Journal of Insect Science (2003) 3 (33), p. 13 (Kester et al.)
Karen M. Kester, M. Kathleene Jensen, Alexandra Sledd and Bonnie L. Brown (2003)
Microsatellites illustrate tritrophic relationships of the parasitoid, Cotesia congregata (Say) [Hymenoptera: Braconidae]
Journal of Insect Science 3 (33), 13-13
XIII International Entomophagous Insects Workshop - July 27-31, 2003, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
Abstract: Eight microsatellite loci were developed and tested for usefulness in determining population structure by assaying two groups of the insect parasitoid, Cotesia congregata (Say) [Hymenoptera: Braconidae]. One group originated from Manduca sexta L. and Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth) on tomato and tobacco ("solanaceous group") and the other from Ceratomia catalpae (Boisduval) on catalpa ("catalpa group"). One locus was monomorphic and seven were polymorphic. Allelic distributions differed significantly between the solanaceous and catalpa groups (P=0 for each locus and overall, Fisher's exact test). FST was < 1 for within-group comparisons across all loci; FST was > 0.47 for between-group comparisons across all loci. These results lend support to the hypothesis that host plant association is a significant factor influencing population structure of this species. Wasps from the solanaceous and catalpa groups were examined further for mtDNA and rDNA variation to investigate their status as sibling species. One conserved mtDNA gene (16S) showed considerable population genetic variation and a single fixed nucleotide difference between the two groups. Investigation of the more variable mtDNA D-loop is now underway to evaluate the possibility that these groups are incipient species.
Database assignments for author(s): Karen M. Kester, Bonnie L. Brown
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
molecular biology - genes
general biology - morphology - evolution
