Scientia Agricola (2003) 60, 669-675

Rosangela Cristina Marucci, Teresinha Augusta Giustolin, Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda, Helen Miquelote, Rodrigo Piacentini Paes de Almeida and João Roberto Spotti Lopes (2003)
Identification of a non-host plant of Xylella fastidiosa to rear healthy sharpshooter vectors
Scientia Agricola 60 (4), 669-675
Abstract: Rearing leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) vectors free of Xylella fastidiosa is a requirement for studies of various aspects of vector-pathogen interactions. The selection of a plant that allows vector development but not bacterial multiplication is desirable to produce healthy vectors. In this study, two leafhopper hosts, Vernonia condensata ('boldo') and Aloysia virgata ('lixeira') were needle inoculated with citrus and coffee strains of X. fastidiosa to evaluate if these plants support pathogen colonization. The inoculated plants did not present symptoms and the pathogen was not detected by culture and PCR tests, neither soon after inoculation (7-14 days) nor later, at 1, 4, 6 and 12 months after inoculation. To obtain healthy adults of the leafhopper vectors Acrogonia citrina, Bucephalogonia xanthophis, Dilobopterus costalimai, Homalodisca ignorata and Oncometopia facialis, early-instar nymphs were reared on V. condensata. X. fastidiosa was not detected in any of 175 adults obtained. V. condensata and A. virgata are nonpropagative hosts of X. fastidiosa and enable the production of healthy leafhoppers for vector studies.
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Database assignments for author(s): Rosangela Cristina Marucci

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
rearing/culturing/mass production
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Dilobopterus costalimai
	Oncometopia facialis
	Homalodisca ignorata
	Acrogonia citrina
	Bucephalogonia xanthophis