Species Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of Olive Lace Bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) Found in South Africa

Olive lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) are small sap-sucking insects that feed on wild and cultivated Olea europaea. The diversity of olive bug species in South Africa, the most important producer continent, has been incompletely surveyed. Adult specimens were collected Western Cape province for morphological DNA-based identification, sequencing complete mitogenomes. Cysteochila lineata, Plerochila australis, Neoplerochila paliatseasi sp. found at 12 sites. Intra- interspecific genetic divergences phylogenetic clustering 30 18 genera Tingidae using new publicly available DNA barcodes showed high levels congruity between taxonomic data. position four Africa was inferred mitogenomes Tingidae. Notably, formed a cluster closely related species. However, non-monophyletic as C. lineata recovered sister to P. australis whereas chiniana, other representative genus, grouped with Trachypeplus jacobsoni Tingis cardui different cluster. This result suggests feeding O. europaea may have common origin warrants future research potential evolutionary adaptations this plant host.