ARS | Publication request: Genomic sequences of Piezodorus guildinii from the southern United States

Submitted to: Genbank
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: September 20, 2012
Publication Date: October 3, 2012
Citation: Zhao, L., Jones, W.A. 2012. Genomic sequences of Piezodorus guildinii from the southern United States. NCBI, Genbank. JX425406-JX425420.

Interpretive Summary: The redbanded stink bug has greatly expanded its range in recent years, by 2009 becoming the number one pest of soybeans across several southern states from Alabama to Texas. Primarily a subtropical, South American pest, pockets of this stink bug have been known to occur in central and southern Florida. Many growers and researchers assumed that global warming, combined with the widespread use of early-maturing soybean varieties, can explain the observed expansion in geographic range. But another possibility is that new genotypes have become accidently established from sources in South America or elsewhere that are better adapted to milder climates. A population genetics study of insects from the mid-South, South America, and from old populations in central Florida, could determine the source of the new invasion. The results could change the way soybeans are grown or identify new areas for exploring for natural enemies.

Technical Abstract: The Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorus guildinii, is native to Central and South America and a well-studied pest of soybeans in Brazil. Recently, it has been become economically important in the southern U.S. states, damaging soybeans from South Carolina to Texas. We cloned the partial genomic DNA from several genes to analyze the population structure of P. guildinii using molecular population genetics technology. The genomic information could help resolve taxonomic questions between species within this widely distributed genus, and identify novel sources of natural enemies.