Use of the LAMP Method to Discriminate Strain C of Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Strain C of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood is a novel strain that recently invaded Japan from overseas. To allow simple and rapid identification of this strain, we developed a molecular diagnostic method that uses a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay. Four primers for the LAMP assay were designed from the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of strain C. LAMP assay using these primers was consistently successful in distinguishing strain C from strain YT.