ARS | Publication request: Genetic markers to distinguish between the Psyttalia lounsburyi populations which parasitize olive fruit flies in Africa

Submitted to: Genbank
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: September 4, 2006
Publication Date: September 8, 2006
Citation: Bon, M.C., Hoelmer, K.A., Kirk, A.A., Blanchet, A., Wharton, R., Jones, W. 2006. Genetic markers to distinguish between the Psyttalia lounsburyi populations which parasitize olive fruit flies in Africa. Genbank. Available online at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez, request Nucleotide Accession numbers DQ983810, DQ983811 and DQ983812.

Technical Abstract: Psyttalia lounsburyi Loan (Hym.: Braconidae) is an African larval-pupal parasitoid of olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae). The olive fruit fly is a key pest of cultivated olives throughout the Mediterranean region, and in California since its introduction into North America. Olive fruit fly is widespread in southern, eastern and northern Africa where a diverse assemblage of natural enemies is associated with fly populations. The introduction of olive fly into California has increased interest in possibilities for its biological control. Classic methods for monitoring the presence and identity of parasitoids in host populations include a combination of dissection and rearing, both difficult and time-consuming processes. These methods are often unable to distinguish among different geographic populations of a species. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) was found to be diagnostic for two haplotypes found in populations of P. lounsburyi in West Cape, South Africa and one population in Kenya. The sequences showed significant genetic divergence between the South African and Kenyan populations and can be used to discriminate individual parasitoids from these two geographical origins, which may be useful in various stages of biological control programs. The haplotype gene sequences have been registered on line with NCBI at the internet address http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez and can be retrieved with a query of nucleotide for DQ983810, DQ3811 and DQ983812.