Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) revealed differentiation among populations of Habrobracon hebetor collected from various regions of Iran

Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an ectoparasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae and is widely used in biological pest control. Little information is available on the genetic diversity of geographically isolated populations of H. hebetor. In the present study, we assess the genetic structure and diversity of geographically distinct populations of H. hebetor collected from different regions of Iran. To this end, 19 populations of H. hebetor (Dehloran, Hamadan, Minab, Rudan, Ahvaz, Sari, Semnan, Bandar Lengeh, Haji Abbad, Jiroft, Shiraz, Sarpol-e Zahab, Gorgan, Isfahan, Urmia, Kahurestan, Taziyan, Isin, and Sarkhun) were collected from natural niches. For each population, we sequenced a ~660 base pair fragment of Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) successfully. Analysis of molecular variance revealed sharp differentiation among H. hebetor populations. Populations from Ahvaz, Dehloran, Jiroft and Minab were the most genetically diverged. A Mantel test showed significant positive correlation between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). The phylogenetic analysis clustered the populations into two major groups (A and B) (100); the major part was assigned to group A. Group B mainly included the populations from southern Iran. Based on these results, we conclude that H. hebetor in Iran is comprised of many diverse populations. These may be successfully applied in innundative release programs.