BioControl (2002) 47, 487-497

Heather G. Davis, Dino Garcia-Rossi, Melissa Daoust and Donald R. Strong (2002)
The use of molecular assays to identify plant pathogenic organisms vectored by biological control agents
BioControl 47 (5), 487-497
Abstract: The planthopper Prokelisia marginata Van Duzee (Homoptera: Delphacidae) has been considered for the biological control of the weed Spartina alterniflora Loisel (Poaceae) in Willapa Bay, Washington, U.S.A. Prokelisia marginata is a stenophagous phloem-feeding insect with the potential to transmit bacterial plant diseases that could be moved by less-specific vectors to other plant species. Initial assays with PCR primers that are putatively specific for phytoplasmas gave positive results in Spartina. However, subsequent analyses did not indicate the transmission of the pathogen by the planthopper. We sequenced the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of the bacterial species that gave positive results in PCR. Comparisons with sequences available in GenBank suggested that the positive results using the putatively specific PCR primers were due to the presence of such bacteria as Pseudomonas, Holomonas, Vibrio, and Acinetobacter. We did not find phytoplasmas in either Spartina or the planthopper P. marginata.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
non-target effects/fate in environm.

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sporobolus alterniflorus (weed)		U.S.A. (NW)
Prokelisia marginata (weed bioagent)	Sporobolus alterniflorus (weed)		U.S.A. (NW)