Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T10:32:20.115Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Seasonal progression of sex ratio and phytoplasma infection in Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2008

F. Lessio
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali (Di Va PRA), Entomologia e Zoologia applicate all'Ambiente ‘C. Vidano’, University of Turin, via L. da Vinci 44, 10095Grugliasco(TO), Italy
R. Tedeschi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali (Di Va PRA), Entomologia e Zoologia applicate all'Ambiente ‘C. Vidano’, University of Turin, via L. da Vinci 44, 10095Grugliasco(TO), Italy
M. Pajoro
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali (Di Va PRA), Entomologia e Zoologia applicate all'Ambiente ‘C. Vidano’, University of Turin, via L. da Vinci 44, 10095Grugliasco(TO), Italy
A. Alma*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali (Di Va PRA), Entomologia e Zoologia applicate all'Ambiente ‘C. Vidano’, University of Turin, via L. da Vinci 44, 10095Grugliasco(TO), Italy
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +39 011 6708535 E-mail: alberto.alma@unito.it

Abstract

The differences between the seasonal occurrence and likelihood of being infected by FD phytoplasmas, of male and female Scaphoideus titanus Ball, were investigated. Sex ratio (male: female) was calculated by counting males and females sampled by means of yellow sticky traps and sweep-nets and from adults derived from hatched eggs in field-collected grapevine wood. PCR essays were performed to test differences in infection between genders. Overall, the sex ratio on sticky traps was significantly more male biased (1.99:1) if compared to net sweeping (0.62:1) and laboratory rearing (0.60:1). The peak of male presence was recorded in the middle of July in laboratory rearing and sweep net, and in the middle of August on sticky traps; the maximum presence of females was detected at the end of July in laboratory rearing, and at the end of August in sweep net samplings and on sticky traps. The seasonal sex ratio was more male biased at the beginning in laboratory rearing (1.50:1) and sticky traps (9:1), and then decreased in favor of females at the end of the sampling period, both in laboratory rearing (0.17:1) and in sticky traps (0.07:1). This trend was significantly less skewed, although similar, in sweep net samplings that recorded a sex ratio of 1:1 and 0.16:1 at the beginning and at the end of the sampling period, respectively. Concerning phytoplasma detection, an interaction between gender and sampling period was observed, the males showing a peak of infected individuals later in the season (35%). Some possible behavioral explanations of the data obtained are given.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alma, A. (2004) The genus Scaphoideus in the world. The diffusion of S. titanus in Europe. pp. 35 in Proceedings of the third European Hemiptera Congress organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russian Academy of Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Zoological Institute, 8–11 June 2004, St. Petersburg.Google Scholar
Alma, A., Bosco, D., Danielli, A., Bertaccini, A., Vibio, M. & Arzone, A. (1997) Identification of phytolasmas in eggs, nymphs and adults of Scaphoideus titanus Ball reared on healthy plants. Insect Molecular Biology 6, 115121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beanland, L., Madden, L.V., Hoy, C.W., Miller, S.A. & Nault, L.R. (1999) Leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) transmission of Aster yellows phytoplasma: does gender matter? Environmental Entomology 28, 11011106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beanland, L., Hoy, C.W., Miller, S.A. & Nault, L.R. (2005) Temporal distribution of Aster leafhopper sex ratios and spatial pattern of Aster yellows phytoplasma disease in lettuce. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98, 756762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beanland, L., Noble, R. & Wolf, T.K. (2006) Spatial and temporal distribution of North American grapevine yellows disease and of potential vectors of the causal phytoplasmas in Virginia. Environmental Entomology 35, 332344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boudon-Padieu, E. (2003) The situation of grapevine yellows and current research directions: distribution, diversity, vectors, diffusion and control. pp. 4753 in Proceedings of the fourteenth ICVG Conference organized by the Department of Plant Protection and Applied Microbiology, Locorotondo (BA), Department of Plant Protection and Applied Microbiology, University of Bari, 12–17 September 2003, Bari, Italy.Google Scholar
Bressan, A., Larrue, J. & Boudon-Padieu, E. (2006) Patterns of phytoplasma-infected and infective Scaphoideus titanus leafhoppers in vineyards with high incidence of Flavescence dorée. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 119, 6169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delić, D., Seljak, G., Martini, M., Ermacora, P., Carraio, L., Myrta, A. & Durić, G. (2007) Surveys for grapevine yellows phytoplasmas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bullettin of Insectology 60(2), 369370.Google Scholar
