A molecular phylogeny for the frog genus Limnodynastes (Anura: myobatrachidae)

Members of the genus Limnodynastes are a prominent and widespread feature of the Australian frog fauna. Yet despite their potential to be informative about biogeographic history and mechanisms of speciation, the relationships among these taxa are not well known. We investigated phylogenetic relationships within the genus Limnodynastes via sequencing of mitochondrial (mt)DNA from current members of the genus Limnodynastes and the monotypic genus Megistolotis. a 450-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene and a 370-bp fragment of the protein-coding gene ND4 were used to infer a molecular phylogeny. We revise traditional species groupings and now recognize four species groups within Limnodynastes: the L. ornatus group (L. ornatus and L. spenceri), the L. peronii group (L. peronii, L. tasmaniensis, L. fletcheri, the L. depressus), the L. salmini group (L. salmini, L. convexiusculus, and L. lignarius), and the L. dorsalis group (L. dorsalis, L. terraereginae, L. dumerilii and L. interioris). The L. ornatus species group forms a highly distinctive clade that is a sister group to the other Limnodynastes groups. Pending broader phylogenetic studies it could be removed from the genus Limnodynastes. Our results concur with previous suggestions that Megistolotis lignarius is nested within Limnodynastes, and we therefore reclassify this species as Limnodynastes lignarius. Furthermore, specimens identified as L. depressus form a mtDNA lineage distinct from other species in the genus, confirming the validity of the species. Specimens of species from the L. dorsalis group (L. dorsalis, L. dumerilii, L. interioris, and L. terraereginae) are closely related such that L. dumerilii is paraphyletic with two other species. Finally, our study provides broad support for previous phylogenies based on microcomplement fixation.     

Heavy metal pollution negatively correlates with anuran species richness and distribution in south‐eastern Australia

Heavy metal pollution has likely played an important role in global biodiversity decline, but there remains a paucity of information concerning the effects of metals on amphibian diversity. This study assessed anuran species richness and distribution in relation to sediment metal content and water chemistry in wetlands located along the Merri Creek corridor in Victoria, south‐eastern Australia. Anurans were present in 60% (21/35) of study sites, with a total of six species detected: the eastern common froglet (Crinia signifera), the eastern sign‐bearing froglet (Crinia parinsignifera), the southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii), the growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), the eastern banjo frog (Limnodynastes dumerilii) and the spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). Mean species richness was 1.77 ± 0.32 per site, and species richness ranged from zero to six species per site. Across sites, species richness correlated negatively with sediment concentrations of six heavy metals: copper, nickel, lead, zinc, cadmium and mercury. Species richness also correlated negatively with wetland water electrical conductivity (a proxy for salinity) and concentrations of orthophosphate. Distributions of the three most commonly observed frog species (C. signifera, L. tasmaniensis and L. ewingii) were significantly negatively associated with the total level of metal contamination at individual sites. The study is the first to provide evidence for an association between metal contamination and anuran species richness and distribution in the southern hemisphere, adding to a small but growing body of evidence that heavy metal pollution has contributed to global amphibian decline.     

Comparison of frog assemblages between urban and non‐urban habitats in the upper Blue Mountains of Australia

1. World wide, and in Australia, many frog populations have declined over the last two decades. The present study was undertaken to determine whether urbanization has affected frog diversity and abundance. 2. Five urban sites were paired with non‐urban sites. Urban sites were in Katoomba and Blackheath, and were subject to physical environmental disturbance and impacted by storm water pollution due to urban runoff. Non‐urban sites were in the Blue Mountains National Park and were effectively subject to no human impact. 3. Water quality at urban sites was typical of sites polluted with sewage, while non‐urban sites exhibited water quality typical of ‘pristine’ natural bushland streams. 4. Six species were found at urban sites (Litoria peronii, Litoria dentata, Litoria verreauxii, Limnodynastes dumerilii, Limnodynastes peronii, Crinia signifera), with up to four species present at a site. Only one species (C. signifera) was recorded at non‐urban sites, and frogs were absent from most non‐urban sites. 5. The situation in non‐urban sites mirrors the trend of decline observed in other montane regions. Surprisingly, frog abundance and diversity were higher in urban habitats, running counter to this trend. 6. We hypothesize that the salts, detergents and other chemicals in urban wastewaters provide frogs with a level of protection against disease, particularly chytridiomycosis.     

