Genetic structure of rice striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera:Crambidae) in North of Iran.

Information on the genetic structure of rice striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), is essential for an effective pest management program and can corporate with control program and prompt the modification of current control methods. In this study, the genetic structure of COI gene has been investigated for 18 populations of this pest in north of Iran. Chilo suppressalis specimens were collected from rice fields on rice and weeds in Guilan and Mazanderan provinces, at Caspian Sea coast at both seasonal activity (spring) and overwintering stage from May through October 2018 and identified using morphological characters. Genetic structure of 18 populations of the species was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-direct-sequencing of a fragment (869 bp) of mtDNA-COI gene. Results revealed that almost all specimens from different generations, hosts, and locations belong to a single haplotype very close to a South Korean haplotype. To the best our knowledge, it is the first comprehensive molecular typing of striped stem borer in both Northern provinces of the country and suggests a high gene flow among different populations of this pest in the region.