Genetic diversity and demographic history of the Old World Bollworm, (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Ethiopia inferred from mitochondrial gene sequences.

The Old World bollworm, (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a globally distributed agricultural and horticultural insect pest. Despite the economic importance of this insect in Ethiopia, its genetic diversity and demographic history are poorly understood. We examined the nucleotide variation of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragment of 74 . individuals from six collection sites in Ethiopia. We recorded 15 COI haplotypes in . , ten globally shared and five exclusive to Ethiopia (HaET15, HaET14, HaET10, HaET7, and HaET4). Haplotype HaET1 was the most widely geographically distributed and frequent (71.62%). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a high and significant level of variation within . populations (  = -0.0135). Negative values of the neutrality test and nonsignificant index of mismatch distribution supported the demographic expansion of H. armigera populations in Ethiopia; furthermore, this was also supported by the nonsignificant values of the sum of squared deviations (SSD) and raggedness index (r). The high genetic variation and population expansion of . have immense implications for devising locally adapted management strategies in area-wide integrated pest management IPM programs. However, a comprehensive study of . genetic diversity and population structure using various molecular markers is needed for future confirmation.