First report of the nesting whitefly, Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), a new sugarcane pest in Yunnan, China

The species of a newly discovered sugarcane pest in Yunnan Province was identified by morphological observation and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence analysis. In terms of morphology, it was found to be similar to that of the nesting whitefly, Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), by comparing the characteristics of pupae and adults of the tested whitefly. At the molecular level, the COI gene of the tested whiteflies was sequenced, and homology comparisons were conducted. The sequences of the tested whitefly and P. minei were highly homologous, and the sequence similarity reached 100%. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the COI gene sequence, and the samples of the Yongde whitefly from Yunnan Province (PP077190) were clustered on the same branch as P. minei, which has now been clearly identified. Combining the morphological observation and molecular identification results, the whitefly was identified as P. minei. As an alien invasive species in China, this is the first report to record P. minei in Yunnan, China. The report also has shown that P. minei is harmful to sugarcane, making it a newly recorded sugarcane pest. The results of the study provide basic data for rapid identification and traceability analysis of P. minei, as well as a theoretical basis for the monitoring and control of P. minei.