Data from: Genotype × environment interaction in the allometry of body, genitalia, and signal traits in Enchenopa treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)

Developmental plasticity may promote divergence by exposing genetic variation to selection in novel ways in new environments. We tested for this effect in the static allometry (i.e., scaling on body size) of traits in advertisement signals, body and genitalia. We used a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers - a clade of plant–feeding insects in which speciation is associated with colonization of novel environments involving marked divergence in signals, subtle divergence in body size and shape, and no apparent divergence in genitalia. We found no change in mean allometric slopes across environments, but substantial genetic variation and genotype × environment interaction (G×E) in allometry. The allometry of signal traits showed the most genetic variation and G×E, and that of genitalia showed the weakest G×E. Our findings suggest that colonizing novel environments may have stronger diversifying consequences for signal allometry than for genitalia allometry.

发育可塑性（developmental plasticity）可通过在新环境中以全新方式将遗传变异暴露于自然选择之下，从而促进种群分化。我们针对该效应，在求偶信号、躯体及外生殖器相关性状的静态异速生长（static allometry，即基于体型的比例缩放关系）中展开了检验。我们选用了二斑恩斯角蝉（Enchenopa binotata）物种复合体中的一员——该类群为植食性昆虫支系，其物种形成与新环境定殖相关联，伴随的特征包括：信号存在显著分化、躯体大小与形态存在细微分化，而外生殖器无明显分化。研究发现，不同环境下的平均异速生长斜率未发生改变，但异速生长中存在显著的遗传变异与基因型×环境互作（genotype × environment interaction, G×E）。信号相关性状的异速生长表现出最多的遗传变异与G×E，而外生殖器相关性状的异速生长的G×E效应最弱。本研究结果表明，定殖新环境对信号相关性状异速生长的分化促进效应，可能强于对外生殖器相关性状异速生长的分化促进效应。