Potato virus Y-infected tobacco affects the growth, reproduction, and feeding behavior of a vector aphid, Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Potato virus Y (PVY) and Myzus persicae are important pests of tobacco and potato crops. Myzus persicae can transmit PVY in a non-persistent manner. In this study, we investigated whether tobacco plants infected with PVY affected the performance and behavior of M. persicae by comparing growth, reproduction, and stylet penetration behaviors of M. persicae on PVY-infected vs. noninfected plants. We found that body and cornicle length, body and head width, and distance between compound eyes were significantly smaller in adult M. persicae reared on infected tobacco plants. Electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings showed that the time spent on the plant before the first probe and the duration of the first probe increased significantly when M. persicae fed on PVY-infected rather than noninfected plants. The number of probes made by aphids on infected plants in the first hour was also greater than on healthy plants. Furthermore, M. persicae had a slightly higher net reproductive rate (R 0) when on infected tobacco plants than on noninfected plants. In summary, our data indicated that PVY infection had a negative effect on the growth of M. persicae. We suggest that the increased stylet penetration behavior of M. persicae on infected plants may be associated with increased virus acquisition and transmission.