Structure of worldwide populations of Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) as revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphism profiles.

The cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) is the most widespread and destructive pest of stored tobacco. The capability to differentiate between populations from different geographic origins would enable researchers to better understand how insect dispersal through transportation affects the infestation of stored tobacco. Using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), DNA polymorphisms were assessed in 16 populations of L. serricorne collected from 15 countries. The dendrograms constructed from profile distance matrices revealed well-supported colony clusters. There was no clear clustering as a function of the geographic origin of the samples. The results suggest extensive insect dispersal among geographical regions due to movement of infested commodities worldwide. This first AFLP population study of a stored-product insect demonstrates the potential of AFLP for distinguishing L. serricorne populations.