Abstract:

The codling moth (Cydia pomonella L., Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a well-known pest worldwide and was first reported in 1952 in Turkey. It is traditionally controlled with several pesticide applications during each apple production season. The genetic diversity of codling moths was investigated in this study, based on the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunite I gene. Twenty-two haplotypes from 9 populations were studied. The results showed an average haplotype and nucleotide diversity of 0.835 and 0.571, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses were indicated for 2 major clades using the maximum likelihood method. Median Joining Network analysis revealed that the 2 major clades are different from each other by at least 4 mutation steps. The 1st clade consisted of specimens from Western Turkey (Çanakkale and Balıkesir), and the 2nd clade was found in all tested populations, although a mixture of insects and improperly classified specimens were also observed. Fst value estimates ranged from 0 and 0.179, suggesting genetic differentiation among some populations. Possible situations for the genetic differentiation between the 2 major clades are also discussed.

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