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Divergence in host specificity and genetics among populations of Aphelinus certus

    These are data on variation in host specificity and genetics among 16 populations of an aphid parasitoid, *Aphelinus certus*, 15 from Asia and one from North America. Host range was the same for all the parasitoid populations, but levels of parasitism varied among aphid species, suggesting adaptation to locally abundant aphids. Differences in host specificity did not correlate with geographical distances among parasitoid populations, suggesting that local adaption is mosaic rather than clinal, with a spatial scale of less than 50 kilometers. Analysis of reduced representation libraries for each population showed genetic differentiation among them. Differences in host specificity correlated with genetic distances among the parasitoid populations.

    Data from: Defensive aphid symbiont Hamiltonella defensa effects on Aphelinus glycinis and Aphelinus atriplicis

      *Aphelinus glycinis* was collected in the Peoples Republic of China under a Memorandum of Understanding between their Ministry of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). *Aphelinus atriplicis* was collected by employees of the USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in the Republic of Georgia with the permission of that government. The parasitoids were imported into the USDA, ARS, Beneficial Insect Introductions Research Unit containment facility in Newark, Delaware, under permits from the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Permit Numbers P526P-08-02142 and P526P-09-01929). No specific permissions were required to collect *Aphis craccivora* or *Acyrthosiphon pisum* because these are cosmopolitan aphids that occur in the field throughout North America. None of the species collected or studied are endangered or protected.

      Data from: Host specificity of Aphelinus species considered for introduction to control Diuraphis noxia

        These data are results of laboratory experiments on host specificity of ten populations of seven species from two species complexes in the genus Aphelinus. Host specificity was not related to host plant species or the phylogenetic relatedness of the aphids or the parasitoids. From these results, we conclude that A. hordei is an excellent candidate for introduction into the USA to control D. noxia.