In the present study, within and among breed genetic diversity in thirteen Turkish sheep breeds (Sakiz, Karag&uuml / l, Hemsin, &Ccedil / ine &Ccedil / apari, Norduz, Herik, Akkaraman, Dagli&ccedil / , G&ouml / k&ccedil / eada, Ivesi, Karayaka, Kivircik and Morkaraman / in total represented by 628 individuals) were analyzed based on 20 microsatellite loci. Loci were amplified by Polymerase Chain Reactions and products were electronically recorded and converted into [628 x 20] matrix representing genotypes of individuals. Reliability of the genotyping and genetic diversity analyses were done by means of various bioinformatics tools. For the analyses, various statistical methods (Fisher&#039 / s Exact Test, Neighbor-Joining tree construction, Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA), Analysis of Molecular Variation, Structure Analysis and Delaunay Analysis) were used. Since, inputs of some software were not compatible with the outputs of other software some Java classes were written whenever necessary. Analyses revealed that among the major breeds Dagli&ccedil / , Karayaka and Morkaraman breeds are highly admixed but Kivircik, Akkaraman and Ivesi are relatively distinct. Among the minor breeds, distinctness of Hemsin, Sakiz, &Ccedil / ine &Ccedil / apari, G&ouml / k&ccedil / eada and Karag&uuml / l are more pronounced compared to all of the examined breeds. Since highly admixed individuals can be identified by Structure and FCA tests, results of the present study, which is part of a national project with the acronym TURKHAYGEN-I (www.turkhaygen.gov.tr), were found to be promising in establishing and managing relatively pure conservation flocks for the Turkish native sheep breeds which are believed to be the reservoirs of genetic variability.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 69 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: I studied the reproductive characteristics and mating systems of a central Florida population of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Using x-radiography, females were monitored for stage in egg-shelling and clutch size. Eggs began to appear on x-ray photographs in the first week of May in both 2001 and 2002; however, fully shelled eggs were not found before the end of May. In total 55% of the females x-rayed were gravid. Clutch sizes ranged from 4-12 with a mean of 7.29, with a mean clutch mass of 40.9 g. Clutch size increased with an increase in mean carapace length and mean plastron length. Mean clutch mass also increased with mean carapace length of females. Hatchlings began to emerge in late August, with incubation times ranging from 83 to 96 days. 50% of the eggs hatched, with 16.2% of the eggs showing no signs of development when opened. Hatchling mass averaged 30.7 g and was positively correlated with egg mass. / ABSTRACT: DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from females and their offspring, and from the sexually mature males in the population. Nine microsatellite loci were amplified and genotypes constructed for each individual. There is evidence for promiscuous mating in gopher tortoises. Multiple paternity was detected in two of the seven clutches (28.6 %). In the clutches with multiple fathers, fertilization was highly skewed to one male, with primary male fertilizing over 70% of the clutch. Females with multiple-sired clutches were significantly smaller than females with single-sired clutches. Among the clutches assayed only one male fertilized more than one clutch, indicating that insemination of females is evenly spread among males of similar sizes. However, males assigned as fathers were significantly larger than other sampled males which may mean that larger males have an advantage in fertilization of clutches. / ABSTRACT: Conservation efforts should consider the impact of the mating system on reproduction in a population, and the possible impact of the relocation of larger males on recipient populations. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Die Beziehung zwischen Genen und Verhalten ist in der Evolutionsbiologie von besonderem Interesse. Bestimmte Verhaltensweisen können die genetische Struktur natürlicher Populationen gestalten, dadurch deren genetische Diversität verändern und so ihr evolutives Schicksal beeinflussen. Abwanderung aus der Geburtsgruppe ist eine dieser Verhaltensweisen. Sie beeinflusst Genfluss, dessen Ausmaß die genetische Struktur von Populationen bestimmt. Paviane (Gattung Papio) sind ein besonders interessantes Forschungssystem um die Beziehung zwischen Verhalten und populationsgenetischer Struktur zu untersuchen. Die Evolution der Paviane wurde sowohl von historischem als auch gegenwärtigem Genfluss geprägt. Innerhalb dieser Gattung treten sowohl die überwiegende Abwanderung von Männchen als auch die überwiegende Abwanderung von Weibchen auf. Zudem wurde ihre gegenwärtige Verbreitung maßgeblich von Populationsausbreitung und –rückzug beeinflusst und es tritt häufig Genfluss zwischen verschiedenen Arten auf. In meiner Doktorarbeit untersuchte ich, wie verschiedene Abwanderungsmuster den Genfluss bei Pavianen beeinflussen. Damit hoffe ich zu einem besseren Ver-ständnis der Wechselbeziehung zwischen Verhaltensökologie und Genetik in natürlichen Populationen beizutragen. Ich fokussierte mich darauf, wie Unterschiede in den Sozialsystemen unterschiedlicher Pavianarten deren genetische Struktur beeinflussen. Die beobachteten Muster nutzte ich, um auf das geschlechtsspezifische Abwanderungsmuster bei Guineapavianen zu schließen, eine der am wenigsten untersuchten Pavianarten. Zudem untersuchte ich, wie sowohl historischer als auch gegenwärtiger Genfluss die genetische Struktur der Guineapaviane formten und ob es möglich ist von der Populationsausbreitung der Paviane Rückschlüsse auf die menschliche Evolutionsgeschichte zu ziehen. Um diese Fragen zu beantworten nutzte ich einen populationsgenetischen Ansatz, basierend auf im gesamten Verbreitungsgebiet gesammelten Kotproben, deren exakter geographischer Ursprung bekannt war. Ich analysierte sowohl autosomale Mikrosatelliten als auch Sequenzen der mitochondrialen Hypervariablen Region I. Meine Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die genetische Struktur der Guineapaviane am besten durch die überwiegende Abwanderung von Weibchen erklärt werden kann, sowohl in einem lokalen als auch im globalen Kontext. Weiblicher Genfluss führt zu einer hohen Diversität innerhalb von Populationen sowie einem Fehlen von genetisch-geographischer Struktur in mitochondrialer DNA. Nukleäre DNA hingegen zeigt eine starke globale geographische Struktur und Männchen sind im Vergleich zu Weibchen durch eine stärkere lokale Struktur gekennzeichnet. Dies entspricht den Vorhersagen für ein System, in welchem hauptsächlich Weibchen abwandern und Männchen in ihrer Geburtsgruppe verbleiben. Insgesamt scheint lokal begrenzte Abwanderung den wirksamen Genfluss auf eine Distanz unter 200 km zu beschränken, was zu einem starken Isolation-durch-Distanz Effekt und genetisch differenzierten Populationen führt. Anzeichen für Populationsausbreitung, die graduelle Struktur genetischer Variation, und mögliche Hinweise auf das “Allele-surfing” Phänomen, deuten auf eine historische westwärts gerichtete Ausbreitung von Guineapavianen hin. Introgressive Hybridisierung mit benachbarten Anubispavianen könnte genetische Muster im Bereich der Kontaktzone erklären, muss aber im Detail noch untersucht werden. Zusätzlich konnte ich zeigen, dass Mantelpaviane vermutlich im gleichen Zeitraum des Späten Pleistozäns von Afrika nach Arabien wanderten, wie Hypothesen für den modernen Menschen vorschlagen. Meine Studie ist die erste umfassende Analyse der genetischen Populationsstruktur der Guineapaviane und liefert Belege für die überwiegende Abwanderung von Weibchen in dieser Art. Dies untersützt die Ansicht, dass das Sozialsystem der Guineapaviane einige vergleichbare Merkmale zum System der Mantelpaviane aufweist und deutet somit darauf hin, dass während der Evolution dieser beiden Arten besondere evolutionäre Drücke gewirkt haben, die sie von allen anderen Pavianarten abgrenzen. In Kombination mit dem starken Einfluss von Populationsausbreitungen auf ihre Verbreitung und genetische Diversität, bekräftigt meine Arbeit Paviane als interssanten analogen Modellorganismus, der helfen kann, die Prozesse die während der Evolution des Menschen maßgeblich waren, aufzuklären.

