Aphytis melinus Raw sequence reads

Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is a highly effective biocontrol agent of the California red scale Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell). It is commercially reared by insectaries in several countries and used for augmentative releases within integrated pest management programs. However, mass rearing of biocontrol agents can result in population bottlenecks and high levels of inbreeding and/or adaptation to laboratory conditions. Although these factors can all negatively impact field performance of biocontrol agents, few empirical studies have examined the genetic consequences of mass rearing. We used double digest RAD sequencing (ddRADseq) to investigate the effect of traditional mass rearing on genetic variation among captive (insectary) colonies of A. melinus relative to wild populations in native (Pakistan) and introduced (California) ranges.