DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIFICIAL DIET FOR THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER

• Author(s): Brandt, Sandra; Coudron, Thomas; Wright, Maureen; Backus, Elaine; Hunter, Wayne; Patt, Joseph;
• Abstract: The intent of this project was to advance the development of an artificial rearing system for the glassy-winged sharpshooter, GWSS (Homalodisca coagulate), the primary vector of Pierces disease, PD (Xylella fastidiosa; Xf). In order to accomplish this, the simultaneous development of an artificial diet and diet delivery system suitable for insect feeding are needed. Diet formulations based, in part, on previous studies using GWSS (unpublished data), as well as on artificial diets developed for other Hemiptera (Mitsuhashi, 1979; Fu et al., 2001; Coudron et al., 2002) and on the xylem chemistry of GWSS host plants (Andersen, et al., 1992; Gollan et al., 1992) were tested. Diets were evaluated based on their effects on life history analyses. Nitrogen may represent a nutrient limitation for xylem feeders. Therefore, three potential sources of nitrogen, i.e. proteins, peptides and amino acids, were evaluated via artificial diets. The ability of salivary and midgut proteolytic enzymes to digest proteins/peptides (Brandt, et al., 2004; Wright, et al., 2006) is another important aspect of this project that would determine whether less costly nitrogen sources could be substituted for those commonly found in plants.
• Publication Date: Dec 2005
• Journal: 2005 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium