Frontiers in insect science
Molecular identification of Comstockaspis perniciosa and its associated Aphytis parasitoid in apple orchards of Kazakhstan
By Makhambetov A, Kostyukova V, Zholdasbek G and 5 others.
Abstract
Background
Comstockaspis perniciosa (Comstock, 1881) is one of the most destructive quarantine pests of fruit crops, posing a serious threat to commercial orchards and natural populations of wild apple trees. Despite its widespread distribution, information on the molecular genetic characteristics of this species in Central Asia remains limited.
Methods
The aim of this study was to characterize C. perniciosa collected from commercial orchards in southeastern Kazakhstan based on external morphological observations and molecular data, determine the phylogenetic position of the examined specimens using 28S rRNA gene sequences, and detect associated parasitoids using high-throughput sequencing technologies. During the growing season in 2025, surveys were conducted in ten commercial orchards, including sites located near natural populations of wild apple trees.