Bulletin of Entomological Research (2012) 102, 632-643

A.J. Johnson, P.G. Weintraub, R. Katoch, B.J. Schemerhorn and R.H. Shukle (2012)
Biological and molecular characterization of Hessian fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Israel
Bulletin of Entomological Research 102 (6), 632-643
Abstract: Samples of a dipteran pest of wheat were tested to confirm identity, describe local populations and suggest the use of deploying resistance (R) genes in wheat cultivars for control of Mayetiola destructor, Hessian fly (HF). Morphological evaluation of adults and a free-choice oviposition preference test documenting that females overwhelmingly preferred to oviposit on wheat instead of barley supported they were HF. Using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (coxI), the Barcoding Region, nine haplotypes were revealed. Two were found only in the Israeli collections and averaged 3% sequence divergence compared to the other seven haplotypes found in the United States, Israel and Syria. In evaluations of virulence, the Israeli HF in culture was virulent to 11 of the 19 (R) genes tested, and complementation analysis documented that, for four of the R genes tested, the Israeli HF shared loci for virulence with HF from the United States. Levels of HF infestation at seven Israeli fields were at least at the 5-8% level, which historically has indicated a significant yield loss. Microsatellite genotyping of the five HF collections from Israel revealed mixed populations in Israel that are distinctly separate from the single population in Syria.
(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): Phyllis G. Weintraub, Brandon J. Schemerhorn

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Mayetiola destructor		Syria
	Mayetiola destructor	Wheat (Triticum)	Israel