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High genetic diversity and a new cryptic species within the Ephedrus persicae species group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

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Abstract

In this study we used molecular markers to characterize various populations of the Ephedrus persicae species group originating from different aphid hosts and different habitat types. Twelve different haplotypes were identified in 15 E. persicae specimens, and thus there were no shared haplotypes between specimens from different aphid hosts. All haplotypes were clustered in two distinct phylogenetic clades (“persicae 1” and “persicae 2”), the average genetic distance between these two clades being 3.1%. Ephedrus persicae specimens from the “persicae 1” clade parasitize leaf-curling aphids from Prunus and Malus orchards. Furthermore, there was significant differentiation of the “persicae 2” clade into two distinct evolutionary groups, with a genetic distance of 2.5% between them. On the basis of the genetically isolated position of Ephedrus specimens associated with Brachyunguis tamaricis on Tamarix gallica (more than 5.7% genetic distance), we describe Ephedrus tamaricis sp. n. as an additional member of the E. percicae species group. Key for identification of parasitoids belonging to the E. persicae species group is provided.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (III43001) and partly by the EU-BIOCOMES Project (grant agreement number: 612713). We wish to thank Prof. Olivera Petrović Obradović (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade) for identification of aphids and Ammar Alhmedi (PCFruit-Belgium) for sampling a part of the E. persicae material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski try 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Andjeljko Petrović, Korana Kocić, Milan Plećaš & Željko Tomanović

  2. Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1111, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Katarina Kos

  3. Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Vladimir Žikić

  4. Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos str., 11855, Athens, Attica, Greece

    Nickolas G. Kavallieratos

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  1. Andjeljko Petrović
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  2. Korana Kocić
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  3. Katarina Kos
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  4. Milan Plećaš
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Correspondence to Andjeljko Petrović.

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Petrović, A., Kocić, K., Kos, K. et al. High genetic diversity and a new cryptic species within the Ephedrus persicae species group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). Biologia 71, 1386–1394 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0165

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