Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Diel Rhythm of Feeding and Mating Behaviors of the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis

Version 1 : Received: 5 June 2023 / Approved: 5 June 2023 / Online: 5 June 2023 (13:35:11 CEST)

How to cite: Kim, C.; Akter, S.; Kim, Y. Diel Rhythm of Feeding and Mating Behaviors of the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Preprints 2023, 2023060327. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0327.v1 Kim, C.; Akter, S.; Kim, Y. Diel Rhythm of Feeding and Mating Behaviors of the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Preprints 2023, 2023060327. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0327.v1

Abstract

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is invasive and polyphagous. Its visual signal plays a crucial role in host location, suggesting that thrips has diurnal behavior. However, any diel rhythmicity of the thrips behavior is not yet well understood. This study analyzed the diurnal rhythmicity of the feeding and mating behaviors of thrips, and the patterns were explained in terms of diel rhythmicity by assessing the expression of genes associated with the circadian clock. Most feeding behaviors were observed during photophase in both larvae and adults. In mating behavior, which is mainly exhibited in 2~3 days-old young adults after emergence, most adults copulated at photophase. This diurnal pattern of the mating behavior was further supported by the analysis of a temporal calling behavior for mating, which was biased toward photophase. Four genes associated with the circadian clock were predicted in the F. occidentalis genome: period (PER), Timeless (TIM), Doubletime (DBT), and clock (CLK). All these genes exhibited a characteristic diel pattern in their gene expressions in a 24 h-period. The high expression peaks of these genes except for DBT were observed at photophase. To confirm the functional association of these genes with the feeding and mating behaviors, individual RNA interference specific to each gene was executed by feeding the gene-specific double-stranded RNA. Aside from DBT, suppression of these gene expressions resulted in significant deviations of the diel rhythms of the behaviors. These results suggest that the genetic components of the diel rhythmicity mediate the diurnal feeding and mating behaviors of F. occidentalis.

Keywords

Circadian clock; Frankliniella occidentalis; Feeding; Mating; Behavior

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Insect Science

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