Directed sequencing of plant specific DNA identifies the dietary history of four species of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera)

Authors: Cooper, William - Rodney; MARSHALL, ADRIAN - Washington State University; FOUTZ, JILLIAN - Washington State University; WILDUNG, MARK - Washington State University; NORTHFIELD, TOBIN - Washington State University; CROWDER, DAVID - Washington State University; LEACH, HEATHER - Pennsylvania State University; Leskey, Tracy; HALBERT, SUSAN - Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services; SNYDER, JAMES - Dominican University Of California

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2021
Publication Date: 1/3/2022
Citation: Cooper, W.R., Marshall, A.T., Foutz, J., Wildung, M.R., Northfield, T.D., Crowder, D.W., Leach, H., Leskey, T.C., Halbert, S.E., Snyder, J. 2022. Directed sequencing of plant specific DNA identifies the dietary history of four species of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 115(3):275-284. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saab053.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saab053

Interpretive Summary: Leafhoppers and planthoppers are often pests that move into crops from weeds, yet figuring out which weeds are sources of colonizing insects is difficult. A multi-state team that included USDA-ARS researchers at Wapato, WA and Kearneysville, WV tested whether directed sequencing of plant DNA identifies plants that leafhoppers and planthoppers eat. They used this method to identify spring hosts of leafhopper vectors of pathogens that cause cherry X-disease potato purple top, and beet curly top. They also used this method to identify hosts of spotted lanternfly. In the future, they plan to use gut content analysis to identify plants that the leafhoppers acquire plant pathogens from before moving into orchards or crops, and to study the landscape-level movements of spotted lanternfly

Technical Abstract: Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) includes several families of sap-feeding insects that tend to feed on a wide-range of host plants. Some species within Auchenorrhyncha are major agricultural pests that transmit plant pathogens or cause direct feeding damage. Nearly all pest Auchenorrhyncha are highly polyphagous, have mobile nymphs, and colonize crops from non-crop habitats. We examined whether methods for gut content analysis developed for more specialized Hemiptera identify dietary history of polyphagous Auchenorrhyncha. We used high-throughput sequencing of the plant genes trnF and ITS to examine the dietary history of Circulifer tenellus (Baker) (Cicadellidae), Colladonus geminatus (Van Duzee) (Cicadellidae), and Co. montanus reductus (Van Duzee) (Cicadellidae), and Lycorma delicatula (White) (Fulgoridae). Circulifer tenellus is a vector of the vegetable pathogens Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii and beat curly top virus. Both Colladonus species are vectors of Ca. Phytoplasma pruni, the pathogen associated with X-disease of stone fruits. Lycorma delicatula is an invasive pest of grape and ornamentals in the eastern United States. Results showed spring hosts for C. tenellus included Brassicaceae, especially Sisymbrium sp. (tumble mustard), and spring hosts for both Colladonus species included Taraxacum sp. (dandelion). Gut content analysis also detected a decrease in host-breadth by L. delicatula from early to late instars. Expanded use of gut content analysis will help identify the non-crop sources of phytoplasma-infected C. tenellus and Colladonus, and to examine seasonal changes in host shifts by L. delicatula