Pierce’s disease, a serious disease of grapes in California is caused by Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). The xylem-limited bacterium is transmitted by the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca coagulata, (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Studies of this insect/pathogen interaction were hampered because acquisition of the pathogen by the insect is difficult to duplicate in the laboratory. We developed a bacterial acquisition method for GWSS. GWSS were offered sucrose solutions from membrane sachets, but did not probe and died within 24 hr. GWSS probed from a flowing feeding system but would not sustain feeding and died within 24 hr. However, using a static plant-based bacterial acquisition method, GWSS were induced to feed, were sustained for 24 hr, and a marker in the food was recovered in GWSS excretory fluid. The new method successfully introduced the pathogen, Xf and demonstrated cycling of candidate bacteria for paratransgenesis.
Species 1: Homoptera Cicadellidae Homalodisca coagulata (glassy-winged sharpshooter)
Keywords: Pierce's disease, transmission
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