Fluid dynamics in the functional foregut of xylem-sap feeding insects: A comparative study of two Xylella fastidiosa vectors.

Xylem sap sucking insects are adapted to ingest fluids under tension. Although much has been learned about such feeding strategy, this adaptation still poses several unresolved questions, including how these insects ingest against strong xylem sap tension. Xylem sap-feeding insects are vectors of the plant pathogenic xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa.

Sensory Receptors Associated with the Labial Tip and Precibarium of L. (Hemiptera: Aphrophoride).

The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is an important vector for the xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Wells, Raju, Hung, Weisburg, Mandelco-Paul, and Brenner), which is associated with olive quick decline syndrome in southern Italy. The mouthparts of Hemiptera have important roles in host plant selection, feeding behavior and for vectoring pathogens that cause plant diseases. In this study, the functional morphology of the sensory structures located on the labium tip and precibarium of P.

Functional anatomy of the precibarial valve in Philaenus spumarius (L.).

In phytophagous sap-sucking insects, the precibarial valve plays an important role in sap ingestion. We used light and electron microspcopy to study the morphology and the ultrastructure of the precibarial valve of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae), in order to better understand the operative mechanism of this structure. The precibarial valve revealed to be a complex structure with a bell-like invagination in the middle of the precibarium (on the epipharynx).

Fine structure of antennal sensilla of the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius L. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae). I. Chemoreceptors and thermo-/hygroreceptors.

The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae), is a polyphagous species that transmits Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium associated with "Olive Quick Decline Syndrome" in Southern Italy. In this study, the morphology and the ultrastructure of the antennal sensilla of P.