Transmission of a Stolbur Phytoplasma by the Agalliinae Leafhopper Anaceratagallia ribauti (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae)

Abstract

AbstractSeventeen Auchenorrhyncha species were studied for their ability to transmit stolbur phytoplasma. Adult insects were collected alive in Bois Noir infected vineyards, transferred to Vicia faba seedlings (two leaf stage) in cylindrical pot cages and kept in a growth chamber at 23°C (L16:D8). After 5 weeks, plants were inspected visually and sampled for PCR analysis. Anaceratagallia ribauti, Dryodurgades reticulatus and Euscelis incisus were also reared in the laboratory. Insects trapped in the vineyard were allowed to oviposit on V. faba seedlings. Hatching nymphs were transferred to cubical breeding cages containing potted V. faba seedlings and stolbur‐infected Convolvulus arvensis collected in the vineyard. Plants in these cubical cages were routinely tested by PCR for stolbur infections. Adults raised in these cubical cages were subjected to further pot cage experiments with V. faba seedlings. In five of 40 experiments with field‐trapped A. ribauti, stolbur transmission was observed. Laboratory‐reared A. ribauti transmitted stolbur phytoplasma to seven of 23 broad beans in the cubical breeding cages. Laboratory‐reared A. ribauti adults transmitted stolbur phytoplasma in one of 13 pot cage experiments. No transmission of stolbur phytoplasma with any other Auchenorrhyncha species was observed. Furthermore, we characterized Austrian stolbur isolates by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis of the tuf gene. Plant samples were collected in 17 symptomatic vineyards all over eastern Austria. Vicia faba plants from transmission experiments were also analysed. All isolates belonged to tuf‐type II.