Η οικογένεια Tephritidae των Διπτέρων εντόμων περιλαμβάνει είδη με μεγάλη οικονομική σημασία. Τα περισσότερα αποτελούν σημαντικά παράσιτα γεωργικών καλλιεργειών προκαλώντας μεγάλες καταστροφές στην παραγωγή φρούτων και λαχανικών παγκοσμίως. Τα σημαντικότερα παράσιτα ανήκουν στα γένη Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Dacus και Rhagoletis. Η μελέτη των ειδών αυτών στο επίπεδο της γενετικής και της μοριακής βιολογίας θα μπορούσε να συμβάλλει σημαντικά στην ανάπτυξη μεθόδων βιολογικού ελέγχου των πληθυσμών τους. Με εξαίρεση τη Μεσογειακή μύγα, Ceratitis capitata, που θεωρείται ο καλύτερα μελετημένος οργανισμός της οικογένειας, η πληροφορία για άλλα είδη είναι πολύ περιορισμένη. Στη παρούσα μελέτη εξετάσθηκε η πιθανότητα δια-ειδικής ενίσχυσης μικροδορυφορικών δεικτών που αναπτύχθηκαν στο εργαστήριό μας για τη Μεσογειακή μύγα σε είδη των γενών Anastrephα, Bactrocera και Rhagoletis καθώς και στο είδος C. fasciventris με κύριο στόχο την ανάπτυξη κατάλληλων γενετικών δεικτών που θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν σε γενετικές ή και πληθυσμιακές μελέτες των ειδών αυτών. Από τους 102 μικροδορυφορικούς δείκτες που αναλύθηκαν μέσω της PCR, οι 31 (31%) έδωσαν δια-ειδική ενίσχυση σε τουλάχιστον ένα από τα εξεταζόμενα είδη έκτος του γένους Ceratitis. Το αντίστοιχο ποσοστό για την C. fasciventris ήταν 67,75%. Το μέγεθος των προϊόντων αυτών ήταν παρόμοιο ή και ταυτόσημο με το αναμενόμενο στη Μεσογειακή μύγα. Τα αποτελέσματα από την αλληλούχιση των προϊόντων PCR και τη σύγκριση τους με τις αντίστοιχες περιοχές της Μεσογειακής Μύγας δείχνουν ότι η δομή των μικροδορυφορικών μοτίβων αλλά και των μοναδικών περιοχών που τους περιβάλλουν φαίνεται να διατηρείται στη πλειοψηφία των περιπτώσεων για τη C. fasciventris. Σε όλες τις περιπτώσεις που εξετάσθηκαν βρέθηκαν επαναλαμβανόμενα μοτίβα. Η συγκριτική ανάλυση των αλληλουχιών αυτών μπορεί να προσφέρει πολύτιμους γενετικούς δείκτες για τα είδη αυτά αλλά και πληροφορίες για τις φυλογενετικές τους σχέσεις. / Tephritidae family of Diptera includes species of great economical importance. Most of them are significant parasites of agriculture causing severe damages by attacking fruits and vegetables world wide.The most important pests belong to the genera Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Dacus and Rhagoletis. Studies of these species on genetic and molecular level could contribute significantly to the development of methods for their biological control. Except for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, which is the best understood fruit fly pest at the genetic/molecular level, limited information exists for other species. In the present work we examined the possibility of cross-species amplification of microsatellite markers that were developed in our laboratory for C. capitata. Cross-species analyses were performed on species belonging to the genera Anastrepha, Bactrocera and Rhagoletis as well as C. fasciventris, aiming at the development of suitable markers that could be used in genetic and/or population studies of these species. A total of 102 microsatellites markers were examined through PCR. Thirty one of them (31%) showed cross-species amplification in at least one of the analyzed species. The percentage for C. fasciventris was 67.75%. The majority of the products were similar or identical in size to those expected in C. capitata. Sequencing analyses of the PCR products are when compared to the Medfly markers demonstrate that the structures of the repeat motifs and their flanking sequences are maintained in most studied cases that involve C. fasciventris. In every case studied repeat motifs were found. This analysis can provide not only useful genetic markers for the analyzed species but also information for their phylogenetic relationships.

