Population structure, genetic variability, and gene flow of the bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata, in the Midwestern United States

Authors

Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Steven R. Skoda, USDA-ARS-KBUSLIRL Screwworm Research UnitFollow
Thomas E. Hunt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Donald J. Lee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jaime Molina Ochoa, Centro Universitario de Investigación y Desarrollo Agropecuario
John E. Foster, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Journal of Insect Science, 2014

Comments

U.S. Government work

Abstract

Bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a common pest of soybean in the Midwest United States. However, there are currently no reports on the genetic variability of C. trifurcata. This study examined 15–30 individuals from 25 sample locations to estimate genetic variability and gene flow within and among C. trifurcata from across the Midwest. Amplified fragment length polymorphism generated 175 markers for analyses. Results from analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the majority of genetic variation was from within samples; only a small amount of the total variation was attributed to the variation among the samples. The GST for the entire C. trifurcata population indicated that the majority of genetic variation was found within the samples, further supporting the AMOVA results. The estimated average gene flow among the C. trifurcata samples was 1.83. The Mantel test revealed no indication of correlation between geographical and genetic distance for all the C. trifurcata samples. These findings show that C. trifurcata in the Midwest are genetically heterogeneous and part of a large, interbreeding population.