Two exotic crane fly species, Tipula paludosa Meigen (Diptera: Tipulidae), and Tipula oleracea L., have been inadvertently introduced into the Pacific Northwest. Larvae of both species damage lawns, turf, grass seed, and crops such as peppermint. In addition, the native crane fly, T. tristis Doane, has also been observed in cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest. These three crane fly species differ in larval development, and hence there is variation in treatment strategies. However, larvae of the exotic and the native species are undistinguishable, often resulting in unwarranted insecticide sprays. Additionally, insecticides are applied to other native crane flies in the same habitats due to their resemblances to the exotics. A rapid, accurate identification tool is required for reducing pesticides used for crane fly control.
We initiated a study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence determination for species identification at the larval stage. We identified a diagnostic marker, 410 bp long (excluding primer sequences) with 7.3% sequence divergence between T. paludosa and T. oleracea. An unknown sample that was tested was identical to T. oleracea. The molecular marker is being tested for identification of T. tristisand other crane fly larvae collected from cropping systems in WA and OR, to determine geographical distribution, species abundance, host range and economic impacts of crane fly species on cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest.
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