First report of the lace bug Neoplerochila paliatseasi (Rodrigues, 1981) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) infesting cultivated olive trees in South Africa, and its complete mitochondrial sequence 

Abstract

Olive lace bugs are small phytophagous Hemipteran insects known to cause agricultural losses in olive production in South Africa. Plerochila australis (Distant, 1904) has been reported as the species responsible for damage to olive trees; however, the diversity of olive lace bug species in the region has lacked attention. Adult olive lace bugs were collected incidentally from wild and cultivated olive trees in the Western Cape Province, and identified as P. australis and Neoplerochila paliatseasi (Rodrigues, 1981). The complete mitochondrial genome of a representative specimen of N. paliatseasi was sequenced, and used for comparative mitogenomics and phylogenetic reconstruction within the family. Furthermore, the value of DNA barcodes for species identification in Tingidae was assessed using genetic clustering and estimates of genetic divergence. The patterns of genetic clustering and genetic divergence of COI sequences supported the morphological identification of N. paliatseasi, and the utility of DNA barcoding methods in Tingidae. The complete mitogenome sequence had the typical Metazoan gene content and order, including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and an AT-rich non-coding region. A+T content was high, as commonly found in Tingidae. The phylogenetic reconstruction recovered Agramma hupehanum (Drake & Maa 1954) as basal to Tingini, and as a sister species to N. paliatseasi. Stephanitis Stål 1873 and Corythucha Stål 1873 were monophyletic, but Metasalis populi (Takeya 1932) was not recovered as sister to Tingis cardui (Linnaeus 1746), as expected. The mitochondrial phylogeny of the family Tingidae has been recovered inconsistently across different studies, possibly due to sequence heterogeneity and high mutation rates. Species diversity of olive lace bugs in South Africa was previously underestimated. The presence of P. australis was confirmed in both wild and cultivated olives, and N. paliatseasi is reported in cultivated olives for the first time. These results warrant further investigation on the diversity and distribution of olive lace bugs in the Western Cape to inform pest control strategies.

Species Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of Olive Lace Bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) Found in South Africa

“…The hosts of N. inflata Duarte Rodrigues, N. katbergana Drake, N. uniformis Duarte Rodrigues and N. youngai Duarte Rodrigues are presently unknown [ 10 ]. Neoplerochila paliatseasi is probably distributed countrywide in South Africa, as it was found in the Limpopo, North West and Western Cape provinces [ 10 , 11 ], and in Gauteng province in the present study.…”

“…Neoplerochila paliatseasi and Neoplerochila sp. were barcoded using PCR primers specific to N. paliatseasi designed in a previous study [ 11 ]. Initial attempts to barcode C. lineata were made using the PCR primers specific to P. australis and the PCR primers specific to N. paliatseasi , but limited success (see Section 3.5 ) led to the design of species-specific primers for C. lineata once the mitogenome of latter species was assembled.…”

“…), Cysteochila pallens Horvath (on O. chrysophylla ), Cysteochila sordida Stål (on O. verrucosa ), Olastrida oleae Schouteden (on O. europaea ) [ 8 ], Cysteochila lineata Duarte Rodrigues (on O. capensis ), Cysteochila nervosana Drake and Caffrocysta aliwalana Duarte Rodrigues (on Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata ) [ 9 ], and Plerochila australis (Distant) and Neoplerochila paliatseasi Duarte Rodrigues (on O. europaea ) [ 10 , 11 ]. The exception to this pattern is Froggattia olivinia Froggatt, which is native to Australia and feeds not only on Notelaea longifolia (Oleaceae) but also on imported O. europaea [ 8 ].…”

“…Globally, South Africa is a small producer of boutique olive products mostly sold locally, but the industry also exports table olives and olive oil to neighbouring African countries, the European Union and the United States of America. Lace bugs affecting wild and cultivated olive trees in the Western Cape province, the most important region for olive production on the continent, are commonly referred to as “olive tingids” by local farmers and have been reported to include P. australis [ 12 , 13 ] and N. paliatseasi [ 11 ]. Perceptions on the extent of olive lace bug injury to cultivated olive trees vary from “olive tingids” being a minor pest that does not require management to a threat that impacts olive production and requires insecticide treatment.…”

“…The Mediterranean Basin and California are currently free from olive lace bugs, but these may become a threat if translocated from their original geographic range. Since our previous report of N. paliatseasi in South Africa [ 11 ], we learned that the species is indeed present on Madeira Island (Portugal), where it feeds on cultivated olives [ 16 ], but it seems to be restricted to that insular region and has not been found in mainland Europe, to the best of our knowledge. Under the right circumstances, olive lace bugs can become a problem, as is the case of the native Australian F. olivinia , which moved to cultivated olive trees and African wild olives when imported plants became established in the country starting in the 19th century [ 17 ].…”