Insect Science (2009) 16, 277-285

Yu Cheng Zhu and Quentin Q. Fang (2009)
The phylogenetic relationships of introduced Aphelinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), biological control agents of the Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Insect Science 16 (3), 277-285
Abstract: Several species of Aphelinus have been introduced to the US from the Old World for biological control of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Modvilko). Reproductive incompatibility has been observed among populations collected from different geographic areas. We examined whether or not the reproductive incompatibility between strains of A. asychis was caused by distant phylogenetic relationships. Ribosomal DNA sequences of internal transcribed spacers 2 (ITS2) were analyzed in several species of Aphelinus collected from multiple sites of Europe and Asia. The phylogenetic analysis showed that strains within the species A. albipodus and A. asychis are not monophyletic, and two clearly divergent clades were revealed among sequenced samples. Our results suggest that the reproductive incompatibility between three exotic strains of A. asychis was more likely caused by divergence of phylogeny than by symbiotic bacteria.
(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): Quentin Q. Fang

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
identification/taxonomy
molecular biology - genes

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diuraphis noxia
Aphelinus asychis (parasitoid)	Diuraphis noxia
Aphelinus albipodus (parasitoid)