BIOSYSTEMATICS OF THE GENUS EUXOA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE): VI. ESTERASE ISOZYMES OF NATURAL POPULATIONS OF EUXOA DECLARATA AND EUXOA CAMPESTRIS

Abstract

Two regions of esterase isozyme activity have been examined in Euxoa declarata (Walker) and E. campestris (Grote) and in their laboratory-reared hybrids. The two species could be distinguished in terms of one group of isozyme phenotypes although there was a small amount of overlap of phenotypes in one region. Two populations of E. campestris examined could not be distinguished clearly from each other. Canonical analysis was used to compare the two species and the populations within each species and the hybrids obtained by crossing various components of the two species. The generalized distance between the species appeared much larger than between populations; the hybrids appeared closer to the male parent.