MOLECULAR TYPING OF BULGARIAN SPECIMEN OF THE PHYTOPLASMA VECTORS CACOPSYLLA PRUNI SCOPOLI AND CACOPSYLLA MELANONEURA (FOERSTER)

G. Trenchev, W. Jarausch, B. Jarausch, A. Etropolska

Abstract: European fruit tree phytoplasmas diseases apple proliferation, pear decline and European stone fruit yellows are among the most important and rapidly spreading diseases in Bulgaria. their causal agents ‘Ca. phytoplasma mali’, ‘Ca. phytoplasma pyri’ and ‘Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum’ and their known and putative vectors have been identifed in Bulgaria recently. This is the first report about the molecular characterisation of the phytoplasma vector species Cacopsylla pruni scopoli and Cacopsylla melanoneura (Foerster) in Bulgaria. The results confirmed the presence of Cacopsylla pruni type B in all Bulgarian samples and demonstrated a genetic variability among C. melanoneura specimen. For the first time, genetic variants WI and WOI were described outside Italy, but a relative high number of C. melanoneura could not be characterised by this molecular typing approach. Molecular identification of Cacopsylla affinis, a potential vector of different fruit tree phytoplasmas, proofed to be reliable.

Keywords: apple proliferation; Cacopsylla affinis; Candidatus phytoplasma mali; Candidatus phytoplasma prunorum; European stone fruit yellows

Date published: 2017-08-17