The number of non-parasitic (brook) lamprey species in the genus Lampetra is underestimated since isolated populations are generally considered one species due to their relatively conserved body form. The phylogeographic and phylogenetic structure was estimated among and within Lampetra species along the Pacific coast of North America (presumed to represent Lampetra richardsoni; L. pacifica – which is currently regarded as a junior synonym of L. richardsoni; L. ayresii; and L. hubbsi) using up to three mitochondrial and three nuclear genetic markers. These data show that L. richardsoni as currently recognized is polyphyletic when lampreys (some of which show up to 8 K2P% sequence divergence) from Siuslaw River and Fourmile Creek (Oregon) and Mark West, Paynes, and Kelsey creeks (California) are included; Lampetra pacifica is a valid species; the population from Kelsey Creek almost certainly represents a new species; and those from Siuslaw, Fourmile, and Mark West may also be distinct species.

Les problèmes phytosanitaires causés par les nématodes ont un impact mondial énorme au niveau économique, car ils s'attaquent aussi bien aux grandes cultures qu'aux cultures maraîchères, florales ou fruitières. Spécialiste de la culture de la pomme de terre, le nématode doré (Globodera rostochiensis) est un phytoparasite de quarantaine reconnu internationalement. Originaire d'Amérique du Sud et probablement introduit en Europe dans les années 1850, plusieurs hypothèses stipulent qu'il aurait été propagé par la suite à travers le monde à partir de ce deuxième centre d'exportation. Il a été découvert récemment au Québec en 2006 dans la région de St-Amable et dans quatre zones satellites. Ces sites infestés sont maintenant régis par de strictes réglementations de quarantaine afin d'éviter d'éventuelles introductions. Vu leur récente découverte au Québec, les nouvelles populations du nématode doré n'ont été le sujet que de très peu d'études génétiques. En conséquence, un manque de connaissances subsiste sur la structure et la diversité génétique de ces populations. Les marqueurs microsatellites ont déjà servi à déterminer la diversité et les liens génétiques entre diverses populations chez une autre espèce de nématode très proche génétiquement, le nématode à kyste pâle. Mes travaux de recherche visaient donc principalement à développer de nouveaux marqueurs microsatellites chez le nématode doré afin de génotyper diverses populations mondiales et de caractériser des liens génétiques entre elles. Douze nouveaux marqueurs microsatellites ont donc été développés afin de répondre à ces objectifs. Ils ont été employés pour le génotypage de quinze populations d'origines diverses, dont deux en provenance du Québec. À l'intérieur des populations, la plus grande diversité génétique a logiquement été observée chez les populations boliviennes, la région d'origine du nématode doré. Les deux populations québécoises se sont avérées très similaires entre elles, mais, de façon très surprenante, étaient sensiblement différentes à trois autres populations nord-américaines, celles de New York et de Colombie-Britannique. Elles se sont en fait révélées génétiquement plus proches de la population de Terre-Neuve et des populations européennes, et plus particulièrement d'une population écossaise. Selon les résultats, un minimum de deux introductions de nématode doré d'origines différentes aurait eu lieu en Amérique du Nord. Les nématodes à kyste de la pomme de terre éclosent suite à des stimulus contenus dans 1'exsudat racinaire de la plante hôte. Le deuxième objectif de mon étude était de standardiser la récolte et la conservation d'exsudat racinaire de pomme de terre pour des tests d'éclosion en laboratoire. Une dégradation de la qualité de l'exsudat racinaire a été détectée suite à sa conservation. Puisque celle-ci a été discernée à partir d'un mois chez l'un des deux réplicats, il est conseillé d'utiliser un exsudat récolté frais pour des tests d'éclosion en laboratoire. L'évaluation et la compréhension des liens génétiques unissant les populations mondiales du nématode doré permettent de mieux comprendre sa dispersion et d'éviter, dans le futur, de nouvelles introductions. Également, ces connaissances peuvent être appliquées dans les modes de contrôle de cette espèce en choisissant des méthodes de lutte adaptées aux populations. L'étude de la récolte et de la conservation d'exsudat racinaire permettra également dans de futures études d'obtenir des résultats plus fiables en ayant un exsudat standardisé.