Denno, R.F., Gratton, G. & Langellotto, G.A. (2000) Significance of habitat persistence and dimensionality in the evolution of insect migration strategies. pp. 235260in Woiwood, I.P., Reynolds, D.R. & Thomas, C.D. (Eds) Insect Movement: Mechanisms and Consequences. Oxon, UK, CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Dér, Z., Koczor, S., Zsolnai, B., Ember, I., Kölber, M., Bertaccini, A. & Alma, A. (2007) Scaphoideus titanus identified in Hungary. Bulletin of Insectology 60(2), 199200.Google Scholar
Dingle, H. (2000) The evolution of migratory syndromes in insects. pp. 159181in Woiwood, I.P., Reynolds, D.R. & Thomas, C.D. (Eds) Insect Movement: Mechanisms and Consequences. Oxon, UK, CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Duduk, B., Botti, S., Ivanović, M., Krstić, B., Dukić, N. & Bertaccini, A. (2004) Identification of Phytoplasmas Associated with Grapevine Yellows in Serbia. Journal of Phytopathology 152, 575579.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emmen, D.A., Fleischer, S.J. & Hower, A. (2004) Temporal and spatial dynamics of Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in alfalfa. Environmental Entomology 33, 890899.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forthofer, R.N., Lee, E.S. & Hernandez, M. (2007) Biostatistics: A Guide to Design, Analysis, and Discovery. 502 pp. Burlington, MA, USA, Elsevier Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hoy, C.W., Zhou, X., Nault, L.R., Miller, S.A. & Styrer, J. (1999) Host plant, phytoplasma, and reproductive status effects on flight behaviour of aster leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 92, 523528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, M.P. & Mueller, A.J. (1990) Flight and diel activity of the threecornered alfalfa hopper (Homoptera: Membracidae). Environmental Entomology 19, 677683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kersting, U. & Baspinar, H. (1995) Seasonal and diurnal flight activity of Circulifer haematoceps (Hom., Cicadellidae), an important vector in the Mediterranean area and the Near East. Journal of applied Entomology 119, 533537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lessio, F. & Alma, A. (2004a) Seasonal and daily movement of Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Homoptera Cicadellidae). Environmental Entomology 33, 16891694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lessio, F. & Alma, A. (2004b) Dispersal patterns and chromatic response of Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Homoptera Cicadellidae), vector of the phytoplasma agent of grapevine flavescence dorée. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 6, 121127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maixner, M., Pearson, R.C., Boudon-Padieu, E. & Caudwell, A. (1993) Scaphoideus titanus, a possible vector of grapevine yellows in New York. Plant Disease 77, 408413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcone, C., Ragozzino, A., Schneider, B., Lauer, U., Smart, C.D. & Seemüller, E. (1996) Genetic characterization and classification of two phytoplasmas associated with spartium witches'-broom disease. Plant Disease 80, 365371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marzachì, C., Veratti, F. & Bosco, D. (1998) Direct PCR detection of phytoplasmas in experimentally infected insects. Annals of Applied Biology 133, 4554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marzachì, C., Palermo, S., Boarino, A., Veratti, F., d'Aquilio, M., Loria, A. & Boccardo, G. (2001) Optimization of a one-step PCR assay for the diagnosis of Flavescence doree related phytoplasmas in field-grown grapevines and vector populations. Vitis 40, 213217.Google Scholar
Mazzoni, V., Lucchi, A., Prešern, J. & Doberlet, M.V. (2008) Vibrational communication and other behavioural traits in Scaphoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Bulletin of Insectology 61(1), 187188.Google Scholar
Rodriguez, C.M., Madden, L.V. & Nault, L.R. (1992) Diel flight periodicity of Graminella nigrifrons (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 85, 792798.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saracco, P., Marzachì, C. & Bosco, D. (2008) Activity of some insecticides in preventing transmission of chrysanthemum yellows phytoplasma (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’) by the leafhopper Macrosteles quadripunctulatus Kirschbaum. Crop Protection 27, 130136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaerer, S., Johston, H., Gugerli, P., Linder, C., Shaub, L. & Colombi, L. (2007) ‘Flavescence dorée’ in Switzerland: spread of the disease in canton of Ticino and of its insect vector, now also in cantons of Vaud and Geneva. Bullettin of Insectology 60(2), 375376.Google Scholar
Seljak, G. (2008) Distribution of Scahoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Slovenia: its new significance after the first occurrence of the grapevine Flavescence dorée phytoplasma. Bulletin of Insectology 61(1), 201202.Google Scholar
Taylor, R.A.J., Nault, L.R. & Styer, W.E. (1993) Experimental analysis of flight activity of three Dalbulus leafhoppers (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in relation to migration. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 86, 655667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vidano, C. (1964) Scoperta in Italia dello Scaphoideus littoralis Ball cicalina americana collegata alla ‘Flavescence dorée’ della Vite. L'Italia Agricola 101, 10311049.Google Scholar
Zeisner, N. (2005) Amerikanische zikaden im anflug. Der winzer 5, 2021.Google Scholar