POPULATION-GENETICS OF REDLEGGED EARTH MITES HALOTYDEUS DESTRUCTOR AND H-ANTHROPUS (ACARINA, PENTHALEIDAE) FROM AUSTRALIA AND OR SOUTH-AFRICA/

A population genetic study of Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) and H. an thropus Qin & Halliday was undertaken using allozyme electrophoresis. Allele frequency data were collected from five polymorphic loci (Gpi - glucose phosphate isomerase, G6pd - glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase , Idh - isocitrate dehydrogenase, Mdh - malate dehydrogenase, and Pgm - phosphoglucomutase) to determine genetic variability and levels of g ene now among Australian and South African populations. The two specie s could be distinguished by the most common allele at Gpi and usually Pgm. There was no evidence for subdivision among the Australian popula tions of H. destructor, but the levels of substructuring among the Sou th African populations of H. destructor and those of H. anthropus were high. The geographic origin of H. destructor is discussed; the eviden ce suggests that the original source of the Australian populations of H. destructor was from Cape Town, South Africa.