Insights into the landscape movement of Spissistilus festinus [Say, 1830] (Hemiptera: Membracidae) in distinct vineyard ecosystems from molecular gut content analysis

Sunday, November 13, 2022

2:06 PM – 2:18 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 202

Presenting Author(s)

Victoria Hoyle (she/her/hers)

Graduate Student
Cornell University
Geneva, New York

Co-Author(s)

Rodney Cooper

Research Leader/Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Wapato, Washington
HH

Heather Headrick

USDA-ARS
Wapato, Washington
MC

Monica L. Cooper

ANR Advisor (Viticulture)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Riverside, California
MF

Marc Fuchs

Cornell University
Geneva, New York

The three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus [Say, 1830] (Hemiptera: Membracidae), is a vector of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), the causal agent of red blotch disease, an economically important disease affecting wine grape production and vineyard profitability throughout North America. Transmission of GRBV by S. festinus is circulative, non-propagative among Vitis species. S. festinus are not a pest of grapevines and do not rely on Vitis spp. for preferential feeding or reproduction. Beyond their interactions with Vitis in summer months, little is known regarding the landscape level movement of S. festinus. To better characterize the interactions of S. festinus with plant species in a vineyard ecosystem, plant DNA from insect guts was characterized by PCR and high-throughput sequencing to examine the dietary history of S. festinus caught in vineyards. Gaining an appreciation of the vector landscape level movement is a salient step in red blotch disease management for a more targeted response towards plant virus reservoirs and preferred S. festinus feeding hosts.