ACQUISITION AND RETENTION OF XYLELLA-FASTIDIOSA BY AN EFFICIENT VECTOR, GRAPHOCEPHALA-ATROPUNCTATA

Citation
Bl. Hill et Ah. Purcell, ACQUISITION AND RETENTION OF XYLELLA-FASTIDIOSA BY AN EFFICIENT VECTOR, GRAPHOCEPHALA-ATROPUNCTATA, Phytopathology, 85(2), 1995, pp. 209-212
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
0031949X
Volume
85
Issue
2
Year of publication
1995
Pages
209 - 212
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-949X(1995)85:2<209:AAROXB>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
The blue-green sharpshooter (BGSS), Graphocephala atropunctata (Signor et), is an efficient vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al, the cau sal bacterium of Pierce's disease of grapevine. In experiments to asse ss changes over time in vector transmission efficiency and populations of bacteria in BGSS, 81 of 120 BGSS that were fed for 12 h on infecte d grapevine acquired the bacterium. Individual infective BGSS were exp osed 4 times (1 h, and 7, 21, and 60 days after acquisition) to uninfe cted grapevines for 3-h inoculation feeding periods to determine the e fficiency of transmission to grapevine. After each inoculation efficie ncy test, some BGSS were tested by culturing for X. fastidiosa to dete rmine the bacterial population in the vector heads and bodies. Transmi ssion efficiency increased from 56 to 99% between 1 h and 7 days post- acquisition, and remained high thereafter (91% at 21 days and 76% at 6 0 days). Bacterial population size in the heads of the inoculative vec tors also increased between 1 h and 7 days, but did not consistently i ncrease further. Xylella fastidiosa was not recovered by culture from about 40% of the inoculative insects. Populations below the detection limit (100 bacteria) in the BGSS heads were enough for efficient trans mission.