Molecular Identification and Detection of Lysiphlebus fabarum (Hym.: Braconidae): A Key Parasitoid of Aphids, by Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

Authors
S. Rahimi Kaldeh 1
R. Hosseini 1
J. Hajizadeh 1
M. M. Sohani 2
1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
All species in the genus Lysiphlebus Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae) are solitary endoparasitoids of aphids, which are one of the most difficult and unknown taxonomic groups to identify. A pair of species-specific primers as a molecular marker was designed to identify the most abundant and important aphid parasitoid wasp, L. fabarum Marshall, collected from Guilan province (Iran). This primer pair, which produces a 148 bp fragment length, was developed for L. fabarum by using the ATPase 6 gene region of mitochondrial DNA. The lower detection limit to amplify DNA of L. fabarum in a singleplex PCR was determined to be 72 pg of parasitoid DNA/µl PCR which was enough to detect this parasitoid in early life stages within its host. The L. fabarum eggs cannot be detected within Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) earlier than 12 hours after oviposition. A pair of species specific primers designed for L. fabarum can be used to monitor the wasp populations under field conditions.

Keywords

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 14, Issue 7
November and December 2012
Pages 1453-1463