Monday, 18 November 2002
D0177

This presentation is part of : Display Presentations, Subsection Ca. Biological Control

Variations between two strains of Aphelinus albipodus: A parasitoid of soybean aphid

Zhishan Wu1, George Heimpel1, Keith R. Hopper2, David R. Prokrym3, and Robert J. O'Neil4. (1) University of Minnesota, Department of Entomology, 219 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Ave, St. Paul, MN, (2) USDA, BIIR, 501 S. Chapel St, Newark, DE, (3) USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Invasive Pests Management Laboratory, 2534 South 11th Street, Niles, MI, (4) Purdue University, Department of Entomology, W. Lafayette, IN

We compared the genetic and biological differences of two geographical strains of the soybean aphid parasitoid, Aphelinus albipodus Hayat & Fatima. The two strains, which are morphologically undifferentiated, can be distinguished by ca. 1% variation in the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) sequence and by RAPD-PCR markers. However, their ITS2 sequences are identical. Reciprocal crossing studies between the two strains showed that the strains are reproductively compatible. There were also no differences between the number of mummies produced per female, offspring size, sex ratio, copulation duration or mating time between the two strains. Wolbachia was detected in both strains using standard PCR.

Species 1: Hymenoptera Aphelinidae Aphelinus albipodus
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis glycines (soybean aphid)
Keywords: ITS1, RAPD-PCR

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