European Journal of Plant Pathology (2016) 145, 493-499

P. Noël, T. Hance, F. Muratori and C. Bragard (2016)
Biological control by parasitoids does not enhance Pepino mosaic virus transmission
European Journal of Plant Pathology 145 (2), 493-499
Abstract: Biological control by natural enemies could enhance pathogen transmission particularly in systems with simple mechanical transmission. To understand potential risk of pathogen dissemination, experiments were conducted to investigate ability of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, and its biological control agent, the parasitoid Aphidius colemani, to externally carry and transmit Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) to tomato. On average, 53 % of the aphids and 78 % of the parasitoids carried the virus on the surface of their bodies after 2 h of contact. After 72 h of contact, at least 90 % of both insects were contaminated. Virus transmission was observed with M. persicae that were in contact with infected plants for 48 h (10 %) and 72 h (25 %), but no transmission was recorded with contact periods of 8 h or 24 h. Aphidius parasitoids failed to disseminate virus to healthy plants during transmission experiments with naturally and artificially infected parasitoids, despite testing more than 3000 individuals.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Claude Bragard, Thierry Hance, Frédéric Muratori

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Myzus persicae	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Pepino mosaic virus	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Aphidius colemani (parasitoid)	Myzus persicae