Integrating variability in detection probabilities when designing wildlife surveys: a case study of amphibians from south-eastern Australia

Occupancy-based monitoring programs rely on survey data to infer presence or absence of the target species. However, species may occupy a site and go undetected, leading to erroneous inference of absence (‘false absence’). If detectability is influenced by the time of year or weather conditions, survey protocols can be adjusted to minimize the chance of false absences. In this study, detection probabilities for three amphibian species from south-eastern Australia were modelled using a Bayesian approach. For aural surveys, we compared basic models, which only included effects of survey date, duration and time of day on detection, to models including additional effects of weather. Model selection using deviance information criterion (DIC) suggested that the basic model was the most parsimonious for Crinia signifera, while models including relative humidity and water temperature were most supported for Limnodynastes dumerilii and L. tasmaniensis respectively. When predictive performance was assessed by cross validation, DIC results were largely matched for C. signifera and L. dumerilii, while models of detection for L. tasmaniensis were indistinguishable, AUC scores suggesting inadequate performance. We show how results such as these can be used to design surveys, developing protocols for individual surveys and estimating the number of surveys required under those protocols to achieve a threshold cumulative probability of detection. Conservation managers can use these models to maximize the efficiency of surveys. This will improve the accuracy of occupancy data, and reduce the risk of misdirected conservation actions resulting from false absences.     

Competition between the larvae of the introduced cane toad Bufo marinus (Anura: Bufonidae) and native anurans from the Darling Downs area of southern Queensland

Bufo marinus (L) has been present in the northern edge of the Darling River catchment for more than 25 years and the species currently occupies an area north of Chinchilla on the northern Darling Downs. This paper reports on preliminary findings of competition trials between larvae of B. marinus and native anurans in the Darling Downs area. Trials conducted in artificial ponds (1.4 × 1.2 × 0.2 m) indicated that Bufo reduced the growth of three native species (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis (Gunther), Limnodynastes terraereginae (Fry) and Notaden bennetti (Gunther)), and in some trials reduced the survival of two species (L. tasmaniensis and L. terraereginae). A fourth species (Limnodynastes ornatus (Grey)) showed higher growth rates with Bufo resulting from a non-significant reduction in survival in those treatments. One of two trials conducted in enclosures (1.0 × 0.5 × 0.4 m) placed in a permanent water body indicated that B. marinus had a negative effect on growth of L. tasmaniensis. A survey of 30 breeding sites in the area found that Bufo used only a small number of water bodies in one breeding season and showed little overlap of pool use with most native species. Therefore, although B. marinus may negatively affect growth and survival of native anurans under some circumstances, the potential impact of B. marinus may be minimal if there are always many breeding sites where native anurans can breed in the absence of B. marinus. A more extensive assessment of temporal and spatial overlap of water body use by B. marinus and native anurans is needed to understand the exact impact of B. marinus in this region.     

Mitotic and polytene chromosomes analysis of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The Oriental fruit fly, Batrocera dorsalis s.s. (Hendel) is one of the most destructive agricultural pests, belonging to a large group of difficult to distinguish morphologically species, referred as the B. dorsalis complex. We report here a cytogenetic analysis of two laboratory strains of the species and provide a photographic polytene chromosome map from larval salivary glands. The mitotic complement consists of six chromosome pairs including a heteromorphic sex (XX/XY) chromosome pair. Analysis of the polytene complement has shown a total of five polytene chromosomes (10 polytene arms) that correspond to the five autosomes. The most important landmarks of each polytene chromosome and characteristic asynapsis at a specific chromosomal region are presented and discussed. Chromosomal homology between B. dorsalis and Ceratitis capitata has been determined by comparing chromosome banding patterns. The detection of chromosome inversions in both B. dorsalis strains is shown and discussed. Our results show that the polytene maps presented here are suitable for cytogenetic analysis of this species and can be used for comparative studies among species of the Tephritidae family. They also provide a diagnostic tool that could accelerate species identification within the B. dorsalis complex and could shed light on the ongoing speciation in this complex. Polytene chromosome maps can facilitate the development of biological control methods and support the genome mapping project of the species that is currently in progress.     

