Short CommunicationA possibly new Rickettsia-like genus symbiont is found in Chinese wheat pest aphid, Sitobion miscanthi (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

In this study, we investigated Rickettsia infection in Chinese wheat pest aphid (Sitobion miscanthi), moreover detected a possibly new Rickettsia-like symbiont, provisionally named as SMLS1 (S. miscanthi L type symbiont). The sequence of SMLS 16S rRNA gene is 94% similar to that of its presumed closest relative, Orientia tsutsugamushi. If levels of divergence indicate taxonomic distinctiveness, SMLS probably represents a new genus in the family Rickettsiaceae. SMLS occurs in most populations of S. miscanthi, and with divergent infection frequencies, from 5.0% to 93.8%.

Graphical abstractRickettsia and a new Rickettsia-like symbiont SMLS (Sitobion miscanthi L type symbiont) are detected in wheat aphid, S. miscanthi.Download full-size imageResearch highlights► Rickettsia was found in Chinese Sitobion miscanthi. ► A new Rickettsia-like symbiont (SMLS) was also found in Sitobion miscanthi. ► SMLS probably represents a new genus in the family Rickettsiaceae.