Population genetics of redlegged earth mitesHalotydeus destructorandH. anthropus(Acarina: Penthaleidae) from Australia and or South Africa

A population genetic study ofHalotydeus destructor(Tucker) andH. anthropusQin & Halliday was undertaken using allozyme electrophoresis. Allele frequency data were collected from five polymorphic loci (Gpi—glucose phosphate isomerase,G6pd—glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase,Idh— isocitrate dehydrogenase,Mdh— malate dehydrogenase, andPgm–phosphoglucomutase) to determine genetic variability and levels of gene flow among Australian and South African populations. The two species could be distinguished by the most common allele atGpiand usuallyPgm. There was no evidence for subdivision among the Australian populations ofH. destructor, but the levels of substructuring among the South African populations ofH. destructorand those ofH. anthropuswere high. The geographic origin ofH. destructoris discussed; the evidence suggests that the original source of the Australian populations ofH. destructorwas from Cape Town, South Africa.