Landmark and outline-based geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape of normal and gamma-irradiated Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

The geometric-morphometric method has become a vital tool for examining shape and size variations. The current study analyzed the effect of gamma radiation on wing characteristics of sterile and normal Medflies, C. capitata, on landmark-and outline-based geometric morphometrics. In landmark-based, there were significant differences in weight matrices as shape variable, but the centroid size as size variable was statistically non-significant between the two populations. PCA of the sterile and normal populations manifested a clear distinction from the results. MANOVA further ascertained significant wing shape differences between sterile and normal populations. In the outline-based approach, PCA of the contours revealed that 10 out of the 80 principal components effectively explained shape attributes. The statistical tests were utilized to introduce the significant influence considered in the sterile insect technique (SIT) because, in the long run, these changes may distort the results of SIT project.

Keywords

• geometric morphometric
• outline approach
• landmark approach
• sterile insect technique
• c. capitata