First report of ‘Candidatus phytoplasma palmicola’ detection in the planthopper Diostrombus mkurangai in Mozambique

Knowledge of putative insect species vectors of the coconut lethal yellowing disease (CLYD) in Mozambique is crucial to develop an effective disease management plan. Hemiptera specimens from the families Derbidae and Pentatomidae were collected in the Inhambane and Zambezia provinces of the coastal region of Mozambique in 2014, covering the two main growing seasons. Sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene were used for phytoplasma clustering. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed employing three different primer sets specific for phytoplasma. BLAST sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA PCR products revealed that collected specimens of Derbidae Diostrombus mkurangai Wilson were carrying the CLYD phytoplasma. Virtual RFLP analyses of the obtained sequences confirmed this assigning the detected phytoplasmas to the 16SrXX-A subgroup, confirming that they are ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmicola’-related strains. This is the first detection of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmicola’-related strain in D. mkurangai.