Genetic variation in Beauveria bassiana populations associated with the darkling beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus

A study was conducted to assess genetic variation within and among populati ons of Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) associated with t he darkling beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), usi ng RAPD markers. A hierarchical collection of samples (strains from the sam e insect specimen, from insects from the same location, and from insects fr om different locations) was obtained from infected beetles from North Carol ina (NC) and West Virginia (WV), USA. Ten primers resolved 81 strains into 80 distinct multiband phenotypes reflecting the substantial amount of varia tion that was present, Variation present within populations was evident not only in the separation of each strain as a distinct multiband phenotype bu t also in the separation of strains within a population into separate clust ers, Among populations, a group sharing more than 89% similarity was observ ed among all the strains from Martin Co. and Greene Co., NC and 61% of the strains collected from WV. Some genetic differentiation was present among t he other populations but the separation was not distinct with a few strains from some populations showing greater affinity to strains from other colle ction sites. (C) 1999 Academic Press.