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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #417896
Research Project: Biological and Biotechnological Approaches for Management of Insect Vectors and Vector-borne Viruses Affecting Vegetable Crops

Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research

Title: Competency of two geographically distinct thrips populations in the acquisition of Impatiens necrotic spot virus

Author
item CAMELO GARCIA, VIVIANA - Forest Service (FS)
item Hladky, Laura
item Hasegawa, Daniel

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Frankliniella occidentalis (Western flower thrips (WFT)) is a global pest and the primary vector of Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), a tospovirus first reported in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Salinas Valley, CA in 2008. However, recent severe outbreaks of INSV have caused major economic losses to the lettuce industry. Tospoviruses are transmitted in a persistent propagative manner, such that acquisition occurs as larvae feed on infected plant material and transmission occurs during the adult life stage. Much knowledge has been generated about the interactions between WFT and the tospovirus, Tomato spotted wilt virus, however studies exploring the relationship between WFT and INSV are lacking. Here, we sought to characterize the competency of two geographically unique WFT populations in acquiring INSV. One population was originally collected in the Kamilo Iki Valley on the island of Oahu, Hawaii in the early 1980s, while the second population was collected in the Salinas Valley in 2019. Both populations have been reared and maintained as separate colonies in the laboratory on green bean pods (Phaseolus vulgaris). INSV acquisition studies were performed using first instar larvae and subsequent developmental stages (larva, pre-pupa, pupa, and adult) were collected for RNA extraction. A multiplex RT-qPCR assay was used to quantify the virus titer in individual thrips and compared between the two colonies. The work presented is a first step towards understanding the transmission biology of INSV by thrips vector populations that have geographically distinct origins.