Molecular identification of sibling species of Sclerodermus (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) that parasitize buprestid and cerambycid beetles by using partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and 28S ribosomal RNA gene.

ABSTRACT: The species belonging to Sclerodermus (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) are currently the most important insect natural enemies of wood borer pests, mainly buprestid and cerambycid beetles, in China. However, some sibling species of this genus are very difficult to distinguish because of their similar morphological features. To address this issue, we conducted phylogenetic and genetic analyses of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 28S RNA gene sequences from eight species of Sclerodermus reared from different wood borer pests. The eight sibling species were as follows: S. guani Xiao et Wu, S. sichuanensis Xiao, S. pupariae Yang et Yao, and Sclerodermus spp. (Nos. 1-5). A 594-bp fragment of COI and 750-bp fragment of 28S were subsequently sequenced. For COI, the G-C content was found to be low

SUBMITTER: Jiang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4364368 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature