Using the chrysopid (Hexapoda: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) mitochondrial genes sequences data for understanding its biodiversity and populational structure in Sao Paulo State, Brazil

• Grant number: 06/03494-0
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: April 01, 2007 - March 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal researcher: Sérgio de Freitas
• Grantee: Sérgio de Freitas
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The biological control agents are very efficient to put agricultural pest population down under critical level. The predators such as the green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) can be manipulated in order to have several kinds of pest populations under control. Their larvae are voracious eaters on soft bodies insects. The green lacewings are probably one of the most encountered predator in many agroecosystems, but the group taxonomy are very confuse and many species still continue be discovered. As the species identifications are been done using only the morphological traits, the misidentification are very common. The using of the molecular biology, like as genes sequences data, has helped many researchers to understand the species dynamic population and consequently so much information have arisen from those studies. Several studies have showed some genetic differences between sub-populations and they agree those variations are the consequences of the natural selection actions. When only the morphological traits are used to determine the species names, mistakes could occurs because no biological dates are examined. For example, sub-populations considered as bellowing to the same species can show different responses to the environment and thus, morphological variations can be manifested. In this situation the doubt about the correct identification will be very strong. In this moment, the genetic structure of those populations makes the difference. The genes sequences examining can give the chance for correct population separation and conduct to the specific determination without the research subjective analysis. Based on these statements we propose the study of the mitochondrial genes COI and 16s from the native green lacewings living in the citros orchards and natives ecosystems in the São Paulo State. Beyond this mean objectives, others projects are planned for exhaustive entomological studies on the insect genetic population structure. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LAVAGNINI, T. C.; MORALES, A. C.; FREITAS, S. Population genetics of Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and implications for biological control. Brazilian Journal of Biology, v. 75, n. 4, p. 878-885, NOV 2015. Web of Science Citations: 5.

MORALES, A. C.; LAVAGNINI, T. C.; FREITAS, S. Loss of Genetic Variability Induced by Agroecosystems: Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) as a Case Study. Neotropical Entomology, v. 42, n. 1, p. 32-38, FEB 2013. Web of Science Citations: 3.

MORALES, A. C.; FREITAS, S. Haplotype characterization of the COI mitochondrial gene in Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from different environments in Jaboticabal, state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology, v. 70, n. 4, p. 1115-1121, NOV 2010. Web of Science Citations: 13.