Study of Genetic Diversity of the Aphid Predator Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) in Different Areas of Syria Using SRAP markers

This study was conducted in 2020 at the Laboratory of Biotechnology, Agronomy Department and Research Center for Biological Control Studies, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University. This study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of the variegated ladybug aphid predator Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) collected from different regions in Syria using the SRAP technique (Sequence-related Amplified polymorphism). The number of amplified fragments was 101 bands, 99 of which were polymorphic with a polymorphism rate of 97.99%. The number of polymorphic fragments ranged between two bands by using the primers pair SRAP-12 and 13 bands by using the primers pair SRAP-1, with an average of 6.6 bands for each primers pair. The lowest polymorphism rate was 83.33% for primers pairs SRAP-4 and SRAP-9, whereas the highest polymorphism rate was 100% for the rest of the primers pairs. The results obtained on the degree of genetic diversity of the predator's individuals H. variegata showed that the highest value for percent disagreement values was 0.904 between samples from Damascus and Latakia (Fedio) and Homs and Latakia (Fedio), whereas the lowest value for percent disagreement values was 0.271 between samples from Damascus and Sweida. The phylogenetic tree showed that the studied populations were divided according to their geographical distribution into two main groups; the first group included samples collected from the regions of Damascus, Sweida, and Homs with a genetic distance of 15.51, whereas the second group included samples collected from the regions of Tartous, Jabla (Beit Yashout), and Lattakia (Fedio) with a genetic distance of 11.08. This is the first study to determine genetic diversity of H. variegata in Syria. Keywords: Genetic diversity, predator, Hippodamia variegata, SRAP, Syria

Identification and Evaluation of Suitable Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Under Different Biotic and Abiotic Conditions

Reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is an accurate and convenient technique for quantifying expression levels of the target genes. Selection of the appropriate reference gene is of the vital importance for RT-qPCR analysis. Hippodamia variegata is one of the most important predatory natural enemies of aphids. Recently, transcriptome and genome sequencings of H. variegata facilitate the gene functional studies. However, there has been rare investigation on the detection of stably expressed reference genes in H. variegata. In the current study, by using five analytical tools (Delta Ct, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder), eight candidate reference genes, namely, Actin, EF1α, RPL7, RPL18, RPS23, Tubulin-α, Tubulin-β, and TufA, were evaluated under four experimental conditions including developmental stages, tissues, temperatures, and diets. As a result, a specific set of reference genes were recommended for each experimental condition. These findings will help to improve the accuracy and reliability of RT-qPCR data, and lay a foundation for further exploration on the gene function of H. variegata.

First record of Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) as host of Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) in Algeria

This study was conducted in fields in the Boumerdes region near Algiers, Algeria between April and September 2019. Two species of Coccinellini, Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Kovàr, 1977) and Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777) were recorded as hosts of the parasitoid Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank, 1802). The percentage of parasitism observed during the sampling was low. Our results suggest that D. coccinellae is not well adapted to Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773). This work shows that the parasitoid has a greater preference for C. septempunctata algerica than for H. variegata (16.7 % versus 2.2 % of parasitism). Given the low percentage of parasitism due to D. coccinellae, it does not seem that this parasitoid is able to reduce the effectiveness of biocontrol by ladybeetles. This is the first published record of Dinocampus coccinellae as a parasitoid of C. septempunctata algerica in Algeria.

Pathogenicity and Side Effect of Indigenous Beauveria bassiana on Coccinella undecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

This study aimed to estimate the virulence of an indigenous Beauveria bassiana on all developmental stages of two indigenous coccinellids; Coccinella undecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata through three application methods; direct spray, contact method, and feeding on aphids treated with the fungus (ingestion). Also, indirect effect on all developmental stages resulted from 1st larval instar treated with these application methods. All treatments were done with a concentration of 1 × 105 which was recommended in previous studies for different aphid species with a control of 0.02% Tween 80 (v/v). The mortality of 1st larval instar of both H. variegata and C. undecimpunctata and pupal stage of C. undecimpunctata were significantly increased with spray method only. Also, contact method achieved significantly higher mortality on 1st larval instar of C. undecimpunctata only. Regard to indirect effect, except of mortality of 1st larval instar of both predators and 2nd larval instar of H. variegata, other developmental instars/stages of both predators were not affected by B. bassiana through the three tested application methods in the mortality, duration, survival, cumulative survival male and female longevity, and fecundity. Therefore, both tested predatory coccinellids could be compatible with this indigenous isolate of B. bassiana where, in general, there are no negative effects of the fungus on both predators.

Functional Morphology and Characters of five abundant species of Ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Functional morphology of five coccinellid species, viz.Coccinella septempunctata, Coccinella transversalis, Menochilus sexmaculatus, Propylea dissecta, and Hippodamia variegata, of the Coccinellini tribe (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). These ladybirds prevalent arise in the agricultural fields, hence could be efficiently spotted by their characteristic elytral pattern and spots. However, we have dissected male and female genitalia and found significant differences at the species level. In males, paramere and median lobe while stylus and genital plate in females are exploitable to differentiate species exhibited by line-drawings.

ALGUNOS COCCINELLIDOS (COLEÓPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) PREDADORES DE IMPORTANCIA ECONÓMICA EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DEL CUSCO, PERÚ

<p>El examen de cerca de 2500 especímenes de la familia Coccinellidae, presentes en la Colección Entomológica de la Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Perú, permitió determinar la presencia de 16 especies de conocidos hábitos predadores de importancia económica, provenientes de 74 localidades en 40 distritos de las 13 provincias del departamento del Cusco. Las 16 especies se hallan distribuidas en 10 géneros y 7 tribus, todas ellas dentro de la sub familia Coccinellinae Mulsant: <em>Eriopis peruviana</em> Hofmann, 1970, <em>Eriopis andina</em> Hofmann, 1970, <em>Eriopis minima</em> Hofmann, 1970, <em>Paraneda pallidula guticollis</em> (Mulsant, 1850), <em>Cycloneda vandenbergae</em> González, Bustamante &amp; Oróz, 2008, <em>Cycloneda sanguinea</em> (Linnaeus, 1763), <em>Cycloneda dieguezi</em> González, 2018, <em>Cycloneda arcula</em> (Erichson, 1847),<em> Hippodamia convergens</em> (Guerin-Meneville, 1842), <em>Hippodamia variegata</em> (Goeze, 1777), <em>Azya scutata</em> Mulsant, 1850, <em>Scymnus (Pullus) rubicundus</em> Erichson, 1847, <em>Hyperaspis festiva</em> (Mulsant, 1850), <em>Rodolia cardinalis</em> (Mulsant, 1850), <em>Parastethorus histrio</em> (Chazeau &amp; Fursch, 1974), <em>Curinus coeruleus</em> Mulsant, 1850. Se indica una diagnosis para cada especie, su distribución en el departamento e imágenes de su habitus y aparato genital.</p><p> </p>