ELECTROPHORETIC AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES OF SELECTED ALLOPATRIC POPULATIONS OF THE COTESIA-FLAVIPES COMPLEX (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE), PARASITOIDS OF CEREAL STEMBORERS

Electrophoretic studies were conducted on the Cotesia flavipes Cameron complex and Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Esterase, glucosephosphate isomerase, hexokinase, sorbital dehydrogenase and ph osphogluconate dehydrogenase had fixed alleles for the three species a nd could be used to distinguish them. Cotesia chilonis (Matsumura) and Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron), have a genetic identity value characteris tic of distinct species (Nei's genetic identity, I = 0.587). Cladistic analysis of the allozyme data indicated that allopatric populations c urrently included in C. flavipes may not be a monophyletic group. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.