The solitary egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) of Pentatomidae species complex are potential candidates for soybean (Glycine max L.) integrated pest management programs in Brazil. The correct identification of species and strains of these parasitoids is necessary to implement the use of biological control. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to generate random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) from male individuals of Telenomus podisi Ashmead and Trissolcus spp. collected in a soybean field in Brasília, Brazil in 1996. The analysis of 18 primers used to screen Trissolcus spp. individuals revealed different patterns related to the species analyzed. These results indicate the potential of RAPD markers to differentiate T. teretis Johnson, T. urichi Crawford and T. basalis (Wollaston). The 13 selected primers used to analyze T. podisi individuals produced 103 clear polymorphic scorable markers. Different genotypes were observed within this population analyzed, although the cluster analysis applied to the RAPD data showed high homogeneity (similarity >78.2%) among individuals.
Insecta; microhymenoptera parasitoids; genetic variability; molecular markers; RAPD
