Polymorphism observed in mitochondrial genes of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of different origin in laboratory cultures.

Tribolium castaneum, a pest of stored grain, has a uniform morphology, preventing the visual identification of strains from different areas. Polymorphisms in the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genes of this species were examined, and combined into seven haplotypes among the test insect specimens originating from Japan, Thailand, and Canada. These results suggested the potential for geographical differentiation.