Identification of Morphotypes of Empoasca Spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) In Yam And Cassava Agro-Ecosystems (Sucre,Colombia)

Abstract

The genus Empoasca is of broad economic importance, but presents difficulty in its taxonomic identification due to the presence of very similar external characteristics between species. In order to establish differences in a sample of leafhoppers collected in cassava and yam crops (in Sucre departament, Colombia), individuals were characterized in five morphotypes based on their reproductive structures using six characteristics of the genitalia and six RAPD primers. Results indicate that of the six primers used for molecular characterization, the most polymorphic were AN10 and Z10 (PIC=0.5). Through the utilization of DA, it was established that the differentiation of morphotypes is due to three primers (AN10, OPA 13, and Z10), which showed the greatest contribution to the ordination axes. The first two axes represented 99.2% of the variation found. Sort function cross-validation of the results established that the correct identification average is 80.4%. However, because of the restrictions imposed by morphological identification and the molecular markers used, the use of SCARS, SSRs and COI sequencing is suggested, as well as the expansion of samplings to different agro-ecosystems in Colombia, in order to confirm the morphological differences and molecular findings of this investigation.