Bulletin of Entomological Research (1996) 86, 355-361

Peter A. Follett and George K. Roderick (1996)
Genetic estimates of dispersal ability in the leucaena psyllid predator Curinus coeruleus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): implications for biological control
Bulletin of Entomological Research 86 (4), 355-361
Abstract: The leucaena psyllid Heteropsylla cubana Crawford, can devastate plantings of Leucaena leucocephala (Leguminosae), an economically important tree species in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Australia, India, Africa, and elsewhere. The predatory beetle, Curinus coeruleus Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), has been introduced into many of these areas from Hawaii for biological control of the psyllid. In this study, collections of C. coeruleus were made from 11 populations on four islands in the Hawaiian archipelago to determine population structure and estimate levels of gene flow. Over all populations, a measure of population subdivision, Theta, was 0.095, and the estimate of N_em, the average migration rate, was 2.4. Theta values for the individual islands were 0.02, 0.12, 0.24 and 0.05 for Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu, respectively. Estimated levels of gene flow between populations were not correlated with geographic distance, therefore isolation by distance does not appear to be an important process structuring C. coeruleus populations. Gene flow estimates can be used to characterize dispersal capabilities in insects or other organisms released for biological control. In this case, the inferior dispersal ability of C. coeruleus likely limits its rapid widespread establishment during release programmes.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Peter A. Follett, George Roderick

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
population dynamics/epizootiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Heteropsylla cubana		U.S.A. (Hawaii)
Curinus coeruleus (predator)	Heteropsylla cubana		U.S.A. (Hawaii)