TY - JOUR AU - Ivezić, Aleksandar AU - Rugman-Jones, Paul AU - Stouthamer, Richard AU - Ignjatović-Ćupina, Aleksandra PY - 2018/08/20 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Molecular identification of Trichogramma egg parasitoids of Ostrinia nubilalis in northeastern Serbia JF - Archives of Biological Sciences JA - Arch Biol Sci VL - 70 IS - 3 SE - Articles DO - UR - https://www.serbiosoc.org.rs/arch/index.php/abs/article/view/2365 SP - 425-432 AB - <p><strong>Paper description:</strong></p><ul><li>Internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences have proved to be useful in providing reliable identification of <em>Trichogramma </em>species.</li><li>Identification of resident populations of <em>Trichogramma</em> wasps to species level has not been done in Serbia and has limited the potential for large scale use of these parasitoids.</li><li>The current study used DNA sequences of the ITS2 gene to identify the most prevalent species in Vojvodina as <em>Trischogramma brassicae</em>.</li><li>Accurate identification of native populations of <em>Trichogramma</em> wasps should help in the choice of the most suitable species for mass rearing and field release.</li></ul><div> </div><p><strong>Abstract:</strong> The European corn borer <em>Ostrinia nubilalis </em>(Hübner, 1796) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a major pest of corn (<em>Zea mays</em> Linnaeus, 1753) in Serbia. Regular monitoring of <em>O. nubilalis</em> in the region of Kikinda (province of Vojvodina, Serbia) demonstrated a high percentage of parasitized eggs of this pest. Preliminary identification of the egg parasitoids based on morphological traits revealed that they belong to the genus <em>Trichogramma </em>Westwood, 1833 (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae). The objective of this study was to identify the autochthonous <em>Trichogramma</em> species present in the region of Kikinda by using sequences of ribosomal DNA. Specimens of <em>Trichogramma</em> were reared from parasitized eggs of <em>O. nubilalis</em> collected at different localities in the region of Kikinda. The ITS2 gene was sequenced and subjected to BLAST searches of GenBank NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information). The majority of collected specimens were identified as <em>Trichogramma brassicae </em>Bezdenko, 1968, and a single specimen as <em>T. evanescens </em>Westwood, 1833. Intraspecific variation of <em>T. brassicae</em> was assessed by amplifying the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene<em>.</em> Wasps were also tested for the presence of the endosymbiotic bacteria <em>Wolbachia </em>Hertig, 1936 using <em>Wolbachia</em>-specific 16S and <em>wsp</em> primers as a preliminary test for evidence of thelytoky. Understanding of the diversity and biology of autochthonous <em>Trichogramma</em> species is a key step in the potential commercial implementation of these egg parasitoid wasps in the protection of corn fields in Serbia.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS171103002I">https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS171103002I</a></p><div><p><strong>Received:</strong> November 13, 2017; <strong>Revised:</strong> January 12, 2018; <strong>Accepted:</strong> January 18, 2018; <strong>Published online:</strong> January 23, 2018</p><p><strong>How to cite this article:</strong> Ivezić A, Rugman-Jones P, Stouthamer R, Ignjatović-Ćupina A. Molecular identification of <em>Trichogramma</em> egg parasitoids of <em>Ostrinia nubilalis</em> in northeastern Serbia. Arch Biol Sci. 2018;70(3):…</p></div> ER -