ELECTROPHORETIC STUDY OF 2 CLOSELY-RELATED SPECIES OF NORTH-AMERICAN TRICHOGRAMMA - T-PRETIOSUM AND T-DEION (HYMENOPTERA, TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE)

Allozymic variation was examined at 13 loci in T. pretiosum Riley an d eion Pinto & Oatman, two cryptic species of North American Trichogramm a. The 23 cultures of T. pretiosum and the 21 cultures of T. deion stu died represent a significant portion of the known geographic range of both species. As with morphology, the electrophoretic data suggest clo se relationship. The only apparent fixed difference occurs at the G6pd locus. Syntopic collections from Riverside, CA, also differ at the Ac p-II and Pgm loci, indicating that gene exchange is not occurring. Alt hough considerable intraspecific variation occurs in these species, it is not obviously correlated with geographic distribution or mode of r eproduction. Collections of T. pretiosum from Australia are similar to those from North America, suggesting that the species only recently w as introduced to Australia.