Folia Entomológica Mexicana (2002) 41, 113-118

Gustavo Moya-Raygoza, Lowell R. Nault, Saskia A. Hogenhout and William E. Styer (2002)
Variación en la transmisión del espiroplasma Spiroplasma kunkelii por poblaciones de la chicharrita del maíz Dalbulus maidis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)
[Variation in the transmission of the spiroplasma Spiroplasma kunkelii by populations of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)]
Folia Entomológica Mexicana 41 (2), 113-118
Abstract: Four populations of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis, the most important vector of maize pathogens in Mexico and Latin America, were compared, to determine whether the populations differed in their ability to transmit the corn stunt spiroplasma Spiroplasma kunkelii. Two populations (Colima and El Grullo) were collected from low altitudes (< 1,000 m), while the other two (Sayula and Zapopan) were collected from high altitudes (> 1,000 m). The mean latent period, the total vector efficiency, and the transmission efficiency through time were determined in the four D. maidis populations, under controlled conditions. Healthy adults from the four populations were maintained during 72 hours on maize plants infected with the spiroplasma in order to acquire the pathogen. The leafhoppers were subsequently transferred to healthy maize plants for a seven day incubation period. After seven days, the adults from each population were transferred individually to healthy maize plants each 48 hours, during the first 33 following the acquisition period. The results showed that the D. maidis populations differed in their abilities to transmit the corn stunt spiroplasma. The two populations from low altitudes had a short mean latent period, high total vector efficiency and high transmission efficiency through time. Moreover, these results may indicate why the corn stunt spiroplasma is distributed mainly at low altitudes throughout Latin America.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: Spanish)
Database assignments for author(s): Saskia A. Hogenhout

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Spiroplasma kunkelii	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Mexico
	Dalbulus maidis	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Mexico