Abstract
Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a serious pest of cotton in northern China. A microsatellite analysis was used to characterize the genetic structure of A. gossypii populations from different geographic, host plant, and seasonal populations in 2014. Among 906 individuals, 507 multilocus genotypes were identified, with genotypic richness values of 0.07–1.00 for the populations. We observed moderate levels of genetic differentiation among geographic populations (FST = 0.103; 95% confidence interval: 0.065–0.145) and host plant populations (FST = 0.237; 95% confidence interval: 0.187–0.296). A Mantel test of isolation by distance revealed no significant correlations between Slatkin’s linearized FST and the natural logarithm of geographic distance. A Bayesian analysis of population genetic structures identified three clusters. An analysis of molecular variance revealed significant differences among the three clusters (F = 0.26596, P < 0.0001), among seasons (F = 0.04244, P = 0.00381), and among host populations (F = 0.12975, P = 0.0029). Thus, the A. gossypii populations in northern China exhibit considerable genotypic diversity. Additionally, our findings indicated that the 31 analyzed populations could be classified as one of three host biotypes (i.e., cotton, cucumber, and pomegranate biotypes). There were also clear seasonal effects on population genetic structure diversity among aphids collected from Anyang.
Highlights
The cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a polyphagous species with a worldwide distribution
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing results revealed that all samples collected in cotton fields were A. gossypii
A. gossypii samples were collected from cotton plants in late August at 20 locations in the North China Plain
Summary
The cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a polyphagous species with a worldwide distribution. Economic losses caused by this aphid result from its feeding on agricultural crops, the production of honeydew secretions on lint (i.e., sticky cotton), and the fact it serves as a vector for viral diseases [1, 2]. This pest colonizes more than 600 plant species, including many important crops, such as cotton, cucurbits, citrus, aubergine, potato, and okra [1]. Aphis gossypii is an important pest of cotton in northern China, causing yield losses during the seedling stage [3].
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