Differential homogenization and amplification of two satellite DNAs in the genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae)

Two different satellite DNAs exist in the genus Cucurbita which are different with respect to repeat length (350 by and 170 bp), array size, and sequence homogenization. Whereas the 350-bp satellite DNA is prominent and very homogeneous in all species investigated except for C. maxima and C. lundelliana, the 170-bp satellite is rather evenly distributed in all species. In C. maxima and C. lundelliana the 350-bp satellite is present only in small amounts, but detectable by the sensitive PCR method. These repeats are also very homogeneous, reflecting a silent stage of satellite DNA. In contrast, the 170-bp satellite DNA is intra- and interspecifically heterogeneous. It is striking that the species with no detectable amount of 350-bp satellite contain 170-bp satellite DNA clusters with the highest degree of homogeneity. The evolution of satellite DNA repeats within cultivated and wild species in the genus Cucurbita is elucidated using the sequence data of both satellite DNAs from all species investigated. The value of satellite DNA for phylogenetic analysis between closely related species is discussed. Correspondence to: V. Hemleben     

A genome-wide phylogeny and the diversification of genus Liriomyza (Diptera: Agromyzidae) inferred from anchored phylogenomics

The genus Liriomyza Mik (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is a diverse and globally distributed group of acalyptrate flies. Phylogenetic relationships among Liriomyza species have remained incompletely investigated and have never been fully addressed using molecular data. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus Liriomyza using various phylogenetic methods (maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and gene tree coalescence) on target-capture-based phylogenomic datasets (nucleotides and amino acids) obtained from anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE). We have recovered tree topologies that are nearly congruent across all data types and methods, and individual clade support is strong across all phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, defined morphological species groups and clades are well-supported in our best estimates of the molecular phylogeny. Liriomyza violivora (Spencer) is a sister group to all remaining sampled Liriomyza species, and the well-known polyphagous vegetable pests [L. huidobrensis (Blanchard), L. langei Frick, L. bryoniae. (Kaltenbach), L. trifolii (Burgess), L. sativae Blanchard, and L. brassicae (Riley)]. belong to multiple clades that are not particularly closely related on the trees. Often, closely related Liriomyza species feed on distantly related host plants. We reject the hypothesis that cophylogenetic processes between Liriomyza species and their host plants drive diversification in this genus. Instead, Liriomyza exhibits a widespread pattern of major host shifts across plant taxa. Our new phylogenetic estimate for Liriomyza species provides considerable new information on the evolution of host-use patterns in this genus. In addition, it provides a framework for further study of the morphology, ecology, and diversification of these important flies.     

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE GREEN ALGAL ORDER PRASIOLALES (TREBOUXIOPHYCEAE,CHLOROPHYTA)1

The systematics of the Prasiolales was investigated by phylogenetic inference based on analyses of the rbcL and 18S rRNA genes for representatives of all four genera currently attributed to this order (Prasiococcus, Prasiola, Prasiolopsis, Rosenvingiella), including all type species. The rbcL gene had higher sequence divergence than the 18S rRNA gene and was more useful for phylogenetic inference at the ranks of genus and species. In the rbcL gene phylogeny, three main clades were observed, corresponding to Prasiola, Prasiolopsis, and Rosenvingiella. Prasiococcus was nested among species of Prasiola occurring in subaerial and supralittoral habitats. Trichophilus welckeri Weber Bosse, a subaerial alga occurring in the fur of sloths in Amazonia, was closely related to Prasiolopsis ramosa Vischer. The species of Prasiola were grouped into three well‐supported clades comprising (i) marine species, (ii) freshwater and terrestrial species with linear blades, and (iii) terrestrial species with rounded or fan‐shaped blades. Sequence divergence was unexpectedly low in the marine group, which included species with different morphologies. For the 18S rRNA gene, the phylogenetic analyses produced several clades observed for the rbcL gene sequence analysis, but, due to very little sequence variation, it showed considerably lower resolution for inference at the species and genus levels. Due to the low support of some internal branches, the results of the analyses did not allow an unambiguous clarification of the origin and the early evolution of the Prasiolales.     

