°The three-cornered alfalfa hopper is a vector of grapevine red blotch virus in vineyards

In this work, Maddie publishes the first documentation of the three-cornered alfalfa hopper (TCAH), Spissistilus festinus transmitting grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) in vineyard settings. Transmission was facilitated when two TCAH fed upon a single leaf, a design we deemed the “lollipop” sleeve method. Furthermore, this is the first account of TCAH acquiring GRBV to the salivary glands from infected grapevines in the vineyard. Together, this work solidifies the epidemiological role of the TCAH in GRBV epidemiology.

Flasco et al. (2023) Viruses