Purpose

The study of the Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), as an invasive pest of palm trees.

Methods

In this study, 36 RPW individuals were collected from 6 different locations in Egypt. The presences of endosymbionts in the RPW individuals were assayed. The phylogenetic analysis of the RPW inhabiting Egypt was conducted using Cytochrome c oxidase sub-unit 1 (CO1) gene.

Results

Spiroplasma was found, for the first time, in all individuals, while Rickettsia was found, for the first time, in individuals collected from only 3 of the 6 locations. Endosymbionts harbouring Egyptian RPW were closely related to those harbouring Diptera and\or Trombidiformes associated with palm trees. This may be due to horizontal transmission through palm sap or through ectoparasites living on the RPW. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis of the RPW inhabiting Egypt was conducted. The collected individuals were closely related to Saudi Arabia specimens collected from the eastern region. Thus, Saudi Arabia may be the origin of the RPW which invaded Egypt. Individuals from populations inhabiting the same geographical locations were closely related. This may be due to secondary invasion incidents that may have taken place through transportation of infested date palm trees and offshoots from infected to uninfected locations.

Conclusion

This study reports the first incidence for the presence and coexistence of Spiroplasma and Rickettsia in RPW collected from Egypt. In addition, it was found that the collected individuals of RPW were closely related to a Saudi haplotype. Thus, Saudi Arabia may be the origin of infection which invaded Egypt.

中文翻译：

---

埃及红棕象甲 Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) 中存在螺旋体和立克次体的第一份报告

目的

红棕象鼻虫 (RPW)、Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) 作为棕榈树的入侵害虫的研究。

方法

在这项研究中，从埃及的 6 个不同地点收集了 36 名 RPW 个体。检测了 RPW 个体中内共生体的存在。居住在埃及的 RPW 的系统发育分析是使用细胞色素 c 氧化酶亚基 1 ( CO1 ) 基因进行的。

结果

首次在所有个体中发现了螺旋体，而首次在仅从 6 个地点中的 3 个采集的个体中发现了立克次体。含有埃及 RPW 的内共生体与含有与棕榈树相关的双翅目和 / 或 Trombidiformes 的内共生体密切相关。这可能是由于通过棕榈汁或生活在 RPW 上的外寄生虫进行水平传播。最后，对居住在埃及的 RPW 进行了系统发育分析。收集的个体与从东部地区收集的沙特阿拉伯标本密切相关。因此，沙特阿拉伯可能是入侵埃及的 RPW 的起源地。来自居住在相同地理位置的人群的个体密切相关。这可能是由于二次入侵事件可能是通过将受感染的椰枣树和分支从受感染的地点运输到未受感染的地点而发生的。

结论

该研究报告了从埃及收集的 RPW中螺旋原体和立克次体的存在和共存的首次发病率。此外，发现RPW的收集个体与沙特单倍型密切相关。因此，沙特阿拉伯可能是入侵埃及的感染源。