TY  - JOUR
JF  - Acarologia
T1  - Phytoseiidae diversity at the AgriCongo experimental site: an integrative approach
VL  - 66
IS  - Suppl
SP  - 47
EP  - 47
PY  - 2026
SN  - 0044-586X
SN  - 2107-7207
PB  - Les Amis d'Acarologia
AU  - Mireille, Belle Mbou Okassa
AU  - Dollon Jacques, Mbama Ntabi
AU  - Mireille, Belle Mbou Okassa
AU  - Dollon Jacques, Mbama Ntabi
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24349/1lbc-xnza
DO  - 10.24349/1lbc-xnza
DA  - 2026-07-20
ET  - 2026-07-20
KW  - Phytoseiidae
KW  - Biodiversity
KW  - Barcoding multilocus
KW  - Integrative taxonomy
KW  - Republic of the Congo
AB  - The aim of this study was to provide an updated assessment of the diversity of Phytoseiidae mites present at the Agri-Congo site, an experimental platform dedicated to the production of vegetable and orchard crops in the Republic of the Congo (RC). Approximately 50 leaves were collected from five host plants widely consumed by the Congolese population. The plants sampled were cassava (Manihotesculenta), okra (Abelmoschusesculentus), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), pepper (Capsicumspp.), and eggplant (Solanum melongena). The collected mites were investigated using an integrative approach that combined morphological and molecular analyses. Morphological examinations were based on the observation and measurement of both continuous and discontinuous characters. For molecular analyses, genomic DNA was extracted from 18 specimens using the Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit. Subsequently, the GenoScreen laboratory performed PCR amplification and sequencing. Five primer pairs were used to analyse mitochondrial (COI, 12S, and CytB) and nuclear (ITS and 18S) markers. Initially, PCR conditions described in the literature were validated using three reference samples and then applied to all specimens. Amplification products were verified using QIAxcel, purified, quantified using fluorimetry, and bidirectionally sequenced. Chromatograms were corrected and assembled using Geneious. Finally, taxonomic identifications were performed using BLASTn against the GenBank database, with the following criteria applied: =99% sequence identity, 100% query coverage, and an E-value of 0. Amplification of mitochondrial markers required optimisation of PCR conditions, whereas nuclear markers were readily amplified. For all markers analysed, amplification rates exceeded 70%. The analysis yielded two principal genera: Amblyseius and Euseius. Amblyseius largoensis and Amblyseius tamatavensis were reported for the first time in the RC. Within the genus Euseius, a phylogenetic cluster comprising three species not currently represented in the GenBank database was also observed. Parallel analyses of molecular and morphological data were conducted. Consequently, this work represents the second study since 2020 to integrate molecular data on Phytoseiidae mites associated with cultivated plants in the RC. Improving our knowledge of these beneficial arthropods will help Congolese farmers develop sustainable alternatives to pesticides, whose impacts on human health and the environment are well documented.
ER -