Research on the morphological and molecular diagnosis of Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy)

Aphids are one of the most important groups of insects that cause damage to agricultural crops, ornamental plants, as well as herbaceous and woody plants in their natural habitats. Aphids that feed on plant sap can cause significant crop losses worldwide, ranging from 70% to 80%, due to stunted growth, deformation, wilting, and other detrimental effects on plants. Despite the chemical, biological, and integrated pest management methods applied against these damages, aphids have rapidly expanded their distribution areas and their damages have been increasing in recent times. Hyalopterus Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a genus of aphids, are known worldwide as pests that infest Prunus trees, which are stone fruit trees. They cause damage by feeding on the trees and also by transmitting plant viruses. Subsequently, improper and indiscriminate use of chemical control methods negatively impacts both human and environmental health. Accurate identification of aphids, especially in terms of invasive species, is crucial for early detection of their damages in the initial stages. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is an effective gene region used in the identification of many economically important plant pests worldwide. In this study, a total of 50 individuals of Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy) were collected from three localities Şarköy (Ulaman, Bulgurlu, Gölcük, Cumhuriyet, Mürefte, Hoşköy, Gaziköy, Tepeköy, Palamut), Süleymanpaşa (Yüzüncüyıl, Altınova, Banarlı, Barboros, Bıyıkali, Çınarlı, Değirmenaltı, Ferhadanlı, Hürriyet, Karacakılavuz, Karaevli, Naip, Namık Kemal and Marmaraereğlisi (Bahçelievler, Cedit Ali Paşa, Dereağzı, Mustafa Kemal Paşa, Sultanköy, Türkmenli, Yakuplu and Yeniçiftlik) in Tekirdağ province. The species H11, H41, and H61, which were selected to represent three counties, were sequenced, and the molecular sequence results revealed that H. pruni, as morphologically described, showed 99% consistency at the molecular level.