Diverse Viral Communities Found in the Gut of Date Palm Rhinoceros Beetles

Two species of palm tree pests, Oryctes elegans and Oryctes agamemnon (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), are responsible for causing significant damage to date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) in many countries in the Middle East. Despite several decades of research and the implementation of numerous control strategies, including mechanical, chemical, regulatory, and biosecurity measures, managing these pests remains challenging. Control of O. rhinoceros in the Pacific using an entomopathogenic virus is a landmark of classical biological control. In this study, we used a transcriptomic approach to examine the virome of two Oryctes species populations across various regions in southern Iran, with the hope of discovering natural viral pathogens as potential biocontrol agents. Total RNA was extracted from a pool of larval gut samples and sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000. After analysing the RNA-Seq data, 28 novel viruses, including a diverse range of RNA and DNA viruses, have been identified.