Contribution of population-level phenotypic plasticity to the invasiveness of Zaprionus indianus (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

• Main Authors: Nicolás José LAVAGNINO, Marcos IMBERTI, Nicolás FLAIBANI, Victoria Estefanía ORTIZ, Juan José FANARA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2020-03-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: diptera; drosophilidae; zaprionus indianus; phenotypic plasticity; life history traits; morphological traits; invaded range; native range
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-202001-0013_contribution_of_population-level_phenotypic_plasticity_to_the_invasiveness_of_zaprionus_indianus_diptera_dros.php
• ISSN: 1210-5759; 1802-8829

Zaprionus indianus is a species of fly native to the Afrotropical biogeographic region, which around twenty years ago invaded the American continent. Several studies have shown that local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of an invasive species in its native range could favour the colonization of new environments. Zaprionus indianus is a holometabolous generalist polyphagous species that breeds and feeds on the fruits of several different species, which constitute different environments. In this context, we performed a comparative analysis of the phenotypic plasticity of morphological and life history traits in response to seven different breeding environments (i.e. different breeding fruits). The comparison was of native (Africa) vs. invaded range (South America) wild-derived populations. The population-level phenotypic plasticity values related to heterogeneity in different breeding environments for most traits analysed were higher for one of the native range population. This differentiation was also recorded for the ranking across breeding environments of developmental time and wing length mean phenotypic values. In addition, mean phenotypic values pooled across fruit treatments were larger for individuals from the invaded range, which suggests local adaptation. Results define a scenario in which, although not for all the populations analysed, phenotypic plasticity contributes to the invasiveness and local adaptation in native range population of Z. indianus.