Population Level Genetic Variability of Cotton Fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus) In the United States

Cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) is one of the key sucking insect pests of cotton. However, high intensity of infestation and resultant crop loss is mainly observed in southern Texas. The current study is the first one to determine the geographic genetic structure of cotton fleahopper populations in the US. Cotton fleahoppers were collected from cultivated cotton in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina during the summer in 2009-2010. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to detect genetic structure. Knowing the population structure of an insect pest provides inferences on migration patterns between regions, local adaptation etc., besides providing information aimed at  locally improving  fleahopper management strategies.