Identification of morphologically similar canegrubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthini) using a molecular diagnostic technique

Abstract

Abstract Larvae of 19 species of Melolonthini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are important sugarcane pests in eastern Australia. Larvae of five of these pest species cannot be identified confidently using morphological characters: Lepidiota frenchi Blackburn, Lepidiota negatoria Blackburn and Lepidiota noxia Britton; and Antitrogus consanguineus (Blackburn) and Antitrogus rugulosus (Blackburn). To develop a DNA‐diagnostic tool, we assessed mtDNA diversity within each species and confirmed their specific status. Species‐level base pair differences in the cytochrome oxidase II gene ( COII ) were used to develop a polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) protocol for species identification. PCR‐RFLP is a useful tool for identifying morphologically similar species of canegrubs in large‐scale pest identifications.