Journal of Insect Science (2006) 6 (26), 1-8

S. Subramanian and S. Mohankumar (2006)
Genetic variability of the bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, occurring on different host plants
Journal of Insect Science 6 (26), 1-8
Abstract: The bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest of worldwide occurrence inflicting annual crop damage in India worth US $1 billion. In India this insect occurs as a major pest in many economically important crops, including cotton, pigeonpea, chickpea, tomato, okra, and blackgram. Understanding the genetic variation among the H. armigera populations occurring on host plants has become essential to understand the variation in their susceptibility to different insecticides, including Bacillus thuringiensis. This preliminary study uses 10 microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, to provide insight into the genetic variability of H. armigera populations from six different host plants. Nine of the SSR primers indicated high variability across the different host associated populations with polymorphism ranging from 75 to 100 per cent. Using the un-weighted pair-group method analysis, H. armigera collected and reared from cotton stood out as unique in one cluster while the insects collected and reared on all other hosts grouped separately.
(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): Sevgan Subramanian

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa armigera	Green pepper/chilli (Capsicum)	India
	Helicoverpa armigera	Cotton (Gossypium)	India
	Helicoverpa armigera	Cowpea and relatives (Vigna)	India
	Helicoverpa armigera	Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)	India