Uncovered variability in olive moth (Prays oleae) questions species monophyly

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 11; p. e0207716
• Main Authors: Nobre, Tânia, Gomes, Luis, Rei, Fernando Trindade
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 26.11.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Biodiversity; Biological evolution; Biology and Life Sciences; Coexistence; COI protein; Computer and Information Sciences; Damage assessment; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disclosure of information; DNA; DNA sequencing; Ecological monitoring; Ecological niches; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Electron Transport Complex IV - classification; Electron Transport Complex IV - genetics; Fruit flies (Tephritidae); Fruit trees; Gene sequencing; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic variability; Genetic Variation; Genetics; Haplotypes; Insect Proteins - classification; Insect Proteins - genetics; Laboratories; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Moths - classification; Moths - genetics; NADH Dehydrogenase - classification; NADH Dehydrogenase - genetics; Niches (Ecology); Nucleotide sequence; Olea - parasitology; Open Reading Frames - genetics; Orchards; Pest control; Pests; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Polymorphism; Population; Prays oleae; Protein Subunits - classification; Protein Subunits - genetics; Species diversity; Statistical analysis; Sympatric populations; Variability; Portugal
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207716

The olive moth -Prays oleae Bern.- remains a significant pest of olive trees showing situation dependent changes in population densities and in severity of damages. The genetic variability of olive moth was assessed on three main olive orchards regions in Portugal by three different markers (COI, nad5 and RpS5), suggesting high species diversity albeit with no obvious relation with a regional pattern nor to an identified ecological niche. Selected COI sequences obtained in this study were combined with those available in the databases for Prays genus to generate a global dataset. The reconstruction of the Prays phylogeny based on this marker revealed the need to revise Prays oleae to confirm its status of single species: COI data suggests the co-existence of two sympatric evolutionary lineages of morphologically cryptic olive moth. We show, however, that the distinct mitochondrial subdivision observed in the partial COI gene fragment is not corroborated by the other DNA sequences. There is the need of understanding this paradigm and the extent of Prays variability, as the disclosure of lineage-specific differences in biological traits between the identified lineages is fundamental for the development of appropriate pest management practices.