title: Discrimination of two natural biocontrol agents in the Mediterranean region based on mitochondrial DNA sequencing data.
abstract: Macrolophus pygmaeus and M. melanotoma (Hemiptera: Miridae) are biological control agents used in greenhouse crops, the former preferring plants of the Solanaceae family and the latter the aster Dittrichia viscosa. The discrimination of these species is of high significance for effective biological pest control, but identification based on morphological characters of the host plant is not always reliable. In this study, sequencing analysis of mitochondrial gene segments 12S rDNA and COI has been combined with crossing experiments and morphological observations to develop new markers for Macrolophus spp. discrimination and to provide new data on their genetic variability. This is the first comprehensive research in Greece on M. pygmaeus and M. melanotoma genetic variability based on sequencing data from 12S rDNA and COI gene segments. The relationship of this variability to host plant preference must be investigated in an agricultural ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Evangelou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouga
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Emmanouel
authors.forename: D Ch
authors.initials: DCh
authors.lastname: Perdikis
authors.forename: G Th
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Papadoulis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019659:Asteraceae; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D006115:Greece; D006239:Haplotypes; D020062:Heteroptera / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D032322:Solanum; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV