The application of molecular markers in the study of diversity in acarology: a review

Abstract

The application of molecular markers to the study of ticks and mites has recently yielded new insights into their population structures and taxonomic relationships. Ticks have been studied at individual, population and species level. Mites are a more diverse group and those that have been studied to the same degree as the ticks include the Tetranychidae (spider mites), Phytoseiidae (predatory mites) and the Eriophyidae. Population variation has also been studied in the important bee parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans. The methods used to study these organisms have much in common. At the individual level these range from general approaches, such as AFLP, RAPD or DALP, to highly specific microsatellite analysis. Although these markers also work at the population and species level, additional analysis of specific nuclear or mitochondrial genes has been conducted either by RFLP or sequencing. Molecular applications have had particular success in facilitating the identification of taxonomically difficult species, understanding population structures and elucidating phylogenetic relationships.