Abstract:  【Aim】 This study aims to investigate the gene controlling the eye color of the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera and to explore the potential influence of eye color mutants on mating capacity. 【Methods】 An orange-eye mutant was established in our insectary, and the gene symbol related to this mutant was designated as org. The genetic basis of this phenotype was determined by designing eight groups of cross-mating experiment containing three genotypes (+/+, +/org, org/org). Whether the eye color related genes influence the mating capacity in WBPH was tested in a mating competition experiment. 【Results】 This orange-eye mutant had a pair of bright orange ommatea which was distinctly different from the wild type WBPH. The orange-eye phenotype occurred in all developmental stages of WBPH: the eyespot of eggs (3 d after ovipisition) and the compound eyes of nymphs and adults of both sexes and wing morphs. Reciprocal crosses between homozygous normal-eye WBPH and orange-eye WBPH produced F₁ progeny with only normal-eye color. The sex ratio in the offspring produced from all groups was not biased to a specific sex based on Chi-square test (α=0.05, χ²_c=0.19-1.53). The mating competitiveness of the orange-eye mutant was significantly weaker than that of the wild type phenotype in WBPH. 【Conclusion】 Our results indicate that the inheritance of the orange-eye trait is controlled by an autosomal recessive allele, and eye color related gene has significant impacts on mating capacity in WBPH.

Key words: Sogatella furcifera, eye color mutant, -eye')">orange-eye, autosomal recessive allele, hybridization experiment, mating competition