Viromes of Agriculturally Important Insects in Alabama

Abstract

Insect vectors play a critical role in the transmission of viruses, posing significant threats to both agriculture and public health. The studies in this thesis, utilize RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to characterize the viromes of two key insect species—Soybean thrips (Neohydatothrips variabilis Beach), and Tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca Hinds)—collected from different regions of Alabama. Analysis of N. variabilis specimens from Auburn (2023) identified 15 viruses spanning seven viral orders, including ten potential insect-infecting viruses, one plant-insect virus, one strictly plant-infecting virus, and three novel mycoviruses. In F. fusca collected from peanut and clover in Headland (2022–2023), 25 distinct viruses were detected, with greater viral diversity observed in thrips associated with clover. Bunyavirales was the most prevalent viral order, and Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae was consistently present across samples. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of viral diversity in key insect vectors at the state level, offering critical insights into virus-host interactions, viral evolution, and potential emerging threats to crops.