Genetic Structure and haplotype diversity in South Indian Populations of Brown Planthopper, (Nilaparvata lugens) using mtCOI

The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) is a major pest of rice, causes high economic losses by reducing yield. In India, most populations of N. lugens could not be managed probably due to high genetic variation in populations. Hence, the study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity of N. lugens in south Indian populations. A total of eight populations were collected from Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing done using the COI gene primer. The study identified eight haplotypes having high haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity along with two polymorphic sites and two mutations. Neutrality tests (Tajima’s D, Fu’s Fs) indicated no significant deviation from neutrality. The high genetic diversity highlights the adaptive potential of N. lugens to environmental shifts, host resistance and management practices. Such adaptability makes N. lugens a serious threat to rice cultivation, as it can overcome existing control measures. The findings emphasize the importance of continuous molecular monitoring to track evolutionary dynamics in developing effective and sustainable pest management strategies.