Legume Research
Web of Science
  • Year: 2026
  • Volume: 49
  • Issue: 3

Identification and Characterization Through DNA Barcodes of bean Flower Thrips Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) in Blackgram in South India

  • Author:
  • Rajasekhar Lella1*, Tirumalasetti Madhumati2, D.V. Sairam Kumar2, V. Prasanna Kumari3, V. Roja4
  • Total Page Count: 12
  • Page Number: 492 to 503

1Department of Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India.

2Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla-522 101, Andhra Pradesh, India.

3Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla-522 101, Andhra Pradesh, India.

4Department of Biotechnology, Regional Agricultural Research Station-Lam, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur-522 034, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Corresponding Author: Rajasekhar Lella, Department of Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India. Email: rajagrico724@gmail.com

Abstract

Identification and characterization of thrips species in significant blackgram cultivation regions with bud necrosis disease as a key concern.

Morphological species identification through pictorial taxonomic keys and molecular characterization through DNA sequencing using PCR based techniques with species specific marker mtCOI for further confirmation of the species.

The present paper reports the host record of M. usitatus on blackgram and its molecular characterization through DNA barcodes from South India for the first time. This study contributed a total of 07 novel gene sequences to NCBI. This study revealed the existence of low genetic polymorphism among the COI sequences of M. usitatus. Six more genera of thrips were also identified viz. T. palmi, Scirtothrips dorsalis, Megalurothrips typicus (Bagnall), Ayyaria chaetophora (Karny), Phibalothrips peringueyi (Faure) and some Tubuliferan thrips. Interestingly Megalurothrips usitatus is the second most predominant spp. infesting blackgram in all locations after T. palmi.

Keywords

DNA barcodes, Genetic polymorphism, Megalurothrips usitatus, mtCOI