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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #433896
Research Project: New Technologies and Strategies for Managing Emerging Insect Pests and Insect Transmitted Pathogens of Potatoes

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: Molecular ecology of host use and pathogen acquisition by an insect vector in potato crop fields

Author
item WAGSTAFF, CAMILLE - Washington State University
item FOUTZ, JILLIAN - Washington State University
item Cooper, William
item ANDERSON, RILEY - Washington State University
item CROWDER, DAVID - Washington State University

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/5/2026
Publication Date: 4/14/2026
Citation: Wagstaff, C., Foutz, J.J., Cooper, W.R., Anderson, R.M., Crowder, D.W. 2026. Molecular ecology of host use and pathogen acquisition by an insect vector in potato crop fields. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 2026:11(00)1-11. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saag007.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saag007

Interpretive Summary: Beet leafhopper is a small insect that transmits several destructive pathogens to potato and other vegetable crops. Effective management of beet leafhopper and the diseases it spreads requires a solid understanding of the non-crop host plants from which the insect acquires pathogens, and how these host plants change throughout the growing season. Researchers at USDA-ARS in Wapato, WA, and Washington State University used molecular gut-content analysis along with season-long monitoring of beet leafhopper populations and associated pathogens to determine the role of various host plants in disease spread. They found that beet leafhoppers acquire crop pathogens primarily from wild mustards in spring, and from Russian thistle and kochia during summer. Although beet leafhopper is a season-long challenge for growers, large-scale dispersal events typically occur when non-crop hosts naturally senesce. These findings improve predictive models for beet leafhopper risk, helping growers make more informed pest management decisions.

Technical Abstract: Generalist insect vectors are notoriously difficult to manage due to their ability to use a range of host plants within and across seasons. Improving vector management requires novel approaches that assess host use across space and time to better predict pathogen transmission dynamics. Molecular gut content analysis of vector insects has been instrumental in identifying host use but has often been poorly linked with hosts related to pathogen transmission. Here, we integrate gut content analysis with monitoring of pathogen incidence to determine the role of various hosts in Neoaliturus tenellus (previously Circulifer tenellus Baker) (beet leafhopper) movement and pathogen spread. We tested 230 beet leafhopper adults collected from 15 sites over three years to assess host use and pathogen acquisition. Our results show that N. tenellus commonly acquire pathogens from Sisymbrium spp. and Brassica spp. (wild mustards) in spring, while Salsola/Kali spp. (Russian thistle) and Bassia spp. (kochia) are primary N. tenellus hosts during the summer. A new discovery, we detected N. tenellus use trees as hosts, including Tilia spp. (linden), Prunus spp./Pyrus spp. /Citrus spp (fruit), and Tsuga spp./Pinus spp, (pine). Our study refines our understanding of N. tenellus ecology and highlights the importance of host use patterns in predicting pathogen transmission, ultimately improving pathogen risk assessments.