Phylogenetic analysis of green and red forms of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari : Tetranychidae), in Japan, based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences

To determine the phylogenetic relationship between two forms of Japanese Te tranychus urticae, a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subuni t I (COI) gene was sequenced for thirteen strains of the green form and eig ht strains of the red form. The Japanese green and red forms each consisted of three haplotypes, and the two forms were distinct from each other. Howe ver, phylogenetic analysis including mite samples from outside Japan reveal ed that the two forms are included in a single cluster. Although the entire ty of T urticae is comprised of two well diverged lineages, each of the two lineages included both the green and red forms. Thus, we conclude that fro m a phylogenetic viewpoint using COI sequences, the two forms belong to a s ingle species.