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Adding “personality” to biocontrol: characterization and suitability of microsatellites for sibship reconstruction in the aphid parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae

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Abstract

Efficiency of natural enemies in pest control in the field frequently shows high degree of variability, making it difficult to propose reliable biocontrol strategies. Due to the small size of many beneficals, underlying mechanisms are difficult to evaluate. In the present study the potential of molecular markers to reconstruct individual foraging decisions of a small parasitoid species unsuitable for direct tracking, i.e. Diaeretiella rapae (M`Intosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a primary parasitoid of the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), was evaluated. Nine newly designed microsatellite primer pairs were tested for their reliability in parentage analysis. Therefore, several families of D. rapae with four to six daughters and high or low degree of inbreeding were established in the lab. Individuals were genotyped and parentage and sibship analysis was calculated with the software COLONY. The results indicated that 91 % of the 85 genotyped offspring from all families have been assigned to the correct family when all nine microsatellite loci have been used and 86 % when only six microsatellite loci have been used. Even in families with high degree of inbreeding up to 87 % of the offspring could be assigned correctly. In conclusion, the sibship analysis of D. rapae provides reliable results, especially with all nine selected microsatellite loci. Therefore it will be a valuable tool to reconstruct individual foraging decisions and characterize parasitoid “personality” in the field to improve biological control strategies.

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Acknowledgments

A special word of thanks goes to Peter Hondelmann (LUH) for his support in PCR procedure and usage of laboratory equipment in general. Furthermore we would like to thank Annette Reineke (University Geisenheim, Germany) for valuable discussions and Thomas Debener, (LUH, Institute of Plant Genetics, Section Molecular Plant Breeding) and his whole working group, especially Markus Linde and Monika Spiller, for providing the LI-COR Sequencer and other lab equipment as well as support in trouble shooting during sample analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section Phytomedicine, Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419, Hannover, Germany

    Isabelle Eisele & Rainer Meyhöfer

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  1. Isabelle Eisele
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  2. Rainer Meyhöfer
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Correspondence to Rainer Meyhöfer.

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Handling Editor: Stefano Colazza

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Eisele, I., Meyhöfer, R. Adding “personality” to biocontrol: characterization and suitability of microsatellites for sibship reconstruction in the aphid parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae . BioControl 60, 189–197 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9643-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9643-2

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