Feeding Behavior and Virus-transmission Ability of Insect Vectors Exposed to Systemic Insecticides

Abstract

The majority of plant viruses depend on Hemipteran vectors for their survival and spread. Effective management of these insect vectors is crucial to minimize the spread of vector-borne diseases, and to reduce crop damage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of various systemic insecticides on the feeding behavior of Bemisia tabaci and Myzus persicae, as well as their ability to interfere with the transmission of circulative viruses. The obtained results indicated that some systemic insecticides have antifeeding properties that disrupt virus transmission by their insect vectors. We found that some of the tested insecticides significantly reduced phloem contact and sap ingestion by aphids and whiteflies, activities that are closely linked to the transmission of phloem-limited viruses. These systemic insecticides may play an important role in reducing the primary and secondary spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and turnip yellows virus (TuYV), transmitted by B. tabaci and M. persicae, respectively.