Abstract

The white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera is one of the most harmful pests of rice in Southeast Asia. The fat body of WBPH harbors intracellular yeast-like symbionts (YLS). YLS are vertically transmitted to WBPH offspring by transovarial infection. YLS play an important role in the WBPH life cycle. YLS diversity and function have been extensively studied in the brown planthopper (BPH) and small brown planthopper but not in WBPH, even though a novel strategy for controlling the BPH based on suppressing YLS has been proposed. Here, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, we identified 12 unique fungal sequences among YLS of WBPH, and five of them represented uncultured fungi. We then fed WBPH with rice plants treated with different fungicides [70% propineb wettable powder (WP) (PR), 70% propamocarb hydrochloride aqueous solution (AS) (PH), 25% trifloxystrobin and 50% tebuconazole water-dispersible granules (WG) (TT), 40% pyrimethanil suspension concentrate (SC) (PY), and 50% iprodione SC (IP)] and evaluated their effects on YLS abundance and WBPH survival rate. Both YLS abundance and adult WBPH survival rate were significantly decreased upon feeding fungicide-treated rice plants, and exposure to 50% IP resulted in the strongest reduction. The abundance of two Sf-YLS species (Ascomycetes symbiotes and Cla-like symbiotes) was significantly reduced upon exposure to 50% IP. The counts of Ascomycetes symbiotes, the most abundant YLS species, were also suppressed by the other fungicides tested. In conclusion, 50% IP was the most effective fungicide, reducing YLS abundance and WBPH survival rate under controlled conditions, suggesting its potential use to control WBPH.

Highlights

  • The white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) is one of the most harmful pests in paddy fields in southeast Asia [1,2]

  • We found that the impact of the yeast-like symbionts (YLS) on WBPH survival depends on the YLS species

  • The current study explored the role of fungicides on suppressing YLS diversity and WBPH

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Summary

Introduction

The white-backed planthopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) is one of the most harmful pests in paddy fields in southeast Asia [1,2]. Similar to other rice planthoppers, the WBPH harbors intracellular yeast-like symbionts (YLS) in the fat body [3]. YLS occur in planthoppers and in some aphids, scale insects, leafhoppers and cicadas [4,5,6]. The diversity of YLS in rice planthoppers has been recently demonstrated [7,8,9], and has been found to be altered in response to insecticides and environmental factors [10,11]. The first YLS species identified in the brown planthopper (BPH), Insects 2020, 11, 209; doi:10.3390/insects11040209 www.mdpi.com/journal/insects. Subsequent parsimony analysis placed this YLS species within Cordyceps (Euascomycetes: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), a genus of filamentous entomopathogenic ascomycetes [15]. Dong et al [8] identified two other YLS species, Pichia-like and Cryp-like symbionts of BPH, using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization. Cao et al [9]

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