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‘Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense’ is associated with a number of plant diseases in New Zealand. The only known vector of this pathogen was Zeoliarus atkinsoni, a planthopper considered to be monophagous on New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.). The work carried out shows that Z. oppositus, which is polyphagous, is able to vector ‘Ca. P. australiense’ to both Coprosma robusta (karamu) and Cordyline australis (New Zealand cabbage tree). Although transmission was achieved to both these species, the disease symptomatology was more evident in C. australis. Two approaches were taken to achieve transmission. First, insects were collected from areas around symptomatic Coprosma plants and caged directly on test plants. Second, insects were collected from grasses and sedges in areas where disease was less evident and were fed on known infected Coprosma plants prior to being caged on test plants. Transmission was achieved using both approaches, although transmission was far greater (30% compared with 4%) from insects that were directly applied. Phytoplasma DNA was detected in 12% of Z. oppositus individuals tested during all the trials. This work identifies a new vector for ‘Ca. P. australiense’ and contributes to our understanding of the ecology of Cordyline sudden decline and Coprosma lethal decline.

Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, is associated with infection by the phloem-limited bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’. Infection with ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ is incurable; therefore, knowledge regarding ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ biology and pathogenesis is essential to develop a treatment. However, ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ cannot currently be successfully cultured, limiting its study. To gain insight into the conditions conducive for growth of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ in vitro, ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ inoculum obtained from seed of fruit from infected pomelo trees (Citrus maxima ‘Mato Buntan’) was added to different media, and cell viability was monitored for up to 2 months using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in conjunction with ethidium monoazide. Media tested included one-third King's B (K), K with 50% juice from the infected fruit, K with 50% commercially available grapefruit juice, and 100% commercially available grapefruit juice. Results show that juice-containing media dramatically prolong viability compared with K in experiments reproduced during 2 years using different juice sources. Furthermore, biofilm formed at the air–liquid interface of juice cultures contained ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ cells, though next-generation sequencing indicated that other bacterial genera were predominant. Chemical characterization of the media was conducted to discuss possible factors sustaining ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ viability in vitro, which will contribute to future development of a culture medium for ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’.

In April and May of 2012, bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants exhibiting symptoms that resembled those of the bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ infection (2,4) were observed in commercial pepper fields in several departments in Honduras, including Francisco Morazán, Ocotepeque, El Paraíso, and Olancho. Many of the fields were infested with the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli, a vector of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ (3). The plants exhibited chlorotic or pale green apical growth and leaf cupping, sharp tapering of the leaf apex, shortened internodes, and overall stunting (2,4). All cultivars grown were affected and 20 to 75% of plants in each field were symptomatic. Pepper (var. Nataly) plant samples were collected from a total of eight affected fields (two fields per department). Total DNA was extracted from the top whole leaf tissue of a total of 19 plants, including 14 symptomatic and 5 asymptomatic pepper plants, with the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) buffer extraction method (1). The DNA samples were then tested by PCR using specific primer sets OA2/OI2c and OMB 1482f/2086r to amplify a portion of 16S rDNA and the outer membrane protein (OMB) genes, respectively, of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ (1,2). OMB gene and 16S rDNA fragments of 605 and 1,168 bp, respectively, were amplified from the DNA of 7 of 14 (50%) symptomatic plants with each primer set, indicating the presence of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum.’ No ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ was detected in the five asymptomatic plants with either primer sets. DNA amplicons with both primer sets were cloned from the DNA of plant samples collected from each of the three departments: Francisco Morazán (in the locality of Zamorano), Ocotepeque (municipality of Plan del Rancho in Sinuapa), and El Paraíso (municipality of Danlí), and four clones of each of the six amplicons were sequenced. BLASTn analysis of the 16S rDNA resulted in a single consensus sequence for all three locations (deposited in GenBank as Accession Nos. KF188226, KF188227, and KF188228) and showed 100% identity to numerous 16S rDNA sequences of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ in GenBank, including accessions HM245242, JF811596, and KC768319. Similarly, identical OMB consensus sequences were observed in all three locations (deposited in GenBank as KF188230, KF188231, and KF188233) that are 100% identical to several ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ sequences in GenBank (e.g., KC768331 and CP002371) along with a second consensus sequence (deposited in GenBank as accession KF188232) from Ocotepeque that was 99% identical to the consensus sequence from the three locations and sequences in GenBank. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ associated with pepper crops in Honduras, where pepper constitutes an economically important commodity. This bacterium has also caused millions of dollars in losses to potato and several other solanaceous crops in United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand (1,2,3,4). Furthermore, ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ has been reported to severely damage carrot crops in Europe, where it is transmitted to carrot by the psyllids Trioza apicalis and Bactericera trigonica (3). Monitoring this pathogen and its vectors will prevent serious damage they cause to economically important crops. References: (1) J. M. Crosslin. Southwest. Entomol. 36:125, 2011. (2) L. W. Liefting et al. Plant Dis. 93:208, 2009. (3) J. E. Munyaneza. Am. J. Pot. Res. 89:329, 2012. (4) J. E. Munyaneza et al. Plant Dis. 93:1076, 2009.