Morphological and molecular identification of three geographical populations of the storage pest Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera)

Traditional morphological identification of three strains of the most widespread and important psocid pest of stored products, Liposcelis bostrychophila (Liposcelididae), was compared with the use of a molecular diagnostic method. The strains were from geographically isolated localities in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Morphological identification was based on the use of distinguishing morphological characters; data were obtained using body size measurements and scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. Molecular identification was based on determining the 16S rDNA sequences and sequence similarities and then phylogenetic analyses of the three geographical populations. Both morphological and molecular methods are able to properly identify the species, but distinctively significant differences between geographical populations of L. bostrychophila were only found using the molecular method.