Genetic diversity of mealybug ladybird, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) populations in Mazandaran province by RAPD marker

Information on the various biotic aspects of biological control agents is basic need for their successful application and appropriate establishment of their populations. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri is the major natural enemy of mealybugs in citrus orchards and tea plantation of Mazandaran Province. The objective of this research was to describe the genetic diversity of eight natural and two commercial reared populations of this biological control agent by using RAPD marker. Twenty two 10-mer primers were used for the assays. After optimizing the PCR conditions (annealing temperature at 38 °C for one minute) and conducting the experiments on all populations, the PCR products were electrophoresed in a 2% agarose gel. The primers generated a total of 434 score-able bands, of which 334 (76.9%) displayed polymorphism. Genetic similarity of the populations ranged from 0.48 (between Tonekabon and Freydunkenar populations) to 0.78 (Chalus and Behshahr insectarium populations). The populations were clustered into two distinct clades by UPGMA method using NTSYS-pc software. Babolsar, Sari, Ramsar, Tonekabon, Chaluos and one reared (Behshahr insectarium) populations were classified in one clade and Ghaemshahr, Savadkooh, Freydunkenar and another reared (Babol insectarium) populations were clustered in a different clade. A moderate differentiation was resulted amongst the populations based on dendrogram coefficient.