Genetic diversity and morphometric study of thirteen populations of Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri)(Isoptera: Termitidae) in southern Iran

IRG/WP 12-10782

E A Firouzabadi, B Habibpour, H Galehdari, P Shishehbor

Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri) (Isoptera: Termitidae), an important wood pest in Iran, causes serious economic damage to cellulosic products in buildings. To investigate the genetic diversity of this pest, 13 populations from different areas of Khuzestan province as well as two samples from Khârg Island and Bandar Abbas were collected. After DNA extraction, a fragment with 486 bp length from the mithochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene subunit II (COII), was amplified and subsequently sequenced. Maximum parsimony analyses were done by Mega4. The characters of the most parsimonious tree were as follows: trees length: 237; consistency index (CI): 0.7721; and retention index (RI) : 0.8666. In this tree, 15 populations were placed into two clades with the exception of two outgroups. Genetic difference among the populations estimated 0 - 0.117%using the Kimura-2 parameter model that explains low level of genetic diversity and showed the investigated populations are not separated from each other. Collectively, the investigated samples did not show a clear relationship between morphometric and genetic data.


Keywords: Microcerotermes diversus‚ COII , genetic diversity, PCR

Conference: 12-05-06/10 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


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