Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit
2019 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Population genetics of host specificity documented. Levels of parasitism by populations of Aphelinus certus, a parasitoid of the soybean aphid, varied among aphid species, suggesting adaptation to locally abundant aphids. Differences in host specificity among parasitoid populations correlated with genetic differences among them. Whether different populations of the same natural enemy species vary in host specificity and the genetic basis of these differences are important because a major part of the search for natural enemies for introduction against invasive pests involves evaluating host specificity in laboratory experiments.