A Madagascar, un programme de sélection sur les eucalyptus est conduit à l'aide de vergers à graines, en pollinisation libre qui constituent les populations d'amélioration. L'obtention de gains génétiques et le maintien de la diversité génétique sont réalisés si la reproduction tend vers le modèle panmictique. Or, le faible niveau de domestication des essences forestières et les conditions environnementales conduisent à une variabilité phénotypique importante ayant des conséquences probables sur la phénologie. Dans un premier temps, notre approche est basée sur la caractérisation biologique d'un verger de 349 Eucalyptus grandis. Ensuite, il s'agit d'effectuer, sur un échantillon de 724 descendants récoltés sur 30 géniteurs, une analyse de paternité basée sur 6 marqueurs microsatellites. Nous en déduisons les conséquences sur la variabilité génétique et la croissance des descendants. En première approche, les résultats confirment les inquiétudes que nous avions quant à la panmixie et à l'équi-participation des géniteurs. Le taux de pollution pollinique atteint 39% et les contributions des géniteurs au nuage pollinique diffèrent de leur effectif dans le verger. En revanche, plus de 50% d'entre eux y ont participé et nous n'avons pas observé d'effet de voisinage sur la pollinisation. Le taux moyen d'allogamie est de 97% et les croisements entre demi-frères représentent 3,5% des recombinaisons. Seule la croissance des descendants issus d'autofécondation est significativement affectée par les effets de la dépression consanguine. En dépit du taux de contamination, nous pouvons estimer que le brassage génétique, confirmé par le maintien de la variabilité allélique et le faible taux d'autofécondation, correspond à ce qui est attendu sous l'hypothèse de la panmixie. Néanmoins, certaines recommandations sont proposées pour atteindre les objectifs multiples attribués aux vergers à graines et pour limiter la contamination pollinique.

The larger grain borer (LGB) Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm stored maize and cassava in Africa. This alien invasive species was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. In contrast to indigenous primary storage pests, LGB exists as on-farm and as wild populations, hence, sustainable control must target both environments. Biological control is especially attractive for wild populations to reduce early season grain store infestation, while cultural and chemical methods are useful to protect stored produce directly. Two populations of the predator Teretrius nigrescens Lewis were introduced into several African countries' as a biocontrol agent. It has shown long-term success and cost effective control in warm-humid areas. Control has however not been successful in cool and hot-dry zones. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible underlying genetic and ecological explanations for these observations and the possibility of joint use of molecular markers and ecological parameters in the development of sustainable control strategies. A 28-month baseline monitoring and recovery activity was done in from 2004 in five regions in Kenya along an east-westerly transect. Monitoring and live sample collection was also done in the original outbreak area in eastern Kenya. There was greater LGB flight activity in western Kenya (high potential maize production area) than the low potential areas. Very few T. nigrescens were recovered, solely in the eastern regions. LGB flight activity followed a seasonal pattern mostly related to changes in the relative humidity at 12:00, rainfall and dew point temperature but with a 3 - 4 week lag. A linear predictive model based on these factors predicted 27 % of the observed flight activity. The survival and predation of five strains of T. nigrescens were compared at eight temperature levels between 15 °C and 36 °C at low and high humidity. All the strains of T. nigrescens exerted a significant reduction of LGB population build-up between 21 °C and 33 °C with generally better performance under humid conditions. There was no evidence of T. nigrescens development at 15 °C. At 18 °C, T. nigrescens oviposition and development was observed but the effect on LGB did not differ significantly from the control. The KARI population was the least effective in preventing grain