Increased density of endosymbiotic Buchnera related to pesticide resistance in yellow morph of melon aphid

Abstract

Many invertebrates develop into different color morphs in response to changes in environmental conditions. Color morphs can differ in their biology and stress tolerance including pesticide resistance, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we found that yellow morphs (predominant in hot summer conditions) of an agricultural pest, the melon aphid Aphis gossypii, have higher levels of resistance to the commonly used pesticides imidacloprid and sulfoxaflor compared to the green morphs (predominant in cooler spring and autumn conditions), while no difference was found in morph resistance to the antibiotic/pesticide avermectin. Transcriptome analysis and biochemical assays of enzym..