Picorna-Like Virus Discovered in Wild Lime Psyllid Leuronota fagarae Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Psylloidea)

As of March 2021, the Family: Picornaviridae contained 158 species grouped into 68 different genera. We report the identification of a new Picornaviridae-like viral species isolated from the Wild Lime Psyllid (WLP), Leuronota fagarae. Extraction and sequencing of nucleic acid from WLP adult salivary glands identified a 5554 nt sequence with 52.75% identity to Diaphorina citri (Asian Citrus Psyllid) picorna-like virus polyprotein and 59.61% identity to Bemisia tabaci (Silverleaf Whitefly) polyprotein, NCBI BlastX and Blastp analysis. Sequence comparisons of amino acids and nucleotides showed consistent similarity and motifs with picorna-like virus polyproteins across 8 known species, having significant E-values of 7e-116 or less. Polyproteins are around 2100-2400 in length, are cleaved into multiple active peptides to allow for viral replication. Phylogenetic comparisons using amino acid and nucleic acid polyprotein sequences shows a diverse radiant group of insect hosts. The discovery of a picorna-like virus in WLP that is related to the D. citri Picorna-like virus, whose niches overlap, may provide new insight into management of psyllid vectors that transmit crop pathogens, like the bacterium causing Huanglongbing in citrus.