Molecular identification of hymenopteran parasitoids and their endosymbionts from agromyzids.

Three polyphagous pest spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) have recently invaded Australia and are damaging horticultural crops. Parasitic wasps are recognized as effective natural enemies of leafmining species globally and are expected to become important biocontrol agents in Australia.

Genome-wide SNPs of vegetable leafminer, : Insights into the recent Australian invasion.

, the vegetable leafminer, is an important agricultural pest originally from the Americas, which has now colonized all continents except Antarctica. In 2015, arrived on the Australian mainland and established on the Cape York Peninsula in the northeast of the country near the Torres Strait, which provides a possible pathway for pests to enter Australia and evade biosecurity efforts. Here, we assessed genetic variation in based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated by double digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq), aiming to uncover the potential origin(s) of this pest in Australia and contribute to reconstructing its global invasion history.

High Incidence of Related across Unrelated Leaf-Mining Diptera.

The maternally inherited endosymbiont, plays an important role in the ecology and evolution of many of its hosts by affecting host reproduction and fitness. Here, we investigated 13 dipteran leaf-mining species to characterize infections and the potential for this endosymbiont in biocontrol. infections were present in 12 species, including 10 species where the infection was at or near fixation.

Molecular Identification of Leafmining Flies From Australia Including New Liriomyza Outbreaks.

Some leafmining fly species are pests of agricultural and ornamental plants but they also include many species with little economic importance. The taxonomy of leafmining flies is often challenging because of putative cryptic species. Following new outbreaks of Liriomyza (Diptera:Agromyzidae) in Australia, we here characterize 13 dipteran leafminer species collected from Australia based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) DNA barcodes, and we compare these with overseas data.

The effects of local selection versus dispersal on insecticide resistance patterns: longitudinal evidence from diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)) in Australia evolving resistance to pyrethroids.

When strong directional selection acts on a trait, the spatial distribution of phenotypes may reflect effects of selection, as well as the spread of favoured genotypes by gene flow. Here we investigate the relative impact of these factors by assessing resistance to synthetic pyrethroids in a 12-year study of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, from southern Australia. We estimated resistance levels in populations from brassicaceous weeds, canola, forage crops and vegetables.