We know that plant viruses can alter the behaviours of their vectors and apparently viruliferous vectores are attracted more to virus infected plants. This has some epidemiological consequences that can affect the rate of increase in disease incidence in the host population.
Now my question is the other way round. Consider a system of a population of mixed virus-infected and non-infected vectors (aphids). Is there a difference between the two groups of aphids in terms of landing on the host plants?
If yes what might cause such a different landing behaviour?
probably not, because the virus is not known to interfere with aphid health, and because the odds of survival of the aphid (after landing) is unlikely to be modified much by the presence of the virus. Granted that the virus sometimes increases the rate of aphid birth, but also reduces plant size.
However, there also exists viruses transmitted to aphids by plants, and those viruses are making the aphids somewhat sick. Reference by Peter Burnett, about 25 years ago maybe.
Then, there is the "fact of life" that nature does not always behave in the way that logical thinking would lead us to believe. My answer is based on my understanding of selection forces; the problem is that nature can disobey. And it is very hard to test that hypothesis (but feasible, if one had very large funds).
Dear Andre
Thank you for you answer, but please take a look at the research published by Ingwell and coworkers in Sceintific Reports
They claim that infected and non-infected vectors are differential attracted to infected and non-infected host plants.
The bar graphs I sawin the paper though significantly different, show tiny differences between vector preferences, so there is a big claim on a small reason
Please read more in the paper atached.
Dear Habiballah, the reference by Ingwell et al. is very interesting; it is a kind of study that is rather hard to do, but it was done, and it shows signs of altered behaviour. However it deals with the wingless forms. The question I had in mind was about the winged, or alates; those creatures do not have very good control of their flight, but they play a large role in epidemics. They sometimes land on non-target plants. Would a preference of non infected aphids for virus carrying plants still matter? Whatever is the real answer, the question is intellectually attractive. About the published research, is this a big claim based on small evidence? The chi-square is very good, but the difference in behaviour, although significant, is not enormous. The repeatability of such a trial would still need verification. Incidentally, various virus strains might give different responses, and plant genotypes could also make a difference. So, the field of possibilities for investigation is very broad.
Thank you every one!
It is interesting project, we should be more work to do.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Medicine
- Disease
- Infectious Diseases