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Insights into the taxonomy of Vitis-Associated Colomerus (Eriophyidae) species through molecular phylogeny

Mouna, Bezzez ; Philippe, Auger ; Renata Santos, De Mendonça ; Guillaume, Mathieu ; Elias, Motelica-Heino ; Anne-Frédérique, Sévin ; Anne-Sophie, Spilmont ; Domenico, Valenzano and Denise, Navia


2026 - Volume: 66 Issue: Suppl pages: 153

https://doi.org/10.24349/1ud1-tuja

ICA 2026 - XVII International Congress of Acarology, 20-24 July 2026, Montpellier

Keywords

Colomerus vitis Colomerus oculivitis Cryptic diversity Virus vector Grapevine Pinot gris virus

Abstract

A taxonomic study of Colomerus species (Eriophyidae) associated with grapevines and Vitis species is needed, given their importance due to frequent interceptions in the international plant material trade and the role of C. vitis as a vector of Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV). Three valid Colomerus species are recognized as associated with Vitis: C. vitis (Pagenstecher, 1857); C. oculivitis (Attiah, 1967); and C. vitigineusgemmae (Mal’Chenkova, 1970). Previous molecular studies (South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Israel, Spain, USA) have shown that C. vitis represents a complex of five cryptic species. This study aimed (i) to clarify the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships among Vitis-associated Colomerus species and (ii) to characterize the genetic diversity of populations from a broader geographic range, e.g. European countries affected by GPGV as well as other continents (South America, Oceania), to enlarge the representativeness of the group in the phylogenetic analysis. Samples were obtained from 17 departments in France, as well as from Brazil, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Egypt (the type locality of C. oculivitis), and Chile. Specimens were collected from buds and erinea. Two molecular markers, COI and ITS , were analyzed. The COI dataset included 881 sequences (834 generated in this study and 47 retrieved from GenBank), and the ITS dataset comprised 133 sequences (65 generated in this study and 68 retrieved from GenBank). Phylogenetic reconstructions were performed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference, and species delimitation methods (ABGD and ASAP) were applied to test speciation hypotheses. The COI phylogeny revealed six lineages. Lineages G1–G5 represent the C. vitis cryptic complex previously reported, while lineage G6, based on Egyptian specimens from El Bagour, corresponds to C. oculivitis. For ITS, no sequences were recovered for lineage G2; however, the remaining lineages (G1, G3–G6) displayed topological congruence with the COI dataset. Importantly, lineages G1 and G5, previously reported only from other continents, are now widespread in Europe, including areas with high GPGV prevalence. The co-occurrence of different lineages was observed on the same vine, suggesting sympatry. Phylogenetic reconstruction methods applied to populations from 6 continents, show that Vitis-associated Colomerus group comprise six lineages. Genetic gaps evidenced by ABGD/ASAP support that each lineage constitute a distinct taxon. Colomerus oculivitis (G6) was found exclusively in Egypt. Further morphometric analyses will be conducted to define diagnostic traits. Knowledge of the vectorial efficiency of the different lineages could be helpful to understand GPGV epidemiology.

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Article editorial history
Date published:
2026-07-20

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
2026 Mouna, Bezzez; Philippe, Auger; Renata Santos, De Mendonça; Guillaume, Mathieu; Elias, Motelica-Heino; Anne-Frédérique, Sévin; Anne-Sophie, Spilmont; Domenico, Valenzano and Denise, Navia
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