Ecological impacts of invading species: Do parasites of the cane toad imperil Australian frogs?

Parasite transfer to native fauna is a potentially catastrophic impact of invasive species. Introduced cane toads in Australia frequently host the nematode lungworm Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala, which reduces viability of metamorph toads. If native frogs are vulnerable to this South American parasite, cane toad invasion may affect native species via this route; but if the native taxa are not vulnerable, we may be able to exploit the parasites for managing toads. Our laboratory experiments show that infective larvae can penetrate the body of all seven species of Australian frogs (five hylids: Cyclorana longipes, Litoria caerulea, Litoria dahlii, Litoria nasuta, Litoria rothii, one myobatrachid: Opisthodon ornatus, and one limnodynastid: Limnodynastes convexiusculus) we tested, but most did not host the adult worms at the end of the trials, and none showed major impairment of growth, survival or locomotor performance. One native tree‐frog (L. caerulea) retained high infection levels with few ill effects, suggesting that we might be able to use this taxon as a reservoir species to build up local parasite densities for toad management. However, the interspecific variation in lungworm retention suggests that generalizations about parasite effects on native frogs will be elusive.     

Global distribution and invasion pattern of oriental fruit fly,Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Since the start of the 20th century, many invasive alien species (IAS) have spread rapidly around the world, causing serious threats to economies, societies and the environment. Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is an important quarantine insect species in many countries that spread around the world over the last century. This review collected information on the distribution of B. dorsalis to explore the patterns of its invasion expansion. We found B. dorsalis to be distributed in 75 countries (comprised of 124 geographical distribution regions: provinces or states) in Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania up to 2017. Asia and Africa were the most represented regions, accounting for 86.3% of the total number of countries. From 1910 to 1990, B. dorsalis was only found in five countries, but in the last three decades, it has experienced a sharp increase in its rate of spread, invading 70 more countries. Global temperature anomaly has significantly positive correlation with the spread of B. dorsalis. The results of this review provide a theoretical basis for understanding and predicting the continued spread of B. dorsalis under global changes.     

Molecular phylogeny supports the morphologically based taxonomic transfer of the “medicagoid”Trigonella species to the genus Medicago L.

 The taxonomic transfer of the 23 Trigonella species previously known as medicagoids to the genus Medicago L. is reanalyzed on the basis of a molecular phylogenetic approach. The internal and external transcribed spacers of 53 Medicago species s. str. and 10 of the 23 medicagoid species were sequenced. Both maximum parsimony or maximum likelihood criteria joined medicagoid species more confidently with Medicago rather than with Trigonella. The basal position of the medicagoid species within the genus Medicago, together with morphologically atypical Medicago species (such as M. radiata and M. platycarpa), raised the question of the expediency to define a new genus and is discussed, relatively to the support of each clade. Using criteria of monophyly and support, it was concluded that the medicagoids are better joined in Medicago rather than placed in a new genus. Received February 6, 2001 Accepted July 17, 2001     

Review of the Indo-Pacific gobiid fish genus Lubricogobius, with description of a new species and a new genus for L. pumilus

The gobiid genus Lubricogobius Tanaka, distinctive in being scaleless, without sensory pores, but with sensory papillae on the head, consists of three small species (largest, 33.7 mm SL): the yellow L. exiguus Tanaka, type species, from Japan, with probable records from Taiwan and New Caledonia; L. ornatus Fourmanoir, orange with blue lines on the head, described from Vietnam, recorded from the Arafura Sea, and the range here extended to the Timor Sea and Northwest Shelf of Western Australia, Ryukyu Islands, and to New Caledonia; and L. dinah, a new species from Papua New Guinea and the Ryukyu Islands, white dorsally and abruptly orange-yellow ventrally, with 10–11 dorsal soft rays. L. pumilus Larson and Hoese, known from one 14.5-mm specimen from off Somalia, is referred to the new genus Larsonella. The new genus differs from Lubricogobius in having scales posteriorly on the body, a more slender body, depressed head, no pelvic frenum, the snout longer than orbit diameter, and a different pattern of sensory papillae on the head. Received: September 30, 1999 / Accepted: June 9, 2000     

