Authors
N. Mahfoudhi, Laboratoire de Protection des Végétaux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Rue Hedi Karray, 2049 Ariana, Tunisie;
M. Digiaro, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo, Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano Bari, Italy; and
M. H. Dhouibi, Laboratoire d'Entomologie, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT), Rue Charles Nicolles, 1002 Belvedère, Tunisie
ABSTRACT
Grapevine leafroll associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3) and Grapevine leafroll associated virus-5 (GLRaV-5), two members of the genus Ampelovirus associated with grapevine leafroll disease, were transmitted by the mealybug Planococcus ficus and the soft scale insect Ceroplastes rusci from infected to healthy vines under experimental conditions. The efficiencies of transmission of GLRaV-3 and GLRaV-5 by P. ficus were 23.3 and 8.3%, respectively, and by C. rusci were 3.3 and 1.7%, respectively. Juvenile instars of P. ficus were more efficient in transmission of the viruses than adult females. This is the first report of the ability of C. rusci to transmit these viruses to grapevines.
