Pyralidae Phycitinae in Italian vineyeards: behavioural and molecular genetic investigations

In the last four years, during several surveys carried out in different wine growing areas of Veneto and Tuscany regions (Northern and Central Italy) for the monitoring and control of the tortricid moths Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller), Eupoecilia ambiguella (Hübner) and Argyrotaenia ljungiana (Thunberg), larvae of Pyralidae Phycitinae have beenfrequently found within the clusters, mainly after veraison. Samples of these larvae were used for laboratory observations and reared to obtain the moths. Moreover, in order to collect field adults, pheromone sticky traps were installed in some vineyards. A randomized amount of the samples was then utilized for molecular analysis. A fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I (Barcode) was chosen for the sequencing. The identity of the species was verified using the on-line databases BOLDSYSTEM and GenBank (NCBI). A total of 32 larvae and 28 adults (obtained from both reared larvae and sticky traps) were processed, and sequences of approximately 610bp were obtained. The phylogenetic analysis of the collected phycitins revealed the existence of 5 groups. The members of the first group present a homology of 99-100% with Ephestia unicolorella woodiella Richard & Thomson. In both regions this species resulted the predominant phycitin collected in the clusters. A similarity of 100% with Ephestia elutella (Hübner) was found for the members of the second group, all collected in Veneto vineyards with pheromone sticky traps, with the exception of one larva. The third group coincides with Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Millière). This species was only found in Tuscany, where it is the most frequent phycitin observed in the coastal vineyards. The fourth group, including the 24% of the phycitin larvae collected in Veneto, shows a similarity of 99-100% with Ectomyelois (=Apomyelois) ceratoniae (Zeller). For the members of the last group, collected in the pheromone sticky traps exposed in Veneto, no correspondence was found in the GenBank and the morphological identification is still in progress. Results of this research, still ongoing, constitute a significant contribution to the characterisation of the phycitin population inhabiting the grape clusters during ripening in several important areas of our Country.