Abstract
Thaumetopoea pityocampa (pine processionary moth) is one of the most important pine pests in the forests of Mediterranean countries, Central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Apart from causing significant damage to pinewoods, T. pityocampa occurrence is also an issue for public and animal health, as it is responsible for dermatological reactions in humans and animals by contact with its irritating hairs. High throughput sequencing technologies have allowed the fast and cost-effective generation of genetic information of interest to understand different biological aspects of non-model organisms as well as the identification of potential pathogens. Using these technologies, we have obtained and characterized the transcriptome of T. pityocampa larvae collected in 12 different geographical locations in Turkey. cDNA libraries for Illumina sequencing were prepared from four larval tissues, head, gut, fat body and integument. By pooling the sequences from Illumina platform with those previously published using the Roche 454-FLX and Sanger methods we generated the largest reference transcriptome of T. pityocampa. In addition, this study has also allowed identification of possible viral pathogens with potential application in future biocontrol strategies.
Highlights
IntroductionThaumetopoea pityocampa (pine processionary moth) is one of the most important pine pests in the forests of Mediterranean countries, Central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa [1]
Thaumetopoea pityocampa is one of the most important pine pests in the forests of Mediterranean countries, Central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa [1]
Larvae were dissected and the following tissues and body parts were isolated under the binocular magnifying glass: (i) head (HE) capsules were cut with precision scissors; (ii) larvae were cut open along the body and guts (MG) were pulled up, separated from the rest and carefully cleaned from the content; (iii) fat body (FB) mass was separated from the other tissues; (iv) the integument (T) was cleaned from the leftover tissues by scraping them off
Summary
Thaumetopoea pityocampa (pine processionary moth) is one of the most important pine pests in the forests of Mediterranean countries, Central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa [1]. Pine processionary moth (PPM) larvae feed on the needles of pine trees and some other conifer tree species. PPM larvae build white winter nests that are discernible and provide unambiguous indication of species presence since no other organism produce similar structures in these tree species at that time of the year [2]. In large numbers they can severely defoliate trees, weakening them and making them more susceptible to attack by other pests or diseases, or to environmental stress caused by drought or excessive moisture [3]. The larvae of this pest feed on coniferous species, Pinus brutia, P. nigra, P. pinaster, P. pinea and Cedrus libani in an area of over
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
