Many foliage-feeding insect species have the ability to grow successfully on a wide variety of host plant species. Little is known about the underlying role of genes and physiological plasticity in this tremendous diet breadth. The proposed research will measure the genetic and environmental components of response of a natural gypsy moth population to four hosts: red oak, chestnut oak, quaking aspen, and pitch pine. These data will provide 1) an integrated view of the relationship between host use and both gene expression and phenotypic plasticity for developmental and reproductive characteristics of the gypsy moth, and 2) an estimate of the potential for the evolution of diet breadth in a gypsy moth population. Additionally, this research will investigate non-genetic, intergenerational effects of the host plant on insect fitness by determining the effect of parent's nutritional experience on development and reproduction in their offspring. This research will contribute significantly to the field of evolutionary ecology by improving our understanding of diet breadth in insects, and by determining whether use of a particular host species can alter development and reproduction. The results of this research will provide valuable baseline data for research in insect control. The study is the first investigation of the genetics of diet breadth, development, and reproduction in the North American gypsy moth, a costly pest of both deciduous and coniferous tree species. The research will also afford an excellent opportunity to document the evolutionary potential of this colonizing species, introduced to North America only 120 years ago.
