Phytoparasitica (1996) 24, 128-129

David Nestel and Smadar Hirsh (1996)
Population genetics of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Israel
Phytoparasitica 24 (2), 128-129
The 8th Conference of the Entomological Society of Israel, January 18, 1996 (Bet Dagan, Israel)
Abstract: We are currently utilizing the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) technique to investigate the population genetics of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) in Israel. In this procedure, short stretches of DNA are amplified in a polymerase chain reaction directed by an oligonucleotide of arbitrary sequence. The amplification results in a characteristic set of products that can be used as a polymorphic genetic marker. Resulting patterns can be used to calculate (by means of statistical methods, i.e., multivariate classification methods) the withinpopulation genetic variability and the genetic distance between populations. Preliminary results suggest that the within-population variability of the medfly is high, and also that different populations of the medfly in the country can be differentiated by their distinct genetic patterns. It is expected that the study of the genetic patterns of the different populations of the medfly in the country will allow us to understand the colonization and dispersal history of the fly in Israel, and the effect of geographic isolation and breeding host on the genetic makeup of the population. Information derived from this study is expected to complement our knowledge on the ecology of the medfly in Israel. The information may be used in the future design of alternative strategies of control, and in the application of the sterile insect technique in Israel.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): David Nestel

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ceratitis capitata		Israel