Larvae of closely related parasitoid taxa often lack morphological differences that can be used for species level identification. Determining the parasitoid species present in a host population may require rearing, often a time-consuming process. To monitor field parasitism rates by several species of Peristenus wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) that are natural enemies of Lygus (Heteroptera: Miridae), we have developed a two-step molecular approach. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the COI gene with wasp-targeting primers is performed on DNA extracted from a Lygus nymph and the parasitoid larva (if any) therein. A positive reaction indicates parasitoid presence. A restriction digest of the PCR product then indicates which parasitoid species is present among known alternatives, and a diagnosis is achieved in days rather than weeks or months.
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1 May 2000
Determining Parasitoid Species Composition in a Host Population: A Molecular Approach
Kelley J. Tilmon,
Bryan N. Danforth,
William H. Day,
Michael P. Hoffmann
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Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Vol. 93 • No. 3
May 2000
Vol. 93 • No. 3
May 2000
DNA identification technique
Lygus lineolaris
parasitoid
PCR-RFLP
Peristenus