Nosema maddoxi sp. nov. (Microsporidia, Nosematidae), a widespread pathogen of the green stink bug Chinavia hilaris (Say) and the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål)

Authors: HAJEK, ANN - Cornell University; SOLTER, LEELLEN - Illinois Natural History Survey; MADDOX, JOSEPH - Illinois Natural History Survey; HUANG, WEI-FONE - Illinois Natural History Survey; ESTEP, ALDEN - Navy Entomology Center Of Excellence, Cmave Detachment; KRAWCYZK, GRZEGORZ - Pennsylvania State University; Weber, Donald; Hoelmer, Kim; Sanscrainte, Neil; Becnel, James

Submitted to: Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/11/2017
Publication Date: 10/6/2017
Citation: Hajek, A.E., Solter, L.F., Maddox, J.V., Huang, W., Estep, A.S., Krawcyzk, G., Weber, D.C., Hoelmer, K.A., Sanscrainte, N.D., Becnel, J.J. 2017. Nosema maddoxi sp. nov. (Microsporidia, Nosematidae), a widespread pathogen of the green stink bug Chinavia hilaris (Say) and the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12475.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12475

Interpretive Summary: Naturally occurring protist parasites (Microsporidia) of insects are under study to evaluate and develop these disease causing organisms as biological control agents. They can also cause problems with colony insects used for research purposes and knowledge about these pathogens can assist in prevention and remediation efforts for these colonies. This taxonomic study has described a new species of microsporidia from stinkbugs and provides information on the biology and life cycle of this pathogen in stinkbugs, especially the important agricultural pests the green stink bug and the invasive brown marmorated stink bug. The new information obtained here contributes to our basic understanding of the diversity of these parasites which will assist in the evaluation and development of microsporidia as pathogens as biocontrol agents and how to prevent unwanted infections in colony insects.

Technical Abstract: AWe describe a unique microsporidian species that infects the green stink bug, Chinavia hilaris, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus, and the dusky stink bug, Euschistus tristigmus. All life stages are unikaryotic, but analysis of the consensus small subunit region of the ribosomal gene places it in the genus Nosema, which historically has been characterized by diplokaryotic life stages. It is also characterized by having the reversed arrangement of the ribosomal gene (LSU –ITS- SSU) found in species within the “true Nosema” clade. This microsporidium is apparently Holarctic in distribution. It is present in H. halys both where it is native in Asia and where it is invasive in North America, as well as in samples of North American native C. hilaris collected prior to the introduction of H. halys from Asia. Prevalence in H. halys from mid-Atlantic, North America from 2015-2016 ranged from 0.0-28.3%, while prevalence in C. hilaris collected in Illinois in 1970-1972 ranged from 14.3-58.8%. Oral infectivity and pathogenicity were confirmed in H. halys and C. hilaris. Morphological, ultrastructural and ecological features of the microsporidium, together with a molecular phylogeny, establish a new species named Nosema maddoxi sp. nov.