Morphology, haplotype networks and frequency of the weevil complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in 16 accessions of Musa spp.

Weevils are phytosanitary pests of major importance in plantain and banana crops due to the damage they cause and their potential impact on productivity. This study aimed to characterize morphologically, molecularly, and phylogenetically the weevil complex associated with 16 Musa spp. accessions from the National Institute for Agrarian Innovation (INIA), Peru, and to evaluate differences in their abundance. Weevils were collected in three replicates, with assessments conducted at 24 and 72 hours and 7 days. Specimens were morphologically identified, and DNA was extracted from leg tissue. Molecular characterization involved PCR amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, bidirectional Sanger sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses. Weevil abundance was analyzed using RStudio v.4.5. Four species were identified: Cosmopolites sordidus, Metamasius hemipterus, Polytus mellerborgii, and Rhynchophorus palmarum, whose abundances varied among the evaluated accessions. R. palmarum showed molecular differentiation based on COI. Phylogenetic reconstruction resolved four clades consistent with the identified genera. The Valery and Zapatito accessions exhibited the highest abundances of all four species. Among the 16 accessions evaluated, Valery and Zapatito were therefore inferred to have a stronger association with the four identified weevil species. Furthermore, COI gene analysis provided complementary molecular and phylogenetic evidence supporting their taxonomic differentiation.