Molecular Species Delimitation Using COI Barcodes of Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from Coffee Plants in Espirito Santo, Brazil

Mealybugs are insects belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. This family includes many plant-pest species with similar morphologies, which may lead to errors in mealybug identification and delimitation. In the present study, we employed molecular-species-delimitation approaches based on distance (ASAP) and coalescence (GMYC and mPTP) methods to identify mealybugs collected from coffee and other plant hosts in the states of Espirito Santo, Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco, Brazil. We obtained 171 new COI sequences, and 565 from the BOLD Systems database, representing 26 candidate species of Pseudococcidae. The MOTUs estimated were not congruent across different methods (ASAP-25; GMYC-30; mPTP-22). Misidentifications were revealed in the sequences from the BOLD Systems database involving Phenacoccus solani x Ph. solenopsis, Ph. tucumanus x Ph. baccharidis, and Planacoccus citri x Pl. minor species. Ten mealybug species were collected from coffee plants in Espirito Santo. Due to the incorrect labeling of the species sequences, the COI barcode library of the dataset from the database needs to be carefully analyzed to avoid the misidentification of species. The systematics and taxonomy of mealybugs may be improved by integrative taxonomy which may facilitate the integrated pest management of these pests.

Automated summary

In this study, we used molecular species delimitation methods to identify mealybugs collected from coffee and other plant hosts in four states of Brazil. The results showed inconsistency in species delimitation using different methods, and mislabeling issues were found in the sequence database. This study provides important insights for integrative taxonomy and pest management.