Ecological and genetic differences between Cacopsylla melanoneura (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) populations reveal species host plant preference.

ABSTRACT: The psyllid Cacopsylla melanoneura is considered one of the vectors of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali', the causal agent of apple proliferation disease. In Northern Italy, overwintered C. melanoneura adults reach apple and hawthorn around the end of January. Nymph development takes place between March and the end of April. The new generation adults migrate onto conifers around mid-June and come back to the host plant species after overwintering. In this study we investigated behavioural differences, genetic differentiation and gene flow between samples of C. melanoneura collected from the two different host plants. Further analyses were performed on some samples collected from conifers. To assess the ecological differences, host-switching experiments were conducted on C. melanoneura samples

SUBMITTER: Malagnini V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3712957 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature