Parasitoid vectors a plant pathogen, potentially diminishing the benefits it confers as a biological control agent

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a destructive disease of citrus primarily transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Biocontrol of ACP is an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals. However, the risk of parasitoid rational application in ACP biocontrol has never been evaluated. Here we show,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications biology 2021-11, Vol.4 (1), p.1331-1331, Article 1331
Main Authors: Guo, Chang-Fei, Ahmed, Muhammad Z., Ou, Da, Zhang, Li-He, Lu, Zi-Tong, Sang, Wen, McKenzie, Cindy L., Shatters, Robert G., Qiu, Bao-Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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631/326/2565
631/601/1466
Animals
Biological control
Biological Control Agents
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Citrus - microbiology
Citrus fruits
Female
Hemiptera - growth & development
Hemiptera - parasitology
Host plants
Insect Vectors - physiology
Liberibacter - physiology
Life Sciences
Nymph - growth & development
Nymph - parasitology
Orchards
Parasitoids
Pathogens
Plant bacterial diseases
Plant Diseases - microbiology
Plant protection
Vectors
Wasps - physiology
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Summary:Huanglongbing (HLB) is a destructive disease of citrus primarily transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Biocontrol of ACP is an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals. However, the risk of parasitoid rational application in ACP biocontrol has never been evaluated. Here we show, the dominant parasitoid of ACP, Tamarixia radiata , can acquire the HLB pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus ( C Las) and transmit it horizontally when probing ACP nymphs. If these ACP nymphs survive the probing, develop to adults and move to healthy plants, C Las can be transmitted to citrus leaves during feeding. We illustrate the formerly unrecognized risk that a parasitoid can potentially serve as a phoretic vector of the pathogen transmitted by its host, thus potentially diminishing some of the benefits it confers via biocontrol. Our findings present a significant caution to the strategy of using parasitoids in orchards with different infection status of insect-vectored pathogens. Guo et al. demonstrate the possibility of a parasitoid to contract and transmit a bacterial pathogen via its insect host to the citrus plant it is used to protect. This reduces the efficacy of the biological control agent to protect the plant from ill effects.
ISSN:2399-3642
2399-3642
DOI:10.1038/s42003-021-02851-2