Electrophoretic and phylogenetic analyses of selected allopatric populations of the Cotesia flavipes complex (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), parasitoids of cereal stemborers

Electrophoretic studies were conducted on the Cotesia flavipes Cameron complex and Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Esterase, glucosephosphate isomerase, hexokinase, sorbital dehydrogenase and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase had fixed alleles for the three species and could be used to distinguish them. Cotesia chilonis (Matsumura) and Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron), have a genetic identity value characteristic of distinct species (Nei’s genetic identity, I=0.587). Cladistic analysis of the allozyme data indicated that allopatric populations currently included in C. flavipes may not be a monophyletic group.