The functional decline of tomato plants infected by Liberbacter solanacearum: an RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis.

Introduction: Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) is a regulated plant pathogen in European and some Asian countries, associated with severe diseases in economically important Apiaceous and Solanaceous crops, including potato, tomato, and carrot. Eleven haplotypes of Lso have been identified based on the difference in rRNA and conserved genes and host and pathogenicity. Although it is pathogenic to a wide range of plants, the mechanisms of plant response and functional decline of host plants are not well defined.

High-throughput molecular gut content analysis of aphids identifies plants relevant for potato virus Y epidemiology.

Aphids are phloem-feeding insects that reduce crop productivity due to feeding and transmission of plant viruses. When aphids disperse across the landscape to colonize new host plants, they will often probe on a wide variety of nonhost plants before settling on a host suitable for feeding and reproduction. There is limited understanding of the diversity of plants that aphids probe on within a landscape, and characterizing this diversity can help us better understand host use patterns of aphids.

as a Wild Field Host of (Hemiptera: Triozidae) and ' Liberibacter solanacearum'.

The potato/tomato psyllid, (Šulc), is among the most important pests of solanaceous crops as a vector of the pathogen ' Liberibacter solanacearum' (Lso). Lso-infected psyllids often arrive in crop fields from various wild species of Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae, especially those that provide early-season hosts for the vector. species are perennial plants within the family Solanaceae with often broad geographical distributions that overlap those of , yet the status of many species as hosts for or Lso remains unknown.

Bacterial Endosymbionts Identified From Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Vectors of Phytoplasmas.

Insects often harbor bacterial endosymbionts that provide them with nutritional benefit or with protection against natural enemies, plant defenses, insecticides, and abiotic stresses. Certain endosymbionts may also alter acquisition and transmission of plant pathogens by insect vectors. We identified bacterial endosymbionts from four leafhopper vectors (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species by direct sequencing 16S rDNA and confirmed endosymbiont presence and identity by species-specific conventional PCR.

The Venom Compound N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide Attracts Several Polistes (Fuscopolistes) Species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).

Polistes paper wasps in the Fuscopolistes subgenus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) can be serious pests when they swarm at tall man-made structures. Chemical attractants may be useful to trap such paper wasps when they achieve pest status. Polistes venom has been shown to elicit a variety of behavioral responses in congeneric wasps, making it a source for potential chemical attractants.

Survival and development of potato psyllid (Hemiptera: Triozidae) on Convolvulaceae: Effects of a plant-fungus symbiosis (Periglandula).

Plant species in the family Solanaceae are the usual hosts of potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae). However, the psyllid has also been shown to develop on some species of Convolvulaceae (bindweeds and morning glories). Developmental success on Convolvulaceae is surprising given the rarity of psyllid species worldwide associated with this plant family.