Abstract
Aim of study: Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Carpintero & Dellapé, 2006) is notable for its dispersion potential, and for its damage to a wide range of hosts of the genus Eucalyptus. The intense movement of people and cargo between continents contributes to the success of its geographical distribution on the globe and hinders the adoption of preventive measures. The celerity and precision in the identification of T. peregrinus, as well as its invasion and dispersion routes are fundamental for the implementation of measures to prevent new invasions.Area of Study: Park of Retiro in the community of Madrid, Spain, where T. peregrinus is present.Material and methods: We analyzed a fragment of COI mtDNA gene in T. peregrinus specimens, using samples collected at a public park in Madrid urban area, to study the possible pathways of incursion of this insect in Spain. The goal was achieved using molecular tools, with PCR amplification of partial mtDNA COI and sequencing the fragment, which is used as a barcode of life for identification at species level. Species identity was confirmed using the database in GenBank.Results: The results confirms that the specimens found in Madrid are T. peregrinus, and all are from the same maternal lineage.Research highlights: We present the first molecular information of T. peregrinus population present in Spain, and suggest and discuss possible routes of incursion of this pest.Keywords: Invasive pest;DNA Barcoding;Invasion Routes; Forest Entomology.
Highlights
IntroductionThese insect pests produce significant reductions of the productivity of the plantations and widespread rapidly over many regions, as is the case of Gonipterus scutellatus complex, including Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Gonipterus pulverulentus Lea, 1897 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
The genus Eucalyptus is widely used in the world for fast-growing tree plantations, covering large areas, which are increasingly attacked by a diverse array of invasive pests, most of them obviously originary fromAustralia (Hurley et al, 2016)
When the infestation is severe, there is a significant reduction of leaves in the canopy and in some cases may lead to the death of the attacked trees, due to the feeding process being in chloroplasts and other cellular contents, leading to chlorosis (Santadino et al, 2017)
Summary
These insect pests produce significant reductions of the productivity of the plantations and widespread rapidly over many regions, as is the case of Gonipterus scutellatus complex, including Gonipterus platensis (Marelli, 1926) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Gonipterus pulverulentus Lea, 1897 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). (Mapondera et al, 2012); as well as species of Hymenoptera order Leptocybe invasa Fisher &. Thaumastocoris peregrinus stands out for causing severe damage to more than 50 species of Eucalyptus, including hybrids (Saavedra et al, 2015b). Aspects such as its short life cycle and the high reproductive potential of females allow rapid population growth of the pest (Nadel et al, 2015; Soliman et al, 2012). The expansion of occurrence of T. peregrinus includes several countries: South Africa
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