An iflavirus found in stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) of four different species

An analysis of transcriptomes from the antennae of the three South American stink bugs (Euschistus heros, Chinavia ubica, and Dichelops melacanthus) revealed the presence of picorna-like virus genome-length RNAs with high sequence identity to the genome of Halyomorpha halys virus (HhV), originally discovered in the transcriptome of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys. Features of the genome, phylogenetic relationships to other viruses, and the appearances of virus-like particles isolated from host stink bugs all confirm that these viruses are iflaviruses and isolates of an undescribed species. Iflavirus RNAs were present at high levels (40%–90% of transcriptome reads) in the stink bug antennal transcriptomes. In whole-insect transcriptomes of H. halys, HhV reads were >500-fold more abundant in adults than in nymphs. We identified from field population a subject of species E. heros infected by this iflavirus. The results of the analysis suggest that these iflaviruses are able to produce large quantities of their RNAs without causing any obvious pathology to their hosts. •Transcriptome analyses of Euschistus heros, Chinavia ubica, and Dichelops melacanthus revealed the presence of a picorna-like virus.•The viruses present high sequence identity to the genome of Halyomorpha halys virus (HhV) isolated from Halyomorpha halys.•All four viruses are isolates of the same undescribed species of genus Iflavirus.•These iflaviruses are able to produce large quantities of their RNAs without causing any obvious pathology to their hosts•A field collected individual of species E. heros was positive for the iflavirus RNA.