Phototactic behaviour and the role of light in host transmission of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Abstract

Summary The pine wood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). To understand the light influence on PWN, we investigated its phototactic behaviour. Our data indicated the mixed population of propagative PWN had a positive response to red, orange, yellow, green, blue and white lights, but a weak negative response to violet. For age-synchronised propagative nematodes, however, phototactic behavioural features changed with development. Interestingly, the dispersal fourth-stage juveniles (JIV) showed negative response to all tested lights, which was almost completely the reverse of the propagative fourth-stage juveniles (J4). Further bioassays proved that green, blue and white lights suppressed the host transmission of dispersal JIV from vector beetle to healthy pine branches. Our results revealed that night could be the peak of host transmission. With the results of previous studies, we speculate volatiles from the host tree and light may play pull-and-push roles to accelerate the host transmission of B. xylophilus.