Genetic Differentiation in Eldana Saccharina (lepidoptera: Pyralidae): Evidence from the Mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I and Ii Genes

The sugarcane stemborer Eldana saccharina is an indigenous African moth found throughout much of subsaharan Africa. Previous research has revealed ecological differences among geographical populations, raising the possibility that E. saccharina may consist of different biotypes. As a first step towards evaluating this hypothesis, E. saccharina populations from across Africa were surveyed for mitochondrial DNA variation. The complete coding regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and COII genes were sequenced for three individuals from Benin, Uganda and South Africa, and a fragment of COI was sequenced for additional specimens representing a wider geographical range. The levels of sequence divergence found in comparisons between the northern E. saccharina populations of Benin, Uganda and Cameroon and those of southern Africa were at least as high as those between recognized biotypes in other species. This suggests potentially limited gene flow among E. saccharina populations that merits further investigation.