damage at lower temperatures, but performed better than other strains above 30 °C at low humidity conditions. There was no control at 18 °C and 36 °C under both high and low humidity conditions. Since the extent of genetic differentiation in T. nigrescens was unclear from prior studies, several molecular marker techniques were progressively used. The RAPD-PCR did not reveal any genetic diversity between geographical populations. A 1000bp region of the mitochondrial mtCOI gene revealed two distinct clades differing consistently at 26 segregating sites. The two clades can be identified by simple PCR-RFLP procedure using single or double sequential restriction with EcoR1, HincII, RsaI and DdeI digestion. However, the two lineages co-exist among the mid-altitude Central American populations. The internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2 with some neighbouring coding sequences of the ribosomal DNA were cloned and sequenced. The spacer regions were so variable in length and sequence between T. nigrescens and related Histeridae species that direct sequence alignment was not meaningful. Within T. nigrescens, there was intragenomic variability of the spacer regions mostly involving insertions and deletions of variable tandem repeat units predominantly within the ITS regions. The short flanking coding (18S, 5.8S and 21S) regions were conserved across populations and six other Histeridae species. There was no significant secondary structure variation of the ITS regions among populations of T. nigrescens. Twenty-four novel variable microsatellite markers were developed and tested on the Honduras populations. Alleles per locus ranged between two and twelve with observed heterozygosity between 0.048 and 0.646. Six loci deviated significantly from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium and possibly had null alleles. The success of microsatellite amplification in outgroup species and variability of markers declined with an increase in the phylogenetic distance between the test species and T. nigrescens. Genotyping 432 individuals from 13 geographic populations revealed a comparatively higher genetic diversity in field populations. Partial isolation by distance and time was observed. Population bottlenecks were not detected, but recent expansion was evident in laboratory populations. Although five dominant genetic clusters were identified by Bayesian methods, meaningful hierarchical population structure was observed at between two and nine population groups (p < 0.01; 10,000 iterations). Biological control of the larger grain borer using T. nigrescens seems an important aspect of the sustainable integrated control approach of the pest. Ecological adaptations, appropriate release strategies and genetic diversity are all essential considerations in these efforts and could be responsible for the variable success already observed. There is some genetic differentiation between populations of T. nigrescens but, further studies would be necessary to ascertain the contribution of such diversity to its predatory performance. The effect of laboratory culturing in aggravating genetic drift should be accommodated to avoid loss of diversity during sampling, quarantine, rearing and release of the predator. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The number of non-parasitic (brook) lamprey species in the genus Lampetra is underestimated since isolated populations are generally considered one species due to their relatively conserved body form. The phylogeographic and phylogenetic structure was estimated among and within Lampetra species along the Pacific coast of North America (presumed to represent Lampetra richardsoni; L. pacifica – which is currently regarded as a junior synonym of L. richardsoni; L. ayresii; and L. hubbsi) using up to three mitochondrial and three nuclear genetic markers. These data show that L. richardsoni as currently recognized is polyphyletic when lampreys (some of which show up to 8 K2P% sequence divergence) from Siuslaw River and Fourmile Creek (Oregon) and Mark West, Paynes, and Kelsey creeks (California) are included; Lampetra pacifica is a valid species; the population from Kelsey Creek almost certainly represents a new species; and those from Siuslaw, Fourmile, and Mark West may also be distinct species.

