Sex Expression and Tail Morphology of Female Progenies of Smooth-Tail and Crenate-Tail Females of Pratylenchus penetrans

Abstract

An analysis of the offspring of single smooth- and crenate-tail females of Pratylenchus penetrans indicated the existence of progenies containing only males or females. Of the 80 progenies analyzed, 46 contained females with smooth and crenate tails. In general, regardless of the mother's tail type, most females possessed crenate tails, although more crenate-tail females originated from a crenate-tail female than from a smooth-tail female. Twenty-three progenies contained only females with crenate tails, most of them originating from crenate-tail females. One progeny originating from a smooth-tail female contained only females with smooth tails. No simple interpretation of the inheritance of tail type could be attempted because selection pressure favored females with crenate tails when P. penetrans was reared on Wando pea plants. Key Words: Wando peas, sexual forms, genetic nature, selection pressure, adaptive capability.