A new microsporidian pathogen, Vairimorpha gastrophysae sp. nov., isolated from Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Gastrophysa viridula DeGeer 1775, the green dock leaf beetle, belongs to a group of beneficial insects, which can be used as a classical biological control agent against sorrels (Rumex sp., Polygonaceae). Therefore, any infection by pathogenic organisms in this beetle is undesirable. In the present study, a new microsporidian pathogen isolated from G. viridula was identified based on morphological and ultrastructural characteristics, supported with a molecular phylogenetic analysis. Light and transmission electron microscopy studies indicated that the microsporidium was polymorphic throughout its life cycle. Sporulation stages were not all in direct contact with the host-cell cytoplasm. The fresh single diplokaryotic spores of the secondary sporulation cycle had a long narrow morphology, measuring about 5 × 2.1 µm (n = 50). Octospores produced in the secondary sporulation cycle were also observed. Morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of the life cycle stages place it within the genus Vairimorpha. The phylogenetic tree constructed on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis supports the morphological and ultrastructural characteristics and indicates that the pathogen is closely related to the Vairimorpha clade of microsporidia. The pathogen is named Vairimorpha gastrophysae sp. nov.