Brevipalpus phoenicis: Unraveling the complex

The genus Brevipalpus has a long and complicated history, full of mystery, intrigue, and ultimately, confusion.  With over 280 species in the genus, separating species has always proved challenging.  Even sixty years ago, when only eight species had been recorded for the USA, there were already indications that detailed studies were critical for accurate and reliable species separation.  As we become increasingly aware of the growing number of plant viruses associated with members of the genus Brevipalpus, this need has grown further.  Brevipalpus transmitted plant viruses have been described from more than 40 different plant species.  Citrus Leprosis Virus (CiLV = CiLV-N, CiLV-C, CiLV-C2) is by far the most serious of these plant viruses.  We have shown that the most important species implicated in transmission of CiLV across the world, Brevipalpus phoenicis, is in fact a complex of cryptic species.  We have so far identified seven distinct species that have previously been identified as Brevipalpus phoenicis.  We establish a new diagnosis for B. phoenicis sensu stricto, and indicate differences between it and six other species in the complex using morphological and molecular characters.