Biological Features and Molecular Genetic Structure of Habrobracon hebetor Populations
One of the promising entomophages capable of controlling the abundance of the codling moth is Habrobracon hebetor Say. Natural populations of the gabrobragon can reduce the number of caterpillars of the corn moth to 22%, the garden moth to 35%, the cotton moth to 45%, and the gamma moth to 30%. This work aims to assess the parasitic activity of the gabrobragon as a regulator of the codling moth abundance in various geographic populations, to select a host insect for its mass breeding in laboratory conditions, and to assess the molecular genetic variability of the structure of H. hebetor populations. The capture of natural populations of the gabrobragon H. hebetor was carried out in apple orchards in Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai of Russia using cassettes in which caterpillars of the codling moth were placed. As a result of the research, the natural starting population of the gabrobragon H. hebetor was captured, and a method for their maintenance and breeding was developed. The most effective host insect is the wax moth (Galleria mellonela L.), which resulted in 195 adults, compared to 98 of the mill moth (Ephestia kuhniella Zell.). The gabrobragon population introduced into the apple tree cenosis continued its reproduction in natural conditions and largely suppressed the number and harmfulness of the codling moth. The RAPD analysis of the Krasnodar and Stavropol populations of Habrobracon hebetor Say revealed a high level of DNA polymorphism and genetic diversity in the studied geographic populations of the gabrobragon. At the same time, intrapopulation variability was 87.1%, while interpopulation variability accounted for 12.9% of the total indicator. The limited gene flow (Nm = 3.298) results in relatively low identity (GI = 0.906) between populations and significant interpopulation variability. This indicates that the analyzed insect samples probably represent different geographic populations of the H. hebetor ectoparasite.