title: Species identification of aphids (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae) through DNA barcodes.
abstract: A 658-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA from the 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene has been adopted as the standard DNA barcode region for animal life. In this study, we test its effectiveness in the discrimination of over 300 species of aphids from more than 130 genera. Most (96%) species were well differentiated, and sequence variation within species was low, averaging just 0.2%. Despite the complex life cycles and parthenogenetic reproduction of aphids, DNA barcodes are an effective tool for identification.
authors.affiliation: National Environmental Health Program, Invertebrate Biodiversity, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K. W. Neatby Bldg., 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0C6, Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Foottit
authors.forename: H E L
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Maw
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: VON Dohlen
authors.forename: P D N
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hebert