions and revealed an asymmetric relation: males of Chinavia obstinata copulated with females of C. erythrocnernis but the reverse combination did not occur. We propose a series of hypotheses to explain our observations in the light of the current knowledge on mate recognition and reproductive isolation in stink bugs, considering the potential pre- and postcopulatory barriers involved. Once these two species have probably evolved in allopatry and contacted secondarily, the absence of directional selection against mating signals differentiation is a probable process. We argue that similarities in genital shape and size, most likely a result of convergent evolution, may have played a fundamental role in guaranteeing that these species achieved proper coupling. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/21104-1 - Patterns and processes of genital evolution in Pentatomidae: Pentatominae (Insecta, Hemiptera)
Grantee:Bruno Celso Feltrin Genevcius
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate