Seasonal Occurrence and Molecular Diagnosis of the Leafhopper Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on Okra plant

Abstract

Amrasca biguttula is a significant pest affecting okra crops. This study investigated the seasonal population dynamics of both nymphs and adults, alongside the molecular identification of the species. Results indicated that the highest densities of nymphs and adults reached 29.83 and 8.19 insects / leaf, respectively,recorded during the last week of October and the first week of .November. Conversely, the lowest densities were recorded in the first week of September, with 0.88 nymphs and 0.15 adults/ leaf.

For molecular diagnosis, A. biguttula specimens collected from okra plants across seven different locations in Basra Governorate were genetically characterized by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcode region. PCR amplification and sequencing confirmed that all isolates belong to the same species, with accession numbers ranging from LC843363 to LC843369 in the GenBank database. These isolates exhibited 100% sequence identity with previously reported A. biguttula isolates from Pakistan and India.