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

Abstract

Olive lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) are small sap-sucking insects that feed on wild and cultivated Olea europaea. The diversity of olive lace bug species in South Africa, the most important olive producer on the continent, has been incompletely surveyed. Adult specimens were collected in the Western Cape province for morphological and DNA-based species identification, and sequencing of complete mitogenomes. Cysteochila lineata, Plerochila australis, Neoplerochila paliatseasi and Neoplerochila sp. were found at 12 sites. Intra- and interspecific genetic divergences and phylogenetic clustering in 30 species in 18 genera of Tingidae using new and publicly available DNA barcodes showed high levels of congruity between taxonomic and genetic data. The phylogenetic position of the four species found in South Africa was inferred using new and available mitogenomes of Tingidae. Notably, olive lace bugs formed a cluster of closely related species. However, Cysteochila was non-monophyletic as C. lineata was recovered as a sister species to P. australis whereas Cysteochila chiniana, the other representative of the genus, was grouped with Trachypeplus jacobsoni and Tingis cardui in a different cluster. This result suggests that feeding on O. europaea may have a common origin in Tingidae and warrants future research on potential evolutionary adaptations of olive lace bugs to this plant host.

Mitogenomics of the Olive Seed Weevil, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall and Implications for Its Phylogenetic Position in Curculionidae

“…pallida [sic] [ 7 ], but the pale colour for which it was named may only be due to a teneral state. If A. oleae pallidus is indeed only a form (or subspecies) of A. oleae from South Africa, the geographical distribution of A. oleae seems to concord with that of the African Wild Olive, as is the case with other insects associated with Oleaceae in sub-Saharan Africa, including several species of olive fruit flies, olive lace bugs, and olive flea beetles and a diversity of parasitoid, hyperparasitoid, and olive seed wasps [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. However, general surveys of insects in the fruits of Oleaceae in Kenya [ 8 ] and the African Wild Olive in South Africa [ 3 , 9 ] did not detect the presence of A. oleae , and it was only recently again reported from fruits of the African Wild Olive in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, at a very low frequency [ 14 ].…”

Emerging Pest Problems in Exotic Olive and Grower Specific IPM Modules for Jammu and Kashmir

“…was recorded in fully grown orchards especially on older and water stressed trees. This pest is found mostly in sub-Saharan and South Africa (Hlaka et al, 2021) where water stress is a frequent problem. That was why it was observed in the unsprayed and neglected trees at Ramban and Bhaderwah region of Jammu wherein infestation was very serious and even A psyllid pest olive psylla, Euphyllura pakistanica caused damage to flower clusters upto 30.0%, and this pest was reported from Solan, India (Thakur et al, 1989).…”

“…and four species of beetles viz: Taiwania nigriventris (Boheman), Hispa dama Chap, Monolepta erythrocephala Baly and Altica caerulescences Baly were recorded. Flea beetles and weevils were found associated with olive in mediterrarian and other part of the world (Hlaka et al, 2022;Smit et al, 2021) Nevertheless, the range of genus/ species varied as per the climate and presence of insects in the nearby crops grown in the vicinity of olive orchads. Besides a number of caterpillar species were recorded attacking olives viz., Carmiophora fasciata Moore, Artias selene (Hb) and Dolbina exacta Walker and a native butterfly Parnara bada (Hespiradae).…”

Argopistes sexvittatus and Argopistes capensis (Chrysomelidae: Alticini): Mitogenomics and Phylogeny of Two Flea Beetles Affecting Olive Trees

“…For example, the olive seed weevil Anchonocranus oleae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) remains incertae sedis due to a lack of adequate taxonomic context [ 44 ]. Similarly, our study of the African olive lace bugs Neoplerochila paliatseasi , Plerochila australis and Cysteochila lineata (Hemiptera: Tingidae: Tingini) also had to rely on the presently limited taxonomic coverage of Tingini [ 45 , 46 ]. Interestingly, C. lineata (associated with Olea ) clustered with the other olive-feeding lace bugs rather than with its congener Cysteochila chiniana (not associated with Olea ), suggesting that the olive-feeding habit has a common evolutionary origin, at least at the level of the mitogenome, as seen in Argopistes .…”