Article
Physiology
Mosharrof Mondal, Megan Carver, Judith K. Brown
Summary: This study aimed to optimize RNA interference (RNAi) in young PoP adults and 3rd instars by screening through oral delivery of dsRNAs. The minimum effective concentration of dsRNA required for gene knockdown was determined to be 100 ng/μL for all three target genes. Gene silencing post-ingestion of 100 ng/μL dsRNA persisted for 3-5 days in adults and nymphs, with the 3rd instar showing the most robust RNAi response.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chen Chen, Xiong Z. He, Peng Zhou, Qiao Wang
Summary: Tamarixia triozae is a primary parasitoid of Bactericera cockerelli, a major pest of solanaceous crops. Research was conducted to understand the behavior and fitness consequences of T. triozae, including its feeding and oviposition preferences, and allocation of eggs to different host stages. The findings show that T. triozae feeds on mid-aged hosts and prefers to parasitize later instars, leading to mortality in all instars. Host feeding and parasitism peak in the first week of female life, while superparasitism decreases with increasing host density. Progeny fitness is positively correlated with host size at parasitism.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Shovon Chandra Sarkar, Stephen Paul Milroy, Wei Xu
Summary: The variegated lady beetle, Hippodamia variegata, shows potential as a biocontrol agent for the invasive pest, Bactericera cockerelli, and may contribute to improving current management strategies.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Goretty Caamal-Chan, Aaron Barraza, Abraham Loera-Muro, Juan J. Montes-Sanchez, Thelma Castellanos, Yolanda Rodriguez-Pagaza
Summary: The study analyzed the bacterial communities associated with the insect vector Bactericera cockerelli central haplotype, from four regions in Mexico, showing relatively few microbial species but high abundance of Wolbachia, with 'Candidatas Liberibacter' having higher relative abundance only in some locations.
Article
Entomology
Xiao-Tian Tang, Cecilia Tamborindeguy
Summary: This study investigated whether an autophagic response is triggered in the gut of adult potato psyllids in response to LsoA and LsoB. The results showed that Lso may induce an autophagic response in the adult psyllid gut, suggesting a potential role of autophagy in the psyllid gut response to Lso infection.
Article
Plant Sciences
W. Rodney Cooper, Kylie Swisher D. Grimm, Gina M. Angelella, Tariq Mustafa
Summary: ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) is a pathogen that causes disease and economic losses in solanaceous crops in North America, transmitted by the potato psyllid. Three distinct haplotypes of the psyllid (western, central, and northwestern) were found to differ in their rates of Lso infection. The presence of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia correlates with higher Lso infection rates in the western and central haplotypes, while the northwestern haplotype had lower rates.
Review
Entomology
Shovon Chandra Sarkar, Severin Hatt, Andrew Philips, Mahjuba Akter, Stephen Paul Milroy, Wei Xu
Summary: The tomato potato psyllid is a major insect pest of potato, tomato, and other solanaceous crops. First detected in Australia in 2017, it poses a significant threat to the vegetable industry. The insect damages crops directly through feeding and indirectly as a vector of a pathogen causing zebra chip disease in potatoes. Biological control with native natural enemies may be a viable alternative strategy to manage this insect.
Article
Virology
Jennifer Dahan, W. Rodney Cooper, Joseph E. Munyaneza, Alexander Karasev
Summary: A new picorna-like virus, named Bactericera cockerelli picorna-like virus (BcPLV), was discovered in potato psyllid populations, related to the Asian citrus psyllid picorna-like virus (DcPLV), and proposed to comprise a new genus named Psylloidivirus within the family Iflaviridae.
ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kyle Harrison, Azucena Mendoza-Herrera, Julien Gad Levy, Cecilia Tamborindeguy
Summary: The tomato psyllid infestation has long-lasting consequences for tomato gene expression, defense mechanisms, and plant growth. Transcriptome analysis revealed that psyllid infestation led to changes in gene expression related to defense responses, growth inhibition, and improved stress resistance in tomatoes.
Article
Entomology
Carlos A. Antolinez, Rachel Youngblood, Jaimie R. Kenney, Marco Gebiola, Kerry E. Mauck, Monique J. Rivera
Summary: Understanding vector dispersal capacity is crucial for assessing the risk of pathogen spread. In this study, we investigated the flight performance of Bactericera cockerelli infected with the plant pathogenic bacterium 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum.' We found that CLso infection reduced the propensity of the insects to engage in long distance flights. Our results provide valuable insights for developing strategies to prevent the establishment of CLso in new areas.
JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Emiliano R. R. Veronesi, Christopher J. J. Thompson, Stephen L. L. Goldson
Summary: The tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) is a polyphagous herbivore that is a well-known pest of solanaceous crops in America and the Pacific region. Despite numerous attempts, strategies for managing this species have mostly been unsuccessful. However, research on biological control options for TPP has made progress. This review classifies and summarizes current worldwide efforts in TPP biological control and discusses the potential and limitations of identified biocontrol agents.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CROP AND HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Younghwan Kwak, Jacob A. Argandona, Patrick H. Degnan, Allison K. Hansen
Summary: Lineage specific expansions and gene duplications are important sources of evolutionary novelty in eukaryotes. This study reveals that the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli has experienced significant gene expansion events and has the largest genome among psyllid species sequenced so far. The dynamic nature of its genome is largely attributed to the widespread expansion of repeat elements, and significant gene family expansions and duplications have been uncovered in genes involved in insect-plant and insect-microbe interactions.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shovon Chandra Sarkar, Stephen Paul Milroy, Wei Xu
Summary: The present study examined the Australian native ladybird beetle Coccinella transversalis as a potential biological control agent of the tomato potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli. The results showed that C. transversalis could successfully survive, develop, and reproduce when fed B. cockerelli as a monotypic diet. In a glasshouse trial, C. transversalis larvae reduced the population growth of B. cockerelli and increased plant biomass.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Rui-Xu Jiang, Feng Shang, Hong-Bo Jiang, Wei Dou, Tomislav Cernava, Jin-Jun Wang
Summary: This study investigates the impact of the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) pathogenic bacteria on the bacterial community in different color morphs, genders, and tissues of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The results show that there are no significant differences in bacterial community diversity and CLas acquired ratio between different color morphs and genders of ACP adults. However, acquiring CLas promotes the diversity and richness of the adult bacterial community. CLas also changes the bacterial structure in different tissues, making the bacterial relationship network simpler than in an uninfected condition. These findings provide essential knowledge on ACP symbionts and the effects of CLas on the ACP bacterial community.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yelin Li, Zhiqing Tan, Xiaolan Wang, Liping Hou
Summary: In this study, the metabolic changes in Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso)-infected potato psyllids were analyzed. A total of 34 potential biomarkers related to amino acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism were identified. The findings provide valuable biochemical information and offer a theoretical basis for a better understanding of psyllid-pathogen interactions, potentially aiding in breaking the transmission cycle of these diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Alex P. Arp, Wayne B. Hunter, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Zoology
Alex P. Arp, Xavier Martini, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Entomology
Alex P. Arp, Rebekah Chapman, James M. Crosslin, Blake Bextine
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2013)
News Item
Plant Sciences
B. Bextine, A. Arp, E. Flores, E. Aguilar, L. Lastrea, F. Soza Gomez, C. Powell, A. Rueda
Article
Entomology
K. D. Swisher, A. P. Arp, B. R. Bextine, E. Y. Aguilar Alvarez, J. M. Crosslin, J. E. Munyaneza
SOUTHWESTERN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2013)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Daniel F. Paulo, Megan E. Williamson, Alex P. Arp, Fang Li, Agustin Sagel, Steven R. Skoda, Joel Sanchez-Gallego, Mario Vasquez, Gladys Quintero, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Esther J. Belikoff, Ana M. L. Azeredo-Espin, W. Owen McMillan, Carolina Concha, Maxwell J. Scott
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2019)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Carolina Concha, Ying Yan, Alex Arp, Evelin Quilarque, Agustin Sagel, Adalberto Perez de Leon, W. Owen McMillan, Steven Skoda, Maxwell J. Scott
Article
Parasitology
Martin Altuna, Paul V. Hickner, Gustavo Castro, Santiago Mirazo, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Alex P. Arp
Summary: This study discovered cases of screwworm infestation in feral swine in Uruguay, with a prevalence associated with temperature and peak occurrence in warmer months. Unlike in cattle, screwworm infestation in feral swine tends to be superficial, posing a challenge to control efforts in screwworm endemic areas. The presence of feral swine in such areas highlights the importance of a One Health approach to understanding host-ectoparasite interactions.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paul V. Hickner, Omprakash Mittapalli, Anjana Subramoniam, Agustin Sagel, Wes Watson, Maxwell J. Scott, Alex P. Arp, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Zainulabeuddin Syed
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel F. Paulo, Ana C. M. Junqueira, Alex P. Arp, Andre S. Vieira, Jorge Ceballos, Steven R. Skoda, Adalberto A. Perez-de-Leon, Agustin Sagel, William O. McMillan, Maxwell J. Scott, Carolina Concha, Ana M. L. Azeredo-Espin
Summary: The genetics behind obligate ectoparasitism in blowflies has been largely unknown. A study found that a specific gene mutation can affect foraging and host-seeking behaviors in blowflies. This suggests that olfaction plays a central role in niche specialization within this group.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex P. Arp, Gladys Quintero, Agustin Sagel, Rafael Gonzales Batista, Pamela L. Phillips, Paul V. Hickner
Summary: Controlling insect population by releasing large quantities of sterile insects requires mass-rearing healthy insects. Changes to insect stocks and feeding systems can have negative effects on inbreeding depression, compatibility with wild strains, unintentional selection of traits lowering fitness after release, and altered microbiomes. Understanding these systems is important for mass rearing and performance of sterile insect control programs. In this study, the microbiome of the New World screwworm, an economically important parasite, was explored. Significant differences were found between wild and mass-reared flies, suggesting the potential of the screwworm as a disease vector. The study provides a platform for further exploring the effects of bacteria on screwworm fitness.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Mackenzie Tietjen, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Agustin Sagel, Steve R. Skoda, Pamela L. Phillips, Robert D. Mitchell, Joanne Caruth, Uziel Duran, Lisa Musai, Silvia Tortosa, Alex P. Arp
Summary: This study aims to determine the source of the New World screwworm outbreak in Florida using genetic analysis. The results indicate that the Florida outbreak samples are similar to samples from the outer Caribbean region, but further confirmation is needed with additional wild-caught samples.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ashley D. Walters, Alex Arp, Gina M. Cerbie, Daniel A. Trujillo, Andor J. Kiss, David J. Berg
Summary: Bacterial communities associated with eukaryotes play important roles in host physiology, development, and health. This study investigated the microbial ecology of two hydrobiid species and found highly diverse gut bacterial communities, with species and site impacting the microbiome.
JOURNAL OF MOLLUSCAN STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Paul Hickner, Agustin Sagel, Gladys Quintero, Mario Vasquez, Mackenzie Tietjen, Kimberly H. Lohmeyer, Alex P. Arp
Summary: This study tested an alternative diet for mass-rearing screwworm flies to reduce production costs. Two different strains of screwworm flies were used in the test, and it was found that the chicken diet performed well with one strain but further optimization might be needed for the other strain. Nutritional analysis of the diet ingredients will help optimize the diet and identify alternative ingredients.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)