Special Session: Innovative Approaches to Control Difficult Bacterial Pathogens

38-S

Factors influencing transmission of the huanglongbing pathogen by the Asian citrus psyllid and methods for interrupting the transmission process.
K. PELZ-STELINSKI (1)
(1) University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL, U.S.A.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), a phloem feeding citrus pest, transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the causal agent of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) disease found in Florida and increasingly throughout all citrus growing areas of the United States. Understanding the biological and environmental factors, including age, temperature exposure, and host preference, that influence the vector capacity of D. citri is critical for the development of effective pest and disease management strategies. Currently, microbial-mediated disruption of Las transmission is one such strategy under investigation. Our findings suggest that Las transmission is influenced by the native microbial community present in D. citri, and these communities differ among populations of D. citri. In particular, infections with the endosymbiont Wolbachia vary significantly among D. citri, which may indicate spatial differences in host-endosymbiont interactions between D. citri and Wolbachia. Here, we discuss manipulations of Wolbachia strains within D. citri as a novel tool for disruption of Las transmission.