RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA USED TO IDENTIFY GENETIC-VARIATION IN ECOTYPES OF THE EUROPEAN CORN-BORER (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE)

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner),has 3 morphologic ally indistinguishable voltinism ecotypes. Random amplified:polymorphi c DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) was used to discriminate ec otypes of the European corn borer. Genomic DNA samples from the Europe an corn borer were screened with a total of 120 random primers. Ten of these primers yielded 21 clear and reproducible RAPD markers after ag arose gel electrophoresis. Dendrograms constructed using the Nei and L i distance matrix of the phylogenetic relationships, among and within ecotypes, of the European corn borer showed the multivoltine ecotype t o be genetlcally separated from univoltine and bivoltine ecotypes. The dendrogram of individual European pean corn borers correctly classifi ed each insect. These results provide evidence of genetic variation at the molecular level among European corn borer ecotypes. The RAPD-PCR technique proved to be a powerful tool for identifying intraspecific v ariation in the European corn borer.