Molecular characterization of tea mosquito bug from tea growing regions of India

Abstract

The tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis (Hemiptera: Miridae), is an insidious pest that poses a significant economical threat to tea plantations. As a basic first step to control this pest is authentic identification, but the inability to determine morphological characters of Helopeltis species makes this process very difficult. DNA barcoding is a reliable alternative to traditional morphological identification of this pest. Since tea is cultivated in different parts of the country, an attempt was made to molecular characterization of Helopeltis. This is the first report on molecular identification and diversity characterization of Helopeltis collected from tea growing regions of southern and north India, using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Beginning with the molecular identification of this pest is essential to start an effective pest management strategy, and will provide basic information for diffusion pattern, population dynamics and chemical application.

• COI
• DNA barcoding
• Helopeltis
• mtDNA

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Director, UPASI Tea Research Institute, Valparai, Tamil Nadu, India, for encouragements and facilities. The authors are thankful to the following individuals for their contribution of specimens of Helopeltis: Dr. A. Babu (Tea Research Association, Jorhat, Assam (India)), K. K. Srikumar (Division of Entomology, Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR), Puttur), Dr. Siby Mathew, Mr. Kumaraguru (UPASI Regional Centres).

Declaration of interest

This work was funded by the department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, UPASI Tea Research Institute, Valparai, Coimbatore, India. The laboratory work was supported by morphological analysis done by K. K. Srikumar, Division of Entomology, Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR), Puttur, Karnataka, India. M. Suganthi was assisted with Plant Physiology and Biotechnology division, UPASI Tea Research Institute as Assistant Plant Physiologist.