![]() ![]() The glassy-winged sharpshooter is also a problem due to the production of large amounts of white excrement (“sharpshooter rain”) which damages cars and other surfaces (Varela et al. Outside of California other strains of the bacterium cause phony peach disease, plum leaf scald, leaf scorches in sycamore, elm, maple, and oak,and variegated citrus chlorosis (Varela et al. fastidiosa also causes oleander leaf scorch, almond leaf scorch, mulberry leaf scorch, cherry plum leaf scorch and sweet gum dieback. The arrival of GWSS, which are far more efficient vectors, has allowed the bacterium to spread much further causing damage to hundreds of hectares of vines (MAF n.d.). Although the disease has been present for many years, it was easily managed because native sharpshooters were poor vectors. Pierce’s disease has been particularly damaging to wine grapes in the Temecula Valley viticulture area, where losses have been as high as 20-30% for some vineyards (Hix 2001 in Byrne and Toscano 2007). In grapes one of these strains causes a lethal disease known as Pierce’s disease, which is a particular problem in California vineyards as grapes are one of the most economically important crops in California (US $4.1 billion/year) (Krugner et al. ![]() fastidiosa, which may be benign or cause mild to severe disease symptoms. The actual feeding on plants causes little damage it is the ability of the GWSS to vector the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa that causes devastating diseases of many plants which is a major problem (Varela et al. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is an extremely polyphagous insect, feeding on the xylem fluid of over 100 known species of plant, in at least 37 different families (Alderz, 1980 in Boucias et al. Adult glassy-winged sharpshooters are strong fliers and can disperse great distances to search for optimal host plants (Blackmer et al. They must respond quickly to changes in xylem fluid content by dispersing to find plants with the highest nutrient levels. vitripennis display host switching which allows them to take advantage of differing nutrient levels between plants. Active stages of the insect must feed constantly to avoid starving to death as adults cannot survive for more than about 4h without food (MAF n.d.). ![]() \nYoung nymphs feed on the stems of the plant on which they hatched and are known to consume up to 10 times their weight in liquids in one hour. vitripennis displays very high consumption rates (Mizell et al. They feed on the xylem (plant tissue that transports water and minerals from roots) of their hosts. Glassy-winged sharpshooters ( Homalodisca vitripennis) have a vast host range of over 100 species (ornamental landscape plants, agricultural crops, and natural vegetation they especially prefer sumac and crepe myrtle). ![]()
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