GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN A POTATO LEAFHOPPER (HOMOPTERA, CICADELLIDAE) POPULATION INFESTING ALFALFA

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to examine g enetic diversity within a potato leafhopper population infesting an al falfa field in Kansas. Eight primers were used to generate a total of 52 RAPD fragments; 46 were polymorphic. All 48 potato leafhopper indiv iduals examined had unique RAPD fragment profiles. Calculations of gen etic parameters revealed little evidence of genetic linkage disequilib rium, suggesting the population was panmictic. The average genetic dis tance (proportion of loci at which two insects differed) was 0.29 +/- 0.11, and the estimated average level of heterozygosity per locus was 0.26 +/- 0.17. The high level of genetic variation within a potato lea fhopper population infesting an alfalfa field appears to be maintained through random mating.