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A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
Unravelling genetic diversity, population connectivity, and evolutionary relationships of Indian mealybugs through
B S Gotyal1, K T Shivakumara2, Sunil Joshi1
1ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru, 560024, Karnataka, India.
Background:
Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are economically important invasive pests that cause substantial losses in agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide. However, information on their diversity, genetic variation, and population structure in India remains limited. This study investigated the diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and population genetic structure of economically important mealybugs across different agroclimatic regions of India using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequences.
Methods:
A total of 134 mealybug specimens were analysed using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological identification and mtCOI-based DNA barcoding. Phylogenetic relationships, haplotype composition, population differentiation, and demographic patterns were assessed using phylogenetic reconstruction, haplotype networks, analysis of molecular variance, neutrality tests, and mismatch distribution analyses.
Results:
Fourteen mealybug species belonging to eight genera were identified, with phylogenetic analyses resolving distinct species-specific clades and supporting the utility of mtCOI for species identification. Phenacoccus solenopsis and Planococcus minor exhibited multiple haplotypes and pronounced geographic population structuring. Haplotype networks revealed both widely distributed and geographically restricted haplotypes, indicating historical dispersal, geographic isolation, and localized diversification. Demographic analyses suggested contrasting population histories among geographic regions, including evidence of recent expansion in some populations.
Conclusion:
The study provides a comprehensive molecular assessment of mealybug diversity and population structure in India. The findings reveal substantial geographic differentiation and complex evolutionary patterns among economically important mealybugs and provide a molecular basis for accurate species identification, invasion monitoring, biosecurity surveillance, and region-specific integrated pest management. These results improve understanding of mealybug dispersal and diversification and support effective management of invasive pest populations in India.
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