THE ROLE OF PATHOGEN-INDUCED VOLATILES IN MEDIATING DISEASE TRANSMISSION BY INSECT HERBIVORES

We intend to explore the role of plant volatiles in mediating the transmission of bacterial and viral plant diseases by insect vectors and determine how these dynamics vary in response to inbreeding and across families within plant populations. To explore these questions we will examine volatile induction in the wild gourd Curcubita pepo subsp. texana by the bacterium, Erwinia tracheiphila, the causative agent of bacterial wilt disease, and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). Additionally, we will examine the influence of pathogen-induced volatiles on the behavior of a common cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae. Cucumber beetles are the only known vectors of wilt disease, while the green peach aphid is an important vector of many plant viruses including ZYMV.