Thaumastocoris peregrinus is a pest that damages eucalyptus plantations. Recently in Brazil, there are few studies related to its control. With the advancement of molecular biology, several techniques can assist in the discovery of an effective and sustainable control. The different techniques of analysis of gene expression start with the extraction of the total RNA from the material for genomic analysis, hence it is essential that the RNA be intact. Numerous insect RNA extraction protocols are available, but none of them are widely effective, therefore, several factors and intrinsic characteristics of the tissue to be analyzed can affect the quality of the extracted material. Thus, it is necessary to modify the protocols in order to optimize the extraction of RNA. This study aimed to analyze the efficiency of three methods for RNA extraction from T. peregrinus. The results obtained demonstrated that the RNA extracted with only one method was more efficient due to less contamination with DNA and greater integrity of the samples. It should be noted that the determination of an efficient protocol for the extraction of RNA from T. peregrines will assist in future research, which will assist in the discovery of genes present in the extracted RNA sample.

 

Key words: Ribonucleic acid, bronze bug, Eucalyptus.