Insects
Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
Published: October 2020
The grape mealybug (Ehrhorn, 1900) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a significant pest of grapevines ( spp.) and a vector of disease-causing grape viruses, linked to its feeding on phloem sap. The management of this pest is constrained by the lack of naturally occurring resistance traits in . Here, we obtained proof of concept that RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules against essential genes for phloem sap feeding can depress insect survival. The genes of interest code for an aquaporin () and a sucrase () that are required for osmoregulation in related phloem sap-feeding hemipteran insects (aphids and whiteflies). In parallel, we investigated the grape mealybug genes coding non-specific nucleases (), which reduce RNAi efficacy by degrading administered dsRNA. Homologs of and with experimentally validated function in aphids, together with , were identified in the published transcriptome of the citrus mealybug by phylogenetic analysis, and sequences of the candidate genes were obtained for by PCR with degenerate primers. Using this first sequence information for , dsRNA was prepared and administered to the insects via an artificial diet. The treatment comprising dsRNA against , and significantly increased insect mortality over three days, relative to dsRNA-free controls. The dsRNA constructs for and were predicted, from sequence analysis to have some activity against other mealybugs, but none of the three dsRNA constructs have predicted activity against aphids. This study provides the basis to develop in planta RNAi strategies against and other mealybug pests of grapevines.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7692628 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11110739 | DOI Listing |
Chemosphere
November 2024
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, 492012.
The pink or hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, is a serious pest of grapes, jute, and mesta, causing severe yield losses in India and other countries. Chemical control remains the foremost choice for farmers to manage this pest. As insecticides break down over time due to biotic and abiotic factors, insects are exposed to varying levels of these exogenous compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
May 2024
Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Yuncheng City, Yanhu 044000, China; College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China. Electronic address:
Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is the most prevalent and economically damaging virus in grapevines and is found on nearly all continents, except Antarctica. Ten mealybugs act as vector insects transmitting the GLRaV-3. Understanding the potential distribution range of vector insects under climate change is crucial for preventing and managing vector insects and controlling and delaying the spread of GLRaV-3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Virus Res
March 2024
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand; The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Curr Res Insect Sci
January 2024
USDA - Agricultural Research Service, Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
The vine mealybug, , is a significant pest of vineyards in all major grape growing regions of the world. This pest causes significant aesthetic damage to berry clusters through its feeding behavior and secretion of "honeydew", which leads to significant decreases in crop marketability. More importantly, the vine mealybug is a vector of several grapevine viruses which are the causal agent of grapevine leafroll disease, one of the most destructive and economically devastating diseases of the grape industry worldwide.
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