Prevalence of a Novel Bunyavirus in Tea Tussock Moth Euproctis pseudoconspersa (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

Abstract

Euproctis pseudoconspersa is a major pest of tea plants, and also causes a skin rash on workers in tea plantations. Research on virus could provide fundamental insights for classification, genetic diversity, evolution, and host–virus interaction mechanisms. Here, we identified a novel RNA virus, Euproctis pseudoconspersa bunyavirus (Phenuiviridae), and found that it is widely distributed in field populations of E. pseudoconspersa. The replication of virus in E. pseudoconspersa was indicated by Tag-PCR. These results contribute to the classification of bunyaviruses and provide insight into the diversity of commensal E. pseudoconspersa bunyavirus and the host.

Annual (2023) taxonomic update of RNA-directed RNA polymerase-encoding negative-sense RNA viruses (realm Riboviria: kingdom Orthornavirae: phylum Negarnaviricota)

“…Mobuvirus arnae for Euproctis pseudoconspersa bunyavirus (EPBV) discovered by HTS in tea tussock moths (erebid Arna pseudoconspersa Strand, 1914) sampled in Qīngyuǎn (清远市), Guǎngdōng Province (广东省), China [ 80 ] and…”

Diversity of RNA viruses in agricultural insects

“…This includes the discovery of three novel bunyaviruses, two novel rhabdoviruses, and one novel nyamivirus found in moths in Washington state [111] . Additionally, other studies have discovered single novel viruses in specific insect hosts, such as iflaviruses in Antheraea mylitta [112] , A. pernyi [113] , and Helicoverpa armigera [114] , a bunyavirus in Euproctis pseudoconspersa [115] , cypoviruses in Biston robustus [116] and Choristoneura occidentalis [117] , partitiviruses in Homona magnanima [118] and Spodoptera exempta [119] , [120] , a rhabdovirus in S. frugiperda [121] , [122] , and a picorna-like virus in H. armigera [123] . Apart from the viruses discovered in moths, four RNA viruses have been found in four butterfly species, including viruses belonging to the families Xinmoviridae , Iflaviridae , and Nodaviridae found in butterflies of Colias croceus [5] , Opsiphanes invirae [124] and Urbanus proteus [5] , and Pieris rapae [125] , respectively.…”

Discovery and Genomic Function of a Novel Rice Dwarf-Associated Bunya-like Virus

“…The S segment of most bunyaviruses encodes a nucleocapsid protein (N), while the S segment of other bunyaviruses encodes N and other nonstructural proteins [6,7]. As the largest negative RNA virus order, it contains many newly identified bunyaviruses [8][9][10]. For example, Yu et al reported a new bunyavirus from patients who presented with high fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and multiorgan dysfunction [8].…”

“…In 2016, Dong and colleagues identified a new bunyavirus in moribund oriental shrimp (Penaeus chinensis) on a farm in China [9]. Another novel bunyavirus was found in a Euproctis pseudoconspersa population obtained from the field [10].…”