Marie-Claude Bon

Dr Bon is a molecular biologist with an emphasis in evolution working at the USDA-ARS EBCL since 2000. Her research interests center around understanding the evolutionary factors driving the specificity of a potential biological control agent, the invasiveness of an agricultural pest or weed to control and how improvements in the lab can be translated to improvements in classical biological control. Primary research interest involves population genetics, phylogeography, genomics, molecular taxonomy, and development of molecular diagnostic tools.

Areas of Scientific Interest

Her work is dedicated to comparing the genetic constitution of populations of the invasive pests or weeds with their native populations in efforts to trace back the origin of the invasion and determine the pattern of invasions into new areas. Importantly, the identification of the source populations of detrimental invasions by search of genetic matching has key implications for a biological control program as it maximizes the likelihood of selecting host-compatible biological control agents. Emphasis of her work is placed equally on the analysis of the population-genetic structure of potential biological control agents in their native range which can improve the ability of revealing host-specific biotypes that could be hidden within species that were thought not to be specialized on the target pest.

Her work is also dedicated to the use of molecular taxonomy as part of an integrative taxonomic approach for the potential discovery of distinct evolutionary lineages in morphologically uniform species, the identification, delineation and description of species with a focus on parasitoids.

DNA fingerprint of the Samourai wasp, a biological control agent of the
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The use of molecular taxonomy to the biological material used throughout the biological control program makes possible to implement quality and traceability procedures, which will be required before regulatory agencies grant permission to release biological control agents.

Publications

Marie-Claude Bon's publications

Research Projects

• Integrated Pest Management and classical biological control against invasive arthropods and weeds.
• Phylogeography and population genetics approaches for understanding invasion patterns of arthropod pests and noxious weeds and associated pathways. Current target pests are : Bagrada bug (Bagrada hilaris), Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma), the olive psyllid (Euphyllura olivina). Current target weeds are : Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) and stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens).
• Molecular taxonomy of potential biological control agents with a focus on parasitoids of Bagrada bug, viburnum leaf beetle, allium leaf miner, olive psyllid, and natural enemies of Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), stinkwort and Sahara mustard.

Visual representation (DNA  electrophoregram) of a DNA sequence
produced by a sequencing machine

• Development and use of molecular diagnostic tools for sensitive detection of parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with viburnum leaf beetle, diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella and recently on the cattle fever tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) and the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).

Three generations of EBCL scientists to help Ricky Lara (CDFA) control the pest of Cole crops, Diamondback moth in California

•  Identification of trophic links and host-parasite association.

Fatiha Guermache preparing ticks for DNA analysis