Anatomy of an agricultural antagonist: Feeding complex structure and function of three xylem sap‐feeding insects illuminated with synchrotron‐based 3D imaging
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
- Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Sciences (DiSSPA) University of Bari Bari Italy
- School of the Environment Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- USDA Agricultural Research Service Davis California USA
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley California USA
Abstract Many insects feed on xylem or phloem sap of vascular plants. Although physical damage to the plant is minimal, the process of insect feeding can transmit lethal viruses and bacterial pathogens. Disparities between insect‐mediated pathogen transmission efficiency have been identified among xylem sap‐feeding insects; however, the mechanistic drivers of these trends are unclear. Identifying and understanding the structural factors and associated integrated functional components that may ultimately determine these disparities are critical for managing plant diseases. Here, we applied synchrotron‐based X‐ray microcomputed tomography to digitally reconstruct the morphology of three xylem sap‐feeding insect vectors of plant pathogens: Graphocephala atropunctata (blue‐green sharpshooter; Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) and Homalodisca vitripennis (glassy‐winged sharpshooter; Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), and the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (meadow spittlebug; Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae). The application of this technique revealed previously undescribed anatomical features of these organisms, such as key components of the salivary complex. The visualization of the 3D structure of the precibarial valve led to new insights into the mechanism of how this structure functions. Morphological disparities with functional implications between taxa were highlighted as well, including the morphology and volume of the cibarial dilator musculature responsible for extracting xylem sap, which has implications for force application capabilities. These morphological insights will be used to target analyses illuminating functional differences in feeding behavior.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1997874
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Morphology, Journal Name: Journal of Morphology Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 284; ISSN 0362-2525
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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