Journal of Economic Entomology (2002) 95, 544-551

Rosemarie Tedeschi, Domenico Bosco and Alberto Alma (2002)
Population dynamics of Cacopsylla melanoneura (Homoptera: Psyllidae), a vector of apple proliferation phytoplasma in northwestern Italy
Journal of Economic Entomology 95 (3), 544-551
Abstract: Apple proliferation is a phytoplasma-associated disease transmitted by insects causing serious damage and economic losses to apple orchards. Investigations were carried out in 1999 and 2000 in northwestern Italy to identify the vector of apple proliferation and to study its population dynamics. Yellow sticky traps and beat tray samples revealed the presence of the psyllid Cacopsylla melanoneura (Förster) in eight apple orchards in the Aosta Valley. The species completes one generation per year; the overwintered psyllids colonized apple trees beginning in late January, whereas the springtime generation was observed beginning in early May. The offspring adults remained in apple orchards until the end of June, when they began to move onto other hosts. During 1999 and 2000, all apple trees present in the investigated orchards were visually checked to assess the fluctuation of disease symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment-length polymorphism confirmed the presence of the apple proliferation phytoplasmas in both overwintering and offspring insects as well as in symptomatic apple plants. The ability of C. melanoneura to vector the disease was assessed by preliminary transmission trials. Overwintered psyllids, collected in the most affected orchards, caged on healthy apple test plants transmitted apple proliferation phytoplasmas.
(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): Rosemarie Tedeschi, Domenico Bosco, Alberto Alma

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytoplasma mali	Apple (Malus)	Italy
	Cacopsylla melanoneura	Apple (Malus)	Italy