RAPD Markers for the Characterization of the Olive Fruit Fly Parasitoid Opius concolor (Spzel.) Used in Biological Control Programs.

The endoparasitoid Opius concolor (Spzel.) have been used as abiological control agent in the biological control programs of theolive fruit fly, which consists of massive releases of parasitoidinfields where indigenous wild ones are present. Field differentiationbetween the released and the indigenous parasitoids, and the estimationof the proportion of released individuals in the over all fieldpopulation are a prerequisite to estimate the efficiency of thebiological control programs. Because wild and released parasitoids aremorphologically indistinguishable, a DNA molecular technique, based onPolymerase chain reaction (PCR), the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA(RAPD-PCR) was used to differentiate between five different populationsof this parasitoid, two populations from Jordan, two populations fromSouth Italy and reared strain population. The polymorphism generated byRAPD-PCR method showed that, it is highly possible to differentiatebetween strains of Opius concolor from distinct geographical areas ofdifferent countries (Jordan, Italy), between strains of distinctgeographical areas of the same country and between wild indigenous andreared strains. <br /><br /><br />Tesi di Master<br />“Master theses Report” Post-graduate Training Programme <br />Mediterranean Organic Agriculture. Research &amp; Experimentation 2001-2003<br /><br />A..R.Malacrida, S. Bertin, L.M. Gomulski, G. Gasperi, F. Baldacchino, M. A.Albakri, V. Simeone “RAPD markers for the characterization of the olivefruit fly parasitoid, Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera,Braconidae) used in biological control programmes” in ''Eighth AnnualExotic Fruit Fly Symposium'' Riverside, CA, USA, March 7th – 9th, 2005 <br /><br /><br />