Morphological and molecular characterization of Brazilian populations of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the evolutionary relationship among species of Diatraea Guilding

Abstract

The sugarcane borer or corn stalk borer, Diatraea Guilding is polyphagous insect pest of many important crops such as corn, sorghum and sugarcane. Losses arising from the attack of Diatraea species have been a serious problem, which may cause loss in sugarcane production around 0.25% in sugar, 0.20% in alcohol and 0.77% of body weight for every 1% infestation and up to 21% in corn production fields. In Brazil, the most commonly reported species are Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) and Diatraea impersonatella (Walker, 1863) (= D. flavipennella). However, multiple other species of Diatraea have been identified in Brazil according to the literature. Currently, little information exists on the presence of the other species causing injury to sugarcane and corn. The objectives of this study were to improve the accuracy of species assignment, evaluate the population genetic structure, and address many of the outstanding questions of systematics and evolution of Brazilian populations of D. saccharalis. To address these main questions, classical taxonomic methods were used, focused on morphological characterization of the reproductive organs, especially the male genitalia. In addition, genetic studies were performed using simple sequence repeats (SSR) and a fragment of cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The data and findings from this research will contribute to the understanding of evolutionary aspects of insect pests in order to develop more effective and sustainable population management practices.

Diatraea saccharalis history of colonization in the Americas. The case for human-mediated dispersal

“…Species identification was confirmed by the direct examination of the adults’ genitalia, and only D . saccharalis were used in this study [30,31]. Moths were then stored at -80°C until further sample processing.…”

Phylogeny of Libellulidae (Odonata: Anisoptera): comparison of molecular and morphology-based phylogenies based on wing morphology and migration

“…It indicated the existence of phylogenetic information in the insect wing morphology. Francischini et al (2017) used COI gene and female genital structure to illustrate the interspecific relationship of Diatraea by the molecular and morphological methods, and the results obtained by the two methods were consistent in the classification of the interspecific relationships. Similar studies were conducted by Ortego, Aguirre & Cordero (2012) on the population differentiation of Mioscirtus wagneri locust in different geographical regions by using quantitative morphological features (anterior and posterior plates) and mtDNA, suggesting that morphology-based geographical differentiation correlated with geographical differentiation at the molecular level.…”

Mortality of Diatraea saccharalis is affected by the pH values of the spore suspension of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae

“…The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius, 1794 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is one of the the major economically significant pest of sugarcane crops in Brazil major. Its larval stages are capable of reducing crop yields by feeding on the stalk and thereby facilitating the infection of plant pathogenic fungi through their feeding galleries, (Francischini et al, 2017). The biological control of this pest has already been widely used, with the introduction of parasitoids as natural enemies such as the use of Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (Zappelini et al, 2010).…”