The larger grain borer (LGB) Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm stored maize and cassava in Africa. This alien invasive species was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. In contrast to indigenous primary storage pests, LGB exists as on-farm and as wild populations, hence, sustainable control must target both environments. Biological control is especially attractive for wild populations to reduce early season grain store infestation, while cultural and chemical methods are useful to protect stored produce directly. Two populations of the predator Teretrius nigrescens Lewis were introduced into several African countries' as a biocontrol agent. It has shown long-term success and cost effective control in warm-humid areas. Control has however not been successful in cool and hot-dry zones. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible underlying genetic and ecological explanations for these observations and the possibility of joint use of molecular markers and ecological parameters in the development of sustainable control strategies. A 28-month baseline monitoring and recovery activity was done in from 2004 in five regions in Kenya along an east-westerly transect. Monitoring and live sample collection was also done in the original outbreak area in eastern Kenya. There was greater LGB flight activity in western Kenya (high potential maize production area) than the low potential areas. Very few T. nigrescens were recovered, solely in the eastern regions. LGB flight activity followed a seasonal pattern mostly related to changes in the relative humidity at 12:00, rainfall and dew point temperature but with a 3 - 4 week lag. A linear predictive model based on these factors predicted 27 % of the observed flight activity. The survival and predation of five strains of T. nigrescens were compared at eight temperature levels between 15 °C and 36 °C at low and high humidity. All the strains of T. nigrescens exerted a significant reduction of LGB population build-up between 21 °C and 33 °C with generally better performance under humid conditions. There was no evidence of T. nigrescens development at 15 °C. At 18 °C, T. nigrescens oviposition and development was observed but the effect on LGB did not differ significantly from the control. The KARI population was the least effective in preventing grain damage at lower temperatures, but performed better than other strains above 30 °C at low humidity conditions. There was no control at 18 °C and 36 °C under both high and low humidity conditions. Since the extent of genetic differentiation in T. nigrescens was unclear from prior studies, several molecular marker techniques were progressively used. The RAPD-PCR did not reveal any genetic diversity between geographical populations. A 1000bp region of the mitochondrial mtCOI gene revealed two distinct clades differing consistently at 26 segregating sites. The two clades can be identified by simple PCR-RFLP procedure using single or double sequential restriction with EcoR1, HincII, RsaI and DdeI digestion. However, the two lineages co-exist among the mid-altitude Central American populations. The internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2 with some neighbouring coding sequences of the ribosomal DNA were cloned and sequenced. The spacer regions were so variable in length and sequence between T. nigrescens and related Histeridae species that direct sequence alignment was not meaningful. Within T. nigrescens, there was intragenomic variability of the spacer regions mostly involving insertions and deletions of variable tandem repeat units predominantly within the ITS regions. The short flanking coding (18S, 5.8S and 21S) regions were conserved across populations and six other Histeridae species. There was no significant secondary structure variation of the ITS regions among populations of T. nigrescens. Twenty-four novel variable microsatellite markers were developed and tested on the Honduras populations. Alleles per locus ranged between two and twelve with observed heterozygosity between 0.048 and 0.646. Six loci deviated significantly from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium and possibly had null alleles. The success of microsatellite amplification in outgroup species and variability of markers declined with an increase in the phylogenetic distance between the test species and T. nigrescens. Genotyping 432 individuals from 13 geographic populations revealed a comparatively higher genetic diversity in field populations. Partial isolation by distance and time was observed. Population bottlenecks were not detected, but recent expansion was evident in laboratory populations. Although five dominant genetic clusters were identified by Bayesian methods, meaningful hierarchical population structure was observed at between two and nine population groups (p < 0.01; 10,000 iterations). Biological control of the larger grain borer using T. nigrescens seems an important aspect of the sustainable integrated control approach of the pest. Ecological adaptations, appropriate release strategies and genetic diversity are all essential considerations in these efforts and could be responsible for the variable success already observed. There is some genetic differentiation between populations of T. nigrescens but, further studies would be necessary to ascertain the contribution of such diversity to its predatory performance. The effect of laboratory culturing in aggravating genetic drift should be accommodated to avoid loss of diversity during sampling, quarantine, rearing and release of the predator. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.