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Release and recovery in South Africa of the exotic aphid parasitoid Aphelinus hordei verified by the polymerase chain reaction

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Abstract

The exotic aphid parasitoid Aphelinushordei Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was released at five Russian wheat aphid [Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko)] infested wheat fields in the eastern parts of the Free State Province of South Africa during the 1998 and 1999 growing seasons. Except for differences in the setae on the ventralside of the forewings, this species is verysimilar in colour and structure to A.varipes (Foerster) and A. albipodusHayat & Fatima, which also parasitise D.noxia. It is therefore difficult todistinguish between them, and to determinetheir establishment. Therefore a polymerasechain reaction, using specific primers for bothITS2 and mitochondrial 16s DNA sequencesof the three parasitoids, followed by HinfIrestriction endonuclease digestion and agarosegel electrophoresis, was tested to distinguishbetween them. Parasitoid recoveries were madeat the release sites within weeks after theywere released. Putative individuals of A.hordei were also collected during 1999 and2000 on D. noxia in Lesotho, whichis situated on the eastern border of the FreeState Province. The procedure separated the three Aphelinus spp.reliably. Between 94 and 100% of theindividuals recovered during the two fieldseasons were identified as being A.hordei, thus verifying recovery of this exoticaphid parasitoid in South Africa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Research Council – Small Grain Institute, Bethlehem, South Africa

    G. Prinsloo

  2. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA

    Y. Chen & K.L. Giles

  3. Plant Science and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, 1301 North Western Street, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA

    M.H. Grenstone

Authors
  1. G. Prinsloo
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  2. Y. Chen
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  3. K.L. Giles
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  4. M.H. Grenstone
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Correspondence to G. Prinsloo.

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Prinsloo, G., Chen, Y., Giles, K. et al. Release and recovery in South Africa of the exotic aphid parasitoid Aphelinus hordei verified by the polymerase chain reaction. BioControl 47, 127–136 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014507230681

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014507230681

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