RAPD-PCR is being explored as a molecular technique to differentiate between populations of B. anurus, a larval parasitoid of the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Biological control of the alfalfa weevil using B. anurus and similar control agents has been successful in the northeastern U.S., but the weevil still remains a pest in parts of Virginia. The presence of strains or biotypes of B. anurus is one potential explanation for the differences in rates of H. postica parasitization seen between the southwestern and Piedmont regions of Virginia. RAPD-PCR may detect genetic differences between the two populations of the parasitoid. While it would be inappropriate to conclude that the presence of genetic differences is responsible for the differences in levels of control, the absence of any genetic differences would be a good indication that strains do not exist.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Bathyplectes anurus
Species 2: Coleoptera Curculionidae Hypera postica (alfalfa weevil)
Keywords: biotypes, RAPD-PCR
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA