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Characterisation of Aceria massalongoi and a histopathological study of the leaf galls induced on chaste trees

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Abstract

The eriophyoid mite Aceria massalongoi (Canestrini) was collected from globoid leaf galls on severely injured chaste trees, Vitex agnus-castus L. (Lamiaceae), in Bari and Bernalda (southern Italy), and on the Ionian island Leukade (Greece). Female, male and nymph were described in detail, following the current morphometric descriptive scheme, supplementing older and incomplete descriptions. Molecular characterization of A. massalongoi from Italy and Greece was conducted by amplifying and sequencing the ribosomal ITS, the D2–D3 expansion domains of the 28S rRNA gene and the mitochondrial COI, for the first time. Phylogenetic trees based on the three molecular markers showed congruent results, confirming that Italian and Greek A. massalongoi populations are the same species that cluster together with some intraspecific variability. Galls, ranging from 0.5 to 2.8 mm in diameter, were randomly distributed on both leaf surfaces, and protruded ca. 1 mm from the leaf surface. Sometimes they were closely aggregated on midrib and leaves, which, consequently, appeared strongly deformed. Close-up observations revealed that gall induction causes hyperplastic proliferation of leaf tissues around the gall chamber hosting mites. The uniserial cell lining inside this chamber provides the nutritional tissue for the mites. All feeding cells contained one or more (frequently 2–3) hypertrophied nuclei and dense granular cytoplasm.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Nicola Vovlas IPSP CNR, Bari UOS (Italy) for suggestions and useful comments on the manuscript, to Nicola Trisciuzzi and Simona Santoro of CRSFA (Locorotondo, Italy) and Hortoservice (Noicattaro, Italy), respectively, for their help and assistance during the mite collections. The authors thank a lot the reviewers for all suggestions improving the manuscript. This study was partly supported by the University ‘Aldo Moro’ of Bari.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Entomology and Zoology Section, Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (Di.S.S.P.A.), University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Enrico de Lillo, Domenico Valenzano & Rosita Monfreda

  2. Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante (I.P.S.P.), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 70126, Bari, Italy

    Elena Fanelli, Alberto Troccoli & Francesca De Luca

  3. A. P. S. Polyxena, Via Donizetti 12, Conversano, 70014, Bari, Italy

    Alessio Vovlas

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  1. Enrico de Lillo
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Supplementary file1 (DOCX 22 kb)

10493_2020_518_MOESM2_ESM.png

Phylogenetic trees of mitochondrial COI of Acerie massalongoi and the closest species. Sequences were analysed using Maximum Likelihood method. Number at nodes indicate bootstrap values. Supplementary file2 (PNG 710 kb)

10493_2020_518_MOESM3_ESM.png

Phylogenetic trees of the D2 expansion domain of the 28S rRNA gene of Aceria massalongoi and the closest species. Sequences were analysed using Maximum Likelihood method. Number at nodes indicate bootstrap values. Supplementary file3 (PNG 1347 kb)

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de Lillo, E., Fanelli, E., Valenzano, D. et al. Characterisation of Aceria massalongoi and a histopathological study of the leaf galls induced on chaste trees. Exp Appl Acarol 82, 33–57 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-020-00518-x

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