Molecular insights on the historical dispersion of Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Brazil

Abstract

Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood, 1837) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an important arthropod pest of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) throughout American continents. However, the historical events associated with its dispersion are poorly understood. In this study, we employed a phylogeographic approach to investigate the origin and demographic history of P. guildinii in Brazil. We analyzed the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and Cytb gene sequences of P. guildinii individuals collected in Brazil’s 5 soybean production macro-regions and cross-referenced this information with sequences available in public databases. Our findings support an older Caribbean basin establishment for the current genealogical strains of P. guildinii, with subsequent dispersion to Brazil around 0.97 Mya. No secondary dispersion of this species from the Caribbean region to soybean areas in Brazil was identified. The Brazilian populations of P. guildinii are genetically structured across the country’s soybean macro-regions and show strong signals of continuous demographic and spatial expansion in Brazil, which may be accelerated by the soybean cropping landscape in the country. The populations from the northern region (MR5) are older than the Central and South populations. The signs of demographic expansion indicate that P. guildinii populations are increasing their effective size in soybean regions, which could reflect its importance as a soybean pest in the coming years.

Comparative genomics and the salivary transcriptome of the redbanded stink bug shed light on its high damage potential to soybean

“…The redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an important soybean ( Glycine max , L.) pest in the Americas with a distinct ability to digest plant tissues. It was first described in 1837 on the island St. Vincent in the Caribbean, and although its geographic origin remains unclear, studies have suggested that it originated in the Caribbean Basin and reached Brazil about a million years ago (Moraes et al 2023). Then, more recently, the redbanded stinkbug expanded its range and population size in conjunction with increases in soybean production across South America (Moraes et al 2023; Zucchi et al 2019; Bundy et al 2018).…”

“…It was first described in 1837 on the island St. Vincent in the Caribbean, and although its geographic origin remains unclear, studies have suggested that it originated in the Caribbean Basin and reached Brazil about a million years ago (Moraes et al 2023). Then, more recently, the redbanded stinkbug expanded its range and population size in conjunction with increases in soybean production across South America (Moraes et al 2023; Zucchi et al 2019; Bundy et al 2018). Now, it ranges from Argentina through Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States from Texas to South Carolina (Sosa-Gómez et al 2020).…”