A geometric morphometric study on geographical Iranian populations of the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Multivariate analyses of the morphological variation in five geographical populations of the podborer, Helicoverpa armigera (HUbner), was performed using 15 and 12 landmarks seleeted from the foreandhindwings respectively. Using their geometric morphometric characters (26 in the forewings and 20in the hindwings), 287 and 277 images of fore- and hindwings were made respectively. Analyses of sizeshowed the wings of the females are bigger than those of the males (forewing: F = 3.98, P = 0.047;hindwing: F = 14.62, P = 0.000) on populations tested. The discriminant function analysis (DFA) of foreandhirdwings differentiated five geographical populations with 86.1% and 69.3%, respectively. Themultivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) of shape variables in fore- and hindwings indicatedsignificant differences among populations as well as sexes (at least for one of the shape variables). Sexinteraction within the populations was significant in fore- and hindwings, particularly based on thehindwing landmarks. The relative warp analysis (RWA) showed well-supported discrimination betweensexes. The results showed significant difference between the sexes and also within the populations.