• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.523-528
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• 2016

The migratory locust Locusta migratoria, one of the world's most notorious insect pests, has polyphenic (gregarious or solitarious) characteristics. Although this species is known to have several morphological variants, it is genetically divided into two different lineages using mitochondrial genome analysis: Southern (Africa, Southern Europe, Southern Asia, and Australia) and Northern (East Asia and the Eurasian continent). In 2014, a large number of orange black-colored gregarious L. migratoria nymphs suddenly appeared at Haenamgun, Jeollanamdo in the south of Korea. This is the first report of gregarious phase locusts occurring in Korea. In this study, mitochondrial COI sequences of one nymph and 11 adults of L. migratoria were analyzed to examine the genetic lineage of the gregarious nymphs of L. migratoria. Our results showed that all 12 individuals belong to the Northern linage and have low intraspecific genetic divergences (0.0% - 0.9%).