Molecular characterization of Hydrellia lagarosiphon, a leaf mining biological control agent for Lagarosiphon major, reveals weak variance across large geographic areas in South Africa

Abstract

First paragraph: Native range exploration to identify new biological control agents is technically difficult and time-consuming, yet it is the foundation on which all other elements of a successful biological research programme ultimately depend (Goolsby et al., 2006). During field surveys agents demonstrating a high degree of host specificity and damage efficacy are prioritized. However, due to logistical and technical constraints potentially favourable natural enemies are usually only collected from one or a small number of source populations. Selecting the natural enemy population for host range testing and eventual release is important, as it has become increasingly evident that insect species occurring across a wide geographical range are generally structured into genetically differentiated populations (Madeira et al., 2001, Rauth et al., 2011). Highlighting these biogeographical population level differences can help anticipate potential variation in an agent’s climatic adaptations or host-related traits (Paterson et al., 2016), and this information can in turn guide the selection of a more effective and safe agent.