Population genetic structure and migration patterns of Dendrothrips minowai (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Guizhou, China

Abstract

Dendrothrips minowai Priesner (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is one of the most destructive insect pests on tea plants. Although outbreaks of this pest occur annually in South China, especially in Guizhou Province, little is known about its population genetics, such as genetic diversity and gene flow. To investigate its population genetic structure and migration routes in Guizhou Province, we analyzed 24 D. minowai populations across Guizhou using six microsatellite loci. We detected the moderate genetic diversity and the population genetic structure of this thrip species. Neighbor‐joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree and STRUCTURE analyses recognized two clusters within the studied populations. No correlation between genetic and geographical distances (r = 0.0139, P = 0.5830) was detected and more than 89% of the variation occurred among samples within populations. Gene flow analysis revealed high migration rates (74.0 – 894.1) among D. minowai populations. Overall, the trend of asymmetrical gene flow was from northeast to southwest. Our analyses demonstrated that D. minowai derived or originated from multiple sites and could be eventually divided into two groups in Guizhou.

Identification of aggregation pheromones released by the stick tea thrips (Dendrothrips minowai) larvae and their application for controlling thrips in tea plantations

“…Dendrothrips minowai Priesner (stick tea thrips) poses an increasingly serious threat to various economic crops, particularly tea plants (Camellia japonica) in North Korea, Japan, and China. 1,2 In recent years, D. minowai has emerged as a primary pest in tea plantations in China. 3,4 Both adults and larvae of D. minowai utilize their piercingsucking mouthparts to feed on the tender leaves of tea plants, leading to detrimental effects such as stunted growth, color fading, and even the development of leaf stiffness or brittleness.…”

“…5,6 Notably, there has been an increase in the incidence of D. minowai infestations, which results in higher tea plant damage annually and in turn significantly impacts tea yield and product quality. 5,7 Currently, control measures for D. minowai rely heavily on the application of chemical pesticides, including spinetoram, chlorfenapyr, and bifenthrin. 8,9 Unfortunately, the excessive use of pesticides has resulted in the development of resistance in insects and pesticide residue accumulation.…”

Activity Patterns, Population Dynamics, and Spatial Distribution of the Stick Tea Thrips, Dendrothrips minowai, in Tea Plantations

“…Ktze.) in China, which is one of the most important tea-producing and tea-exporting countries in the world [ 11 , 12 ]. A total of 28 thrips species have been documented in tea plantations in China, including D. minowai Priesner, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, and Mycterothrips gongshanensi Li, Li, and Zhang [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the new tea pest Mycterothrips gongshanensis (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

“…Thrips, a group of the signi cant pests of tea trees, distribute worldwide [1][2][3][4][5]. Although more than 20 species of tea thrips have been reported in China [6-8], only two species, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood [9] and Dendrothrips minowai Priesner [3,10] had been being considered as the dangerous pests.…”

“…Thrips, a group of the signi cant pests of tea trees, distribute worldwide [1][2][3][4][5]. Although more than 20 species of tea thrips have been reported in China [6-8], only two species, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood [9] and Dendrothrips minowai Priesner [3,10] had been being considered as the dangerous pests. Mycterothrips gongshanensis was introduced as a new species collected from Baoshan City of Yunnan Province and Liupanshui City of Guizhou Province, China in 2017, and suspected to be a potential pest in tea gardens [11].…”