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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305860
Title: Differential life history trait associations of aphids with nonpersistent viruses in cucurbits

Author
item ANGELELLA, G - Purdue University
item EGEL, D - Purdue University
item HOLLAND, J - Purdue University
item Nemacheck, Jill
item Williams, Christie
item KAPLAN, I - Purdue University

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2015
Publication Date: 5/5/2015
Citation: Angelella, G.M., Egel, D.S., Holland, J.D., Nemacheck, J.A., Williams, C.E., Kaplan, I. 2015. Differential life history trait associations of aphids with nonpersistent viruses in cucurbits. Environmental Entomology. 44(3):562-573.

Interpretive Summary: Infections by crop viruses are difficult to predict and manage. Symptoms caused by different viruses can be similar, making it difficult to determine the disease agent and viruses can be vectored by multiple species of aphids, confounding mamagement strategies. In an investigation of viruses prevalent on pumpkin plants, we identified 53 aphid species inhabiting the plants, with the melon aphid being the most common. A PCR-based method was developed to distinguish 4 common virus pathogens of pumpkin. We determined that aphid transmission rather than seed-transmission caused viral spread. Three species of aphid were most highly associated with the presence of two viruses, PSRV and WMV, on pumpkin plants highlighting the need for tailoring management strategies to control specific insect vectors of disease. The rapid PCR-based virus identification method will be useful for field diagnostics and breeding for resistance.

Technical Abstract: The diversity of vectors and fleeting nature of virus acquisition and transmission render nonpersistent crop viruses a challenge to manage. We assessed the importance of noncolonizing versus colonizing vectors with a two-year survey of aphids and nonpersistent viruses on commercial pumpkin farms. We quantified aphid alightment using pan traps while testing leaf samples with multiplex RT-PCR targeting Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). Overall, we identified 53 aphid species (=3,899 individuals), from which the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii, a pumpkin-colonizing species, predominated (76% and 37% of samples in 2010 and 2011, respectively). CMV and ZYMV were not detected, but WMV and PRSV were prevalent, both regionally (WMV: 28/29 fields; PRSV: 21/29 fields) and within fields (infection rates = 69% and 55% for WMV in 2010 and 2011; 28% and 25% for PRSV in 2010 and 2011). However, early-season samples showed extremely low infection rates, suggesting cucurbit viruses are not seed-transmitted and implicating aphid activity as a casual factor driving virus spread. Interestingly, neither noncolonizer/colonizer alightment nor total aphid alightment were good predictors of virus presence, but community analyses revealed species-specific relationships. For example, cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) and spotted alfalfa aphid (Therioaphis trifolii Monell f. maculata) were associated with PRSV infection, whereas the oleander aphid (Aphis nerii Bover de Fonscolombe) was associated with WMV spread within fields. These outcomes highlight the need for tailored management plans targeting key vectors of nonpersistent viruses in agricultural systems.