Pest Management Science (2017) 73, 2334-2344

Nicola K. Richards, Sarah Mansfield, Richard J. Townsend and Colin M. Ferguson (2017)
Genetic variation within species and haplotypes of the Wiseana (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) complex and development of non-sequenced based identification tools to aid field studies
Pest Management Science 73 (11), 2334-2344
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Porina is the common name used to describe moths and caterpillars of the seven endemic species and three haplotypes of Wiseana in New Zealand. Several species have adapted to eating introduced pasture plants; however, a paucity of defining morphological characteristics has meant that porina are grouped as indistinguishable species within a complex. This study aimed to develop non-sequencing identification methods for porina species.
RESULTS
We sequenced 1718 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase genes for all Wiseana species and haplotypes using 75 specimens collected from 42 sites throughout New Zealand. Two identification methods were developed; the high-resolution melt method uses 106 bp of the cytochrome oxidase I gene, and the restriction fragment polymorphism method uses a larger 700 bp region from the same gene. Validation was performed on a further 275 specimens. Melt curve profiles varied more with population heterogeneity than digest results. In both methods, W. mimica and W. jocosa were inseparable. W. fuliginea grouped with W. mimica and W. jocosa in the restriction method, but the melt curve profile differed.
CONCLUSION
Until now, ecological studies of porina at the species level have been implausible. Our non-sequencing based methods allow rapid identification of moths and caterpillars to species and haplotype level, paving the way for ecological studies of pasture pest species and the development of species-specific mitigation strategies.
(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): Sarah Mansfield

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Wiseana fuliginea		New Zealand
	Wiseana jocosa		New Zealand
	Wiseana mimica		New Zealand