Vibrational Disruption of Feeding Behaviors of a Vector of Plant Pathogen

Interference with the behaviors associated to host plant recognition, and inter- and intra-specific communication of insect vectors of plant pathogens, could represent a sustainable strategy for reducing or disrupting pathogen transmission Here, we show that the transmission over a suitable host plant (sunflower) of a vibrational stimulus significantly affects the probing and feeding behavior of the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), the main European vector of the fastidious bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. Specifically, ca. 30% of the individuals did not even attempt to probe the sunflower plants to which the stimulus was transmitted, while the remaining showed a sex-independent reduction in ingestion of the xylem sap, i.e., P. spumarius’ main food source, of ca. 67% compared to the control. Even so, the stimulus did not affect the feeding behavior when transmitted to olive plants. The possible reflection of a signal-based vector behavior disturbance on the epidemiology of X. fastidiosa, together with future research needs are discussed.