Active female courtship behavior and male nutritional contribution to female fecundity in Bruchidius dorsalis (Fahraeus) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Mating behavior and the male's contribution to female fecundity were studied in the bean weevil Bruchidius dorsalis (Fahraeus) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in comparison with two other species, Callosobruchus chinensis (which infests stored beans) and Kytorhinus sharpianus (which feeds on wild legumes). Only females of B. dorsalis showed multiple mating and characteristic precopulatory behavior that appeared to solicit the male's nutritious secretion. In contrast, all females of the other two species did not copulate multiply and did not show such precopulatory behavior. In B. dorsalis, the decrement of male body weight just after copulation indicated that seminal fluid weighing as much as approximately 7% of the male's body weight was transferred to the female. Fecundity was more than eight times higher in females that had copulated ten times than in females that had copulated only once, indicating that males paid most of the nutritional cost of egg production. These facts suggest that the sex role is reversed in B. dorsalis. Received: May 22, 1998 / Accepted: July 19, 1999     

Comparison of the diversity of the bacterial communities in the intestinal tract of adult Bactrocera dorsalis from three different populations

Aims: To (i) identify the bacterial communities in the gut of oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) adult and (ii) determine whether the different surroundings and diets influence the bacteria composition. Methods and Results: Polymerase chain reaction‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting was used to investigate bacterial diversity in the oriental fruit fly adult gut. The 16S rDNA cloned libraries from the intestinal tract of laboratory‐reared (LR), laboratory sterile sugar‐reared (LSSR) and field‐collected (FC) populations of oriental fruit fly were compared. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA revealed that Gammaproteobacteria were dominant in the all samples (73·0–98·3%). Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were judged to be major components of a given library as they constituted 10% or more of the total clones of such library. The Flavobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria were observed in small proportions in various libraries. Further phylogenetic analyses indicated common bacterial phylotypes for all three libraries, e.g. those related to Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Pectobacterium and Serratia. libshuff analysis showed that the bacterial communities of B. dorsalis from the three populations were significantly different from each other (P < 0·0085). Conclusions: (i) The intestinal tract of B. dorsalis adult contains a diverse bacterial community, some of which are stable. (ii) Different environmental conditions and food supply could influence the diversity of the harboured bacterial communities and increase community variations. Significance and Impact of the Study: Comparison of the microbial compositions and common bacterial species found in this paper may be very important for the biocontrol of B. dorsalis.     

One and the same: integrative taxonomic evidence that Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the same species as the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis

The invasive fruit fly Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White, and the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) are highly destructive horticultural pests of global significance. Bactrocera invadens originates from the Indian subcontinent and has recently invaded all of sub‐Saharan Africa, while B. dorsalis principally occurs from the Indian subcontinent towards southern China and South‐east Asia. High morphological and genetic similarity has cast doubt over whether B. invadens is a distinct species from B. dorsalis. Addressing this issue within an integrative taxonomic framework, we sampled from across the geographic distribution of both taxa and: (i) analysed morphological variation, including those characters considered diagnostic (scutum colour, length of aedeagus, width of postsutural lateral vittae, wing size, and wing shape); (ii) sequenced four loci (ITS1, ITS2, cox1 and nad4) for phylogenetic inference; and (iii) generated a cox1 haplotype network to examine population structure. Molecular analyses included the closely related species, Bactrocera kandiensis Drew & Hancock. Scutum colour varies from red‐brown to fully black for individuals from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. All individuals east of the Indian subcontinent are black except for a few red‐brown individuals from China. The postsutural lateral vittae width of B. invadens is narrower than B. dorsalis from eastern Asia, but the variation is clinal, with subcontinent B. dorsalis populations intermediate in size. Aedeagus length, wing shape and wing size cannot discriminate between the two taxa. Phylogenetic analyses failed to resolve B. invadens from B. dorsalis, but did resolve B. kandiensis. Bactrocera dorsalis and B. invadens shared cox1 haplotypes, yet the haplotype network pattern does not reflect current taxonomy or patterns in thoracic colour. Some individuals of B. dorsalis/B. invadens possessed haplotypes more closely related to B. kandiensis than to conspecifics, suggestive of mitochondrial introgression between these species. The combined evidence fails to support the delimitation of B. dorsalis and B. invadens as separate biological species. Consequently, existing biological data for B. dorsalis may be applied to the invasive population in Africa. Our recommendation, in line with other recent publications, is that B. invadens be synonymized with B. dorsalis.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Simpsonichthys subgenera (Cyprinodontiformes,Rivulidae), including a proposal for a new genus

The systematic knowledge of Simpsonichthys has changed substantially in recent years, with five subgenera having been elevated to the genus category. In view of these taxonomic changes, the aim of the present study was to identify the phylogenetic relationships among this group in order to test a hypothesis of the division of Simpsonichthys. The ATPase 8 and 6 gene sequences of 53 specimens of Simpsonichthys, Xenurolebias, Ophthalmolebias, Spectrolebias and Hypsolebias genera were assessed. The final topology divided the Simpsonichthys subgenera into five clades: clade I (Hypsolebias antenori group and Ophtalmolebias), clade II (Simpsonichtys and Spectrolebias), clade III (Hypsolebias flammeus and H. magnificus groups), clade IV (H. notatus group) and clade V, which included the Xenurolebias genus as a sister group to all the other Simpsonichthys subgenera. Simpsonichthys, Spectrolebias and Hypsolebias could therefor not be described as monophyletic groups, as has been proposed in some hypotheses. The H. antenori, H. notatus and H. magnificus groups, however, were monophyletic. The molecular results also suggested that H. ocellatus belongs to the Hypsolebias flammeus group. The phylogenetic position of H. fasciatus suggested a new group within Hypsolebias, or possibly even a new genus. The characteristics of the Hypsolebias antenori group and their phylogenetic position suggested that only the species of this group should be included in the Hypsolebias genus. The basal position of the Hypsolebias notatus group and its morphological character may represent a new genus. Although the monophyletism of Simpsonichtys could not be recovered, the branches supported the division of the western and eastern clades, possibly due to allopatric speciation. These facts suggest the division of the genus into at least two major clades. In addition, the study of morphological and molecular data is suggested to obtain a better understanding of such complex organisms, and a major taxonomic review is required.     

Tiny steps towards greater knowledge: An osteological review with novel data on the Atlantic Forest toadlets of the Brachycephalus ephippium species group

Brachycephalus is a small, endemic genus of anurans that occur throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Recent analyses corroborated the monophyly of two species groups within this genus (B. ephippium and B. pernix), whereas the B. didactylus group appears to be polyphyletic. Herein, we compare and describe the skeletal system of all species from the Brachycephalus ephippium species group. We investigated diagnostic characters that are potentially useful to delimit similar species, confirmed the previously proposed genus definition and added six extra characters. We propose an osteological diagnosis for each species of the B. ephippium group, evaluating and describing intraspecific variations. Our results suggest that adults of B. ephippium group have ornamented parotic plates, ornamented post-orbital crests, absence of quadratojugal and neopalatines, distal end of the otic ramus of squamosal expanded towards the parotic plate, reduced zygomatic ramus of the squamosals, posterolateral projection of the crista parotica, presence of ornamented spinal plates (except B. alipioi) and ornamented paravertebral plates. We highlighted the importance of including more than one specimen per species when dealing with miniaturized taxa. A comparison with other Brachycephalus species groups and with Ischnocnema was also provided. Lastly, we suggest some characters to be included in future phylogenetic analysis.     

Microsatellite markers in a complex of Horismenus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoids of bruchid beetles

Parasitoids of the genus Horismenus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are the main natural enemies of bruchid beetles that feed on several species of Phaseolus beans. Samples of Horismenus depressus, H. missouriensis and H. butcheri were collected from seeds of three Phaseolus species throughout Mexico to examine the impact of plant variability on the genetic structure of parasitoid populations. For this purpose, six microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized. These loci are of great interest in understanding the taxonomy of the genus Horismenus, the most important Eulophid genus in the Neotropics.