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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
Geographic distribution of phylogenetically-distinct legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea:
Venu M Margam1, Brad S Coates, Malick N Ba
1Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 W State St., Smith Hall, W Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. vmargam@purdue.edu
Abstract:
Maruca vitrata Fabricius is a pantropical lepidopteran pest of legumes. Phylogenetic analysis of a mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase-I gene (cox1) fragment indicates that three Maruca sp. mitochondrial lineages have unique geographic distributions [lineages 1 and 2: Australia, Taiwan, and West Africa (Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso), and lineage 3: Puerto Rico]. The haplotype (T30, T114) is specific to lineages 1&2 and was assayed by NsiI and SacI polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) within population samples; it was not observed in the Puerto Rican samples, but was nearly fixed among samples from West Africa, Australia and Taiwan (85.5-100%). Re-sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of PCR-RFLP defined cox1 haplotypes indicate that nucleotide diversity is highest among samples from West Africa. Phylogenetic reconstruction based upon ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) sequences provided additional evidence for three Maruca sp. clades. These data suggest that multiple unique Maruca species or subspecies are present worldwide, which has implications for the management of this pest species-complex.
