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Title: Molecular and morphometric analyses of Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin and Chiappinni and A. ustulatus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)

Author
item De Leon, Jesus
item TRIAPITSYN, SERGUEI - UNIV. OF CA - RIVERSIDE
item MATTEUCIG, GIUSTINIANO - UNIV. DEGLI DI NAPOLI, IT
item VIGGIANI, GENNARO - UNIV. DEGLI DI NAPOLI, IT

Submitted to: Bollettino Di Entomologia Agraria
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2008
Publication Date: 5/10/2009
Citation: De Leon, J.H., Triapitsyn, S.V., Matteucig, G., Viggiani, G. 2009. Molecular and morphometric analyses of Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin and Chiappinni and A. ustulatus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Entomologia Agraria Filippo Silvestri. 62:75-88.

Interpretive Summary: Egg parasitoids belonging to the genus Anagrus are important biological control agents used against leafhopper pests in the United States and Europe, including countries, such as, New Zealand. Species of Anagrus are tiny and very difficult to distinguish morphologically. Being able to discriminate among very closely related species is extremely important for biological control programs to be successful. In the current study, we analyzed three species of Anagrus by molecular methods, A. erythroneurae, A. ustulatus, and A. atomus. The three species are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Morphometric analyses were unable to uncover differences among the three species, whereas a couple of molecular methods (ISSR-PCR DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequencing) identified genetic differentiation among the three species. In addition, we determined with our molecular methods that one of the species (A. ustulatus), thought to be unintentionally introduced into New Zealand was not A. ustulatus, but rather it was very similar to A. erythroneurae.

Technical Abstract: Molecular [based on inter-simple sequence repeat-polymerase chain reaction (ISSR-PCR) DNA fingerprinting, the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 partial gene (COI), and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2)], and morphometric analyses were applied to differentiate the similar and apparently closely related species, Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin & Chiappini from North America (California, USA) and A. ustulatus Haliday from Europe (Campania and Toscana, Italy). The common Holarctic species A. atomus (Linnaeus) was also included in the molecular study for comparative analysis (specimens from Iran). Although the morphometric analysis of the females did not show any meaningful morphological differences between A. erythroneurae and A. ustulatus, the presented molecular data support their separation from each other. With the exception of the ITS2 rDNA fragment, both the COI gene fragment and ISSR-PCR DNA fingerprinting also discriminated A. atomus from the above mentioned species. The molecular work also revealed significant genetic variation in these species.