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Research Project: IPM Methods for Insect Pests of Orchard Crops

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Title: Methods of correlating electropenetrography waveform data to Hemipteran probing behavior and pathogen transmission

Author
item AMMAR, EL-DESOUKY - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item SHUGART, HOLLY - University Of Florida
item ROGERS, MICHAEL - University Of Florida
item Hall, David
item Shatters, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: International Congress of Entomology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Hemipteran feeding behavior cannot be visualized within plant tissues by researchers studying probing and/or transmission attributes of some economically important plant pathogens transmitted by these piercing sucking insects. Electropenetrography (EPG) is currently the most precise method for studying hemipteran probing behavior. However, the EPG waveforms acquired are only as useful as the correlations that are completed to assign biological definitions to these waveforms. Correlations of salivary sheath structure and position, host plant cell damage, determination of ingestion cell type and number, and confirmation of pathogen transmission can be accomplished through various forms of microscopy on host plant tissues surrounding the feeding site. These microscopy techniques include light, fluorescence, confocal, and electron microscopy of sections from embedded tissues. Additionally, hand-cut sections are a fast and easy method that can provide valuable data using autofluorescence of salivary sheaths and plant tissues without embedding or staining. Insect stylets can also be directly observed and video recorded during probing of a clear artificial diet through membranes, allowing correlation of behaviors such as stylet movement, salivation, and ingestion during EPG recording. Ingestion correlations can be made through the use of visible particles or fluorescent beads to visualize the direction of fluid flow. Immunocytochemistry or fluorescent in situ hybridization can be used to confirm presence of the pathogen in insect tissues following EPG recording. Histological correlations and artificial diet probing assays provide integral data upon which the identification of biological definitions of EPG waveforms can be determined.