Abstract
The parasitoid wasp Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has the potential for biological control against insect pests in stored grains, mainly of the orders Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA fragments of importance in the regulation of gene translation in most physiological processes, and the study of miRNAs in wasps can be useful for understanding the physiology of these insects. The objective of this study was to evaluate for the first time the miRNomic profile of A. calandrae and to determine its conservation in five species of the order Hymenoptera (Apis mellifera, Dinoponera quadriceps, Nasonia giraulti, N. longicornis and N. vitripennis). Using molecular techniques and bioinformatics tools, a total of 108 miRNAs were identified (75 conserved between species and 34 de novo). These miRNAs were found to be related to embryogenesis, signaling, metabolic, biological and immune functions. The miRNomic signature of A. calandrae is important for the study of the physiology of wasps and the order Hymenoptera.