Virus-vector relationships of chickpea chlorotic dwarf geminivirus and the leafhopper Orosius orientalis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Chickpea chlorotic dwarf geminivirus (CCDV) is one of the viruses associated with chickpea stunt disease. It is transmitted by the leafhopper Orosius orientalis. The minimum acquisition access period (AAPmin) and inoculation access period (IAPmin) were found to be less than 2 min, while the minimum latency period (LPmin) was less than 2 h. The median AAP, IAP and LP were 8.0 h, 2.3 h and 27.7 h, respectively. No difference in transmission rates (proportion of leafhoppers able to transmit) was observed between male and female leafhop-pers. In serial transmission experiments, transmission was shown to be persistent, and after a 2-day AAP about 80% of the leafhoppers transmitted the virus for most of their life. The virus could be detected in individual leafhoppers by DAS-ELISA. It did not multiply in the leafhopper, but, instead, decreased in concentration during leafhopper feeding on a non-host of the virus.