In hymenopteran parasitoids, isolated geographic populations can show morphological variation and reproductive incompatibility that may lead to failures in biological control programs when they are intended to be used as biocontrol agents. Through a classical morphometric approach we confirm the specific identity of three local populations of the larval arrhenotokous endoparasitoid Pseudapanteles dignus (Muesebeck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), from three main tomato producing areas of Argentina. Moreover, we examined reproductive compatibility by outcrossing the three populations. Morphometric differences among P. dignus biotypes were found but no evidences of mating incompatibility among them existed. This laboratory study contributes with relevant information to the original description of the species P. dignus and has significant implications for T. absoluta biological control using this parasitoid in tomato crops from different regions of Argentina.

中文翻译：

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阿根廷幼体内寄生性Pseudapanteles dignus种群的生殖相容性和形态特征

在膜翅类寄生动物中，孤立的地理种群可能会表现出形态变异和繁殖不相容性，当它们打算用作生物防治剂时，可能会导致生物防治计划失败。通过经典的形态计量学方法，我们从阿根廷的三个主要番茄产区确认了图塔绝对种（Meyrick）（鳞翅目：Gelechiidae）的三个幼虫无齿内寄生拟南芥（Muesebeck）（Hymenoptera：Braconidae）的三个本地种群的特定身份。此外，我们通过对三个种群进行交叉检验来研究生殖相容性。其中形态差异P. dignus发现了生物型，但没有证据表明它们之间存在交配不相容性。这项实验室研究提供了有关信息，有助于对木犀假单胞菌物种的原始描述，并对使用这种寄生虫在阿根廷不同地区的番茄作物中对绝对黑麦草的生物防治具有重要意义。