Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296130
Title: A DNA marker to track Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) dispersal

Author
item JENKINS, TRACIE - University Of Georgia
item EATON, TYLER - University Of Georgia
item Cottrell, Ted
item Amis, Alicia
item HORTON, DAN - University Of Georgia
item ALSTON, DIANE - Utah State University

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2013
Publication Date: 1/27/2013
Citation: Jenkins, T.M., Eaton, T.M., Cottrell, T.E., Amis, A.A., Horton, D.L., Alston, D.G. 2013. A DNA marker to track Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) dispersal. Journal of Entomological Society. 49(1):91-93.

Interpretive Summary: The plum curculio is a weevil that attacks pome and stone fruits across the eastern U.S. In Georgia and South Carolina, plum curculio is the most destructive pest of peach fruit on which they feed and into which they oviposit. Peach infested with plum curculio may limit availability of markets, especially export markets. A DNA verification system designed specifically to track dispersal of plum curculio from Georgia could be used to track and/or verify infestations. Although the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequence can separate strains of the northern from southern plum curculio, it is not variable enough for regional intraspecific identification. Here we have shown that a DNA marker can be used to determine which region of the eastern U.S. served as the source of infested fruit.

Technical Abstract: Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, is a pest of pome and stone fruits across the eastern U.S. In Georgia and South Carolina, plum curculio is the most destructive pest of peach fruit on which they feed and into which they oviposit. Peach infested with plum curculio may limit availability of markets, especially export markets. A DNA verification system designed specifically to track dispersal of plum curculio from Georgia could be used to track and/or verify infestations. Although the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequence can separate strains of the northern from southern plum curculio, it is not variable enough for regional intraspecific identification. Here we have shown that the ITS region of the rDNA cluster amplified and sequenced with primers CS249 and CS250 has the discriminating power to provide an efficient, PCR-based, DNA marker with which to track plum curculio dispersal as well as possible source populations.