cDNA library construction in the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli)

The potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is an invasive pest that has caused significant losses in both potato and tomato crops in Eastern Mexico and more recently in the Central and Western United States. In the past decade, populations have been identified as far away as New Zealand where they are affecting both home and industrial crops. The insect was recently found to harbor Liberibacter, a bacterium linked to the development of psyllid yellows and zebra complex. Studies of the functional genomics of the asian citrus psyllid have been instrumental in understanding the genes and pathways regulating feeding and disease transmission. In this study we isolated the poly-A mRNA from several hundred potato psyllids to construct a cDNA library. The aim of this study is to discover new viruses for possible use as biological control agents and new genes for phylogenetic analysis of psyllid populations.