GENE DIVERSITY IN NATURAL DIABROTICA-BARBERI SMITH AND LAWRENCE POPULATIONS (COLEOPTERA, CHRYSOMELIDAE)

A survey of electrophoretic loci in Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence showed that 21 of 27 loci were polymorphic. Mean gene diversity at the polymorphic loci was 0.274 +/- 0.051 and 0.213 +/- 0.041 among all 27 loci. Gene frequencies were heterogeneous among collections of adult beetles from 14 farms in five counties in northwestern Iowa. About half the variance in gene frequencies was partitioned among farms in counties and half among the counties. Wright's F statistics showed that most departures from random mating occurred within populations; departures from random mating among populations were insignificant. The data show much gene flow among D. barberi populations.