Artigo
Fluctuating asymmetry in insecticide-resistant and insecticide-susceptible strains of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Autor
Ribeiro, B.
Guedes, R. N. C.
Corrêa, A. S.
Santos, C. T.
Institución
Resumen
Insecticide resistance is an evolutionary response of specific insect populations subjected to exposure and consequent selection by an insecticide. As such, this phenomenon is
important as a biomonitoring strategy and also has economical
importance in the case of insect-pests by compromising their
control. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral traits is a
measure of developmental instability also suggested as a
monitoring tool for environmental pollution with potential
consequences for fitness. Responses to selective agents might
have pleiotropic effects influencing development and pheno-
type, which has yet to be examined for agricultural insecticides
and insect-pests. Higher levels of FA are expected in the
insecticide-resistant strains, which are usually at a selective
disadvantage, relative to susceptible strains, in the absence of
the insecticide. Two insecticide-resistant strains and an
insecticide-susceptible strain of the maize pest insect Sitophi-
lus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were subjected to FA
measurements in 12 traits of wing veins and tibias of 100
individuals of both sexes of each strain. The insecticide-
resistant strains showed lower FA than the susceptible strain,
in contrast with the initial expectation. An extended period of
insecticide selection probably led to the evolution of fitness-
modifier genes improving the performance of the resistant
genotypes, reducing their FA levels, and leading to their
eventual fixation in the population. In addition, one insecti-
cide-resistant strain and the insecticide-susceptible strain
showed significant differences in FA between sexes, with more
symmetrical males suggesting possible sexual selection by the
females. The observed results have potential consequences for
insecticide-resistance evolution and dispersal.