Nine populations of three species of
Nephotettix (Insecta: Hemiptera) from Peninsular Malaysia were analysed for nine enzymes comprising 11 loci. Nei's (
Genetics 89, 583, 1978) genetic distance,
D, between
N. virescens and
N. malayanus was 0.181, that between
N. virescens and
N. nigropictus was 0.283, and that between
N. malayanus and
N. nigropictus was 0.203. The genetic distance between
N. nigropictus from rice plant and from the weed-grass
L. hexandra at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia was 0.004 and their genetic identity was 0.996, thus indicating that this insect species feeds on both host plants. The proportion of polymorphic loci and the observed heterozygosities were higher in
N. nigropictus, with a wider range of host plants, than in
N. virescens and
N. malayanus, restricted to rice and
L. hexandra, respectively.
Key words green leafhopper -
Nephotettix
- electrophoretic markers - Peninsular Malaysia