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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411547
Research Project: New Technologies and Strategies for Managing Emerging Insect Pests and Insect Transmitted Pathogens of Potatoes

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: Margaranthus solanaceus, a new weed host plant for Bactericera cockerelli at the Gulf Coastal plain of Northeastern Mexico

Author
item FELIX-ROCHA, ADRIANNA CONCEP - Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro
item DELGASO-LUNA, CAROLINA - Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro
item Cooper, William - Rodney
item VILLARREAL-QUINTANIL, LA - Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro
item SANCHEZ-PENA, SERGIO - Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2023
Publication Date: 4/11/2024
Citation: Felix-Rocha, A.T., Delgaso-Luna, C., Cooper, W.R., Villarreal-Quintanil, L.A., Sanchez-Pena, S.R. 2024. Margaranthus solanaceus, a new weed host plant for Bactericera cockerelli at the Gulf Coastal plain of Northeastern Mexico. Southwestern Entomologist. 49(1):185-191. https://doi.org/10.3958/059.049.0115.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3958/059.049.0115

Interpretive Summary: Potato psyllid is a vector of Liberibacter solanacearum, the pathogen that causes zebra chip disease of potato, and permenente disease of pepper, tomato, and tomatillo. Potato psyllid often acquires Liberibacter from non-crop weedy hosts before it migrates into crop fields. The non-crop host plants of potato psyllid and Liberibacter are completely undocumented for the coastal plain region of Northeastern Mexico. Researchers at the USDA-ARS in Wapato, Washington and the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Saltillo, Mexico discovered that potato psyllid can complete development on nettled globe cherry (Margaranthus solanaceus) and that nearly 100% of psyllids developing on this plant carry Liberibacter solanacearum. This plant was previously unrecognized as a host of potato psyllid or Liberibacter. This discovery will allow researchers to develop areawide management recommendations for potato psyllid and Liberibacter in Northeastern Mexico and Southwestern United States.

Technical Abstract: Lack of information for wild plant hosts of Bactericera cockerelli has limited understanding of ecology and phenology of the insect and the actual role of wild host plants in disease dynamics. Due to vectoring of the plant-pathogenic bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso), B. cockerelli is one of the most important pests of solanaceus crops. Herein, B. cockerelli is reported to be associated with a previously unrecognized wild plant host, Margaranthus solanaceus Schltdl. (netted globe-cherry) at the lowland plains of northeastern Mexico. A total of 37 Margaranthus plant samples were collected at Cadereyta, state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. From these, 761 eggs and 129 nymphs were obtained (mean of 20.56±1.04 eggs and 3.48±0.4 nymphs per plant). The insect completed its lifecycle on this plant. PCR indicated that three out of 35 Margaranthus plants examined (8.6%) were positive for Lso; due to methodological difficulties, this percent is probably an underestimate. All adult psyllids (100%) in a sample (n= 21) that emerged from nymphs on Margaranthus and were analyzed by PCR were infected by Lso as well. This is the first report of M. solanaceous as host of B. cockerelli, Lso and Lso-infected B. cockerelli. Along with other wild hosts, this plant might contribute to population dynamics of B. cockerelli and Lso in North America.