Project Number: 1275-22000-230-14
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Sep 01, 2005
End Date: Jan 07, 2008

Objective:
To develop on-line identification tools for the soft scales and other families that are commonly intercepted at U.S. ports-of-entry and to discover molecular differences between two morphologically similar species of mealybugs (Planococcus citri and P. minor).

Approach:
The expert systems will be developed using a program called Lucid. The process involves recording diagnostic characters in a character matrix, capturing images of the characters using an automontage microscope system, adding the characters and images to the builder portion of Lucid, and developing HTML pages for each species and for the introductory portions of the web page. The product will be available on line through the SEL web page and will be placed on a CD and distributed to clients. Differences will be examined for Planococcus citri and C. minor using segments of the genes COI and Ef1-alpha and a determination will be made about the distinctness of these species.