Molecular analysis of the fungal microbiome associated with the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae

A molecular approach was used to investigate the fungal microbiome associated with Bactrocera oleae a major key pest of Olea europea, using the ITS2 region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) as barcode gene. Amplicons were cloned and a representative number of sequenced fragments were used as barcode genes for the identification of fungi. The analysis of the detected sequence types (STs) enabled the identification of a total of 34 phylotypes which were associated with 10 fungal species, 3 species complexes and 8 genera. Three phylotypes remained unresolved within the order Saccharomycetales and the phylum Ascomycota because of the lack of closely related sequences in GenBank. Cladosporium was the most abundantly detected genus, followed by Alternaria and Aureobasidium, well-known components of olive sooty moulds. Interestingly, Colletotrichum sp. and other fungal plant pathogens were also detected, leading to potential new insights into heir epidemiology.