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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #137436
Title: DIVERGENCE OF THREE POPULATIONS OF LYSIPHLEBUS TESTACEIPES (HYMENOPTERA: APHIDIIDAE) DIFFERING IN COLD TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE

Author
item Shufran, Kevin
item JONES, DOUGLAS - OKLAHOMA ST. UNIV.
item Weathersbee Iii, Albert
item Elliott, Norman - Norm
item CHEN, YI - ALDERSON-BROADDUS COLLEGE
item PIKE, KEITH - WASHINGTON ST. UNIV.

Submitted to: Society for the Study of Evolution
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2002
Publication Date: 6/28/2002
Citation: Shufran, K.A., Jones, D.B., Weathersbee III, A.A., Elliott, N.C., Chen, Y., Pike, K.S. 2002. Divergence of three populations of Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) differing in cold temperature tolerance. Society for the Study of Evolution.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson is a solitary endoparasitoid of aphids and native to the US. It is the most widely distributed aphid parasitoid in the US and has a large host range. Furthermore, L. testaceipes is the primary parasitoid attacking cereal aphids in the Great Plains from Texas to North Dakota. In a previous study it was found that a Nebraska population had a much higher survivorship at cold temperatures than a population from Oklahoma and Texas. This suggested local adaptation to the environment and perhaps partitioning of populations. To test this, we examined a 500 bp portion of the mtDNA COI gene for sequence divergence. However, we found no variation among these populations. There was significant COI and 18S variation between the Great Plains populations and populations from Florida and Spain, suggesting partitioning by geography and/or host. Currently, we are examining the mtDNA 16S RNA gene for sequence divergence among these and other populations. Minor variation was found in the 16S region of populations from the Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest.