Genetic diversity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hirsutella thompsonii</Emphasis> isolates based on random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

Hirsutella thompsonii Fisher is a host-specific fungal pathogen of the diverse group of arthropods known as the Acari. It particularly affects eriophyid mites, and the identification of its isolates is a difficult task due to its pleomorphic nature. Seven isolates of H. thompsonii var. thompsonii and H. thompsonii var. synnematosa collected from various agro-climatic regions of India were subjected to PCR analysis using random decamer primers to differentiate between them. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis revealed that all of the isolates from the citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora Ashmead (Acari: Eriophyidae), clustered together, with the exception of one, HtCRMB. The only isolate of H. thompsonii from Aceria guerreronis keifer (Acari: Eriophydae), HtPDBC, clustered separately.