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Survival, fecundity, and body mass of A mplicephalus curtulus influenced by ‘ C andidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’ (16SrV‐A) infection
Author(s) -
Arismendi Nolberto L.,
Carrillo Roberto
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/eea.12303
Subject(s) - phytoplasma , biology , leafhopper , fecundity , nymph , cicadomorpha , botany , zoology , hemiptera , population , polymerase chain reaction , genetics , demography , sociology , gene , restriction fragment length polymorphism
The leafhopper A mplicephalus curtulus Linnavuori & DeLong ( H emiptera: C icadellidae) can transmit ‘ C andidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’ (16SrV‐A) from a native Chilean shrub, U gni molinae T urcz. ( M yrtaceae), to ryegrasses. A recent study showed that this phytoplasma reduced the total protein content and the activity of detoxifying enzymes in A . curtulus , which could also affect its vector fitness. This study evaluated the effect of ‘ C a . Phytoplasma ulmi’ on the longevity, fecundity, and body mass of A . curtulus . Both females and males were exposed to ‘ C a . Phytoplasma ulmi’‐infected plants for 96 h, whereas a control group remained unexposed. Quartiles from adult emergence to 75% (t 75 ), 50% (t 50 ), and 25% (t 25 ) survival rates were determined for each leafhopper survival distribution. The dry weight was also established at the end of the experiment. The adult lifespan of phytoplasma‐infected males and females was significantly lower than that of the uninfected leafhoppers in quartile survival distributions t 50 and t 25 . The phytoplasma‐infected males and females lived 3 and 4 weeks less than uninfected ones in the last quartile, respectively. Fecundity was established by number of nymphs per female (in four periods) in phytoplasma‐infected and uninfected assays. In general, the weekly pattern of the number of nymphs per phytoplasma‐infected female was lower than that of uninfected leafhoppers; it was 37% lower at the end of the experiment. Phytoplasma‐infected females weighed significantly less (11%) than uninfected individuals. Phytoplasma‐infected males weighed 8% less than uninfected ones, but this difference was not significant. Our data indicated that ‘ C a . Phytoplasma ulmi’ negatively affected the fitness of A . curtulus , and nymphs produced by phytoplasma‐infected females varied over time, which may influence the disease dynamics in nature or in field crops.