Genetic Variability of Ceraeochrysa cincta, Ceraeochrysa claveri, and Ceraeochrysa cubana (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) Populations in Agroecosystems of Southeast Brazil

Abstract

The species of the genus Ceraeochrysa, known as green lacewings or trash-carriers, are widely distributed along the Americas and its islands. In Brazil, 28 species are found, including Ceraeochrysa cincta (Schneider), Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás), and Ceraeochrysa cubana (Hagen). These species are recorded on many crops, where they are often used for biological control. For this use, knowledge of the genetic features of the species is extremely important because they are associated to the species' ability to withstand different conditions in new environments, such as variations of temperature and presence of pathogens. However, little is known about the genetic features of Ceraeochrysa species. Here, we analyze and compare the distribution of the genetic variability of C. cincta, C. claveri, and C. cubana in agroecosystem populations of southeast Brazil. We found a high genetic diversity in each of the three species, and no strong genetic structure was detected, such that genetic diversity is broadly shared among the crops and localities analyzed. We can conclude that there was a high gene flow among the sampled Ceraeochrysa populations (natural or driven by anthropic action) since the exchange of seedlings among crops can lead to the distribution of the specimens.