Different genetic structures revealed resident populations of a specialist parasitoid wasp in contrast to its migratory host.

ABSTRACT: Genetic comparisons of parasitoids and their hosts are expected to reflect ecological and evolutionary processes that influence the interactions between species. The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia vestalis, and its host diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, provide opportunities to test whether the specialist natural enemy migrates seasonally with its host or occurs as resident population. We genotyped 17 microsatellite loci and two mitochondrial genes for 158 female adults of C. vestalis collected from 12 geographical populations, as well as nine microsatellite loci for 127 DBM larvae from six separate sites. The samplings covered both the likely source (southern) and immigrant (northern) areas of DBM from China. Populations of C. vestalis fell into three grou

SUBMITTER: Wei SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5528221 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature