First IAPV finding in nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract

In the La Plata Horticultural Belt (CHP, in Spanish), bee viruses were searched for the first time in green bug Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). The presence of the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) was detected using PCR technique. These results would allow to infer that knowledge of viral infections in insects could be of great importance since they could act as viral reservoirs, resulting in the spilling of pathogens to honey bees and other pollinators. This study made it possible to detect IAPV for the first time in N. viridula. Future studies are needed to understand the ecology of these viruses in arthropod communities of CHP and to determine the role that green bugs play as possible reservoirs of these viruses in the environment.