SEPARATION OF PANONYCHUS-ULMI, P-THELYTOKUS AND P-BAMBUSICOLA (ACARI, TETRANYCHIDAE) BY ESTERASE ZYMOGRAMS

Electrophoresis has become an important method in taxonomic studies of insects and mites which are small in size and relatively uniform in morphology (Osakabe, 1987; Wen-Qinget al., 1988; Gul- Demond And Eggers-Shumacher, 1989; Miura Et al., 1990; Murai, 1990; Miyanoshitaet al., 1991) This is because the zymogram technique is superior in detecting intraspecific variation, separating sibling species and identifying closely related species (Menken And Ulenberg, 1987). Up to the present, five species of the genus Panonychus have been described in Japan. P. citri (Mcgregor) is a serious pest of citrus and deciduous fruit trees, P. mori Yokoyama AndP. ulmi (Koch) Cause damage to deciduous fruit trees such as mulberry, peach, pear and apple, and P. thelytokus Ehara Et Gotohand P. bambusicola Ehara EtGotoh feed on elm and dwarf bamboo, respectively (Ehara And Gotoh, 1992). P. citri (a non-diapausing strain) and P. mori (a diapausing strain of P. Can Bedistinguished zymograms (Osakabe, 1987). However, the other three species have not yet been examined for esterase zymograms. In the present study, we attempted to distinguish the above three species by zymo grams. © 1992, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.