Novel but stable endosymbionts have contrasting effects on aphid dispersal and plant feeding damage in the cereal pest <i>Diuraphis noxia</i>
Endosymbiotic bacteria can affect many ecological attributes of their insect hosts, including (in herbivorous insects) how they interact with plants where they feed. This raises the issue of whether deliberate endosymbiont introductions could be used to decrease crop damage caused by insect pests. Here, we investigate how transinfecting Rickettsiella viridis and Regiella insecticola endosymbionts…
Endosymbiotic bacteria within insect hosts can influence various ecological aspects, including plant interactions. This investigation focused on whether introducing new endosymbionts into a rice aphid, Diuraphis noxia, could reduce crop damage. Two distinct endosymbionts were studied: Rickettsiella viridis, originating from pea aphids, and Regiella insecticola, from green peach aphids. Both were successfully maintained in the Russian wheat aphid, but their impacts differed significantly.
Rickettsiella intensified aphid feeding damage on wheat and barley, causing more leaf loss, chlorotic streaking, and larger aphid populations. Conversely, Regiella decreased aphid population growth and reduced feeding damage severity. Their effects on dispersal also varied: Regiella had no impact on alate production, while Rickettsiella consistently diminished wing formation in small cages and reduced dispersal in larger wheat plant settings.
Curiously, the plant's immune response pathways were unaffected by the endosymbionts. Despite similar plant defense activations during feeding, transinfected aphids showed less damage than wild type aphids. The study suggests that novel endosymbionts can modify aphid feeding damage severity and dispersal, offering potential pest control applications.
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