Molecular Evidence from a Parasitoid Wasp, Schlettererius cinctipes (Hymenoptera: Stephanidae), for a North American West-to-East Transcontinental Conduit for Wood-Boring Insects

Abstract

Abstract Until recently, Schlettererius cinctipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Stephanidae) has been restricted to western North America. Since 1996, three specimens of S. cinctipes have been found in the eastern United States (Kentucky and Virginia). To determine whether these specimens represent recent introductions from the west, cytochrome c oxidase I mitochondrial DNA and one region of 28s rDNA were examined, and pairwise distances were compared. Our results indicate the three specimens represent separate introductions from the west. Because S. cinctipes is a parasitoid of wood-boring insects, these conclusions indicate the ease and frequency with which wood-boring insects are transported across the United States.