title: A study of the effects of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali' on the psyllid Cacopsylla melanoneura (Hemiptera: Psyllidae).
abstract: Cacopsylla melanoneura is a univoltine psyllid vector of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali', the etiological agent of apple proliferation (AP), a severe disease in European apple orchards. The influence of 'Ca. P. mali' on the fitness of C. melanoneura was studied. In the spring of 2007, male-female pairs of field-collected adults were exposed to 'Ca. P. mali'-infected or healthy 'Golden Delicious' apple shoots. Exposure to these diseased shoots did not affect the life span of the adult psyllids. However, significantly fewer eggs were laid on the diseased shoots. Furthermore, fewer of the eggs that were laid on the infected plants hatched. Data suggest a detrimental effect of AP phytoplasma on the fitness of C. melanoneura.
authors.affiliation: FEM-IASMA-CTT, Unità di Fitoiatria, via E. Mach, 1, San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy. valeria.malagnini@iasma.it
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malagnini
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pedrazzoli
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gualandri
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forno
authors.forename: Rosaly
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zasso
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pozzebon
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ioriatti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D027845:Malus / Q000382:microbiology*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D045582:Phytoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*