Genetic variation of onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Thysanoptera Thripidae) populations in Lithuania and their link with host plants

Abstract

Thrips tabaci Lindeman is one of the most important polyphagous horticulture crop pests in Lithuania. The aim of this work was to investigate new approach with the geographic distributions and host plant associations between different mtDNA COI haplotypes of T. tabaci. Specimens of T. tabaci were collected from different horticultural crops in the main horticulture regions across Lithuania, where sustainable plant protection practice is used. Four different haplotypes of T. tabaci were detected during investigation, and the greatest haplotype diversity was registered in the northern districts of Lithuania. The mean genetic distance between different haplotypes was 1.6%, and diversity was up to 2.9% comparing with sequences from other European countries (the Netherlands, UK and France) deposited in GenBank. Sequences obtained during this investigation differed by ≥10% comparing with sequences from other countries. Thrips tabaci COI gene differences partly reflect the geographic distribution, but results did not reveal the relationship between COI gene polymorphism of T. tabaci and different host plants.