Abstract

SANCHEZ CASTRO, Adayakni; QUINONES PANTOJA, Madelaine L.; PINOL PEREZ, Berta E.  and  FERNANDEZ ARGUDIN, Basilia Miriam. First report of Typhlocybinae as potential vectors of phytoplasmas in Cnidoscolus chayamansa (chaya) in Cuba. Rev. Protección Veg. [online]. 2015, vol.30, n.2, pp.148-157. ISSN 1010-2752.

With the aim of identifying the presence of phytoplasmas in insects and leaves, forty leafhopper adults and 50 leaves of three plants with symptoms associated with phytoplasmas, were collected at the municipality of10 de Octubre, Havana, from February to April 2015. For leafhopper taxonomical identification by using dichotomic keys, they were mounted on flat slides under a Stemi DV4 stereo microscope and observed under an AxioLab. A1 microscope with a monitor and camera attached. Phytoplasmas were detected by extracting the DNA by the 2% CTAB method and using universal primers for the generic amplification of the region ADNr 16S (R16mF2/R16mR1, R16F2n\R16R2). For the first amplification, the combination R16mF2 and R16mR1 was used, and R16F2n/ R16R2 for the nested reaction. The products of amplification were analyzed by electrophoresis on agarose gel (1%). The profiles obtained were compared with phytoplasma positive controls from Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. plants. The leafhoppers identified were Empoasca canavalia DeLong and Empoasca papayae Oman, and the presence of phytoplasma was found in leaves with symptoms as well as in the insects. The presence of these two leafhopper species and phytoplasmas in chaya and insects are the first reports in Cuba.

Keywords : Cnidoscolus chayamansa; Typhlocybinae; Empoasca; phytoplasmas.

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