Characterization and Comparison of Genetic Variation in Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Mass Reared for Biological Pest Control Using Microsatellite Markers

The larval parasitoid Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an important biological control agent of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). This exotic parasitoid has been mass reared for field release since its introduction in the 1970s. Insects are exchanged between labs or introduced from the field, but without basic studies or criteria. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability of insects from six Brazilian States (São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Goiás, Maranhão, and Alagoas) using microsatellites. Analysis of five loci using at least 22 females from each location was performed. The molecular analysis made possible to verify that four out of the five loci analyzed were polymorphic. The allele frequencies of three loci were in agreement with the Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium for all insects of all regions. It was also observed that five alleles were exclusively presented in only two loci. The variation among and within populations was 24.65 and 75.34%, respectively. The estimated shared genotypes between the C. flavipes individuals showed that K = 2 was the most likely number of genetic groups causing the current variation, as well as high shared genotypes from these groups of the individuals. Considering all the analyzed loci, the genetic differentiation was at a moderate level. We suggest a possible mixture of biological materials based on genetic distances and the degree of structuring displayed.