MYCOPATHOGENS AND THEIR EXOTOXINS INFECTING GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER: SURVEY, EVALUATION, AND STORAGE

• Author(s): Boucias, Drion; III, Russell; Andersen, Peter; Hung, Shi-Yih; Triapitsyn, Serguei;
• Abstract: Excluding the observations reported by Turner and Pollard (1959), we know of no studies that have examined the entomopathogens associated with GWSS populations. In general, the lack of pathogens (viral, bacterial, or protozoa) in leafhopper populations may be related to their piercing-sucking feeding behavior. In most cases, these pathogen groups are transmitted orally and would likely need to inhabit the xylem tissue to infect leafhoppers. Pathogens that are transmitted per os are typically affiliated with insects with chewing mouthparts. Thus, entomopathogenic fungi, which do not need to be ingested in order to infect insects, are considered to contain the primary pathogens of sucking insects. Based on a preliminary survey of GWSS (Boucias and Mizell, unpublished 2001) and 20 years of field experience, we expect that the proposed multi-seasonal collections will yield an array of novel mycopathogens that are active against GWSS. This study, will provide a source of mycopathogens with potential for GWSS biological control along with a GWSS microbe collection that will be screened for novel metabolites (exotoxins). In collaboration with an industrial partner, broth filtrates will be screened against an array of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Of particular interest are the Hirsutella spp. isolates affiliated with this insect (Boucias and Mizell, unpublished 2001).
• Publication Date: Dec 2002
• Journal: 2002 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium