Association between Temperature and Reproductive Fitness of Diaphorina citri Infected with Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus

Diaphorina citri is a serious insect pest of citrus and an insect vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) that causes Huanglongbing disease (citrus greening). In this study, we investigated the effect of the CLas pathogen on the life history parameters of D. citri at different temperature regimes. Our results demonstrated that the survival rate of first to fifth instar CLas-positive and CLas-negative D. citri fluctuate with the change in temperature over the range of 16-35 degrees C. Meanwhile, the mean developmental time (52.5 d) (d = day(s)) and adult longevity (5.2 d) of the CLas-positive psyllids was longer as compared to CLas-negative psyllids mean developmental time (32.81 d) and adult longevity (3.50 d) at the low- and high-temperature regimes (16 and 35 degrees C). However, at high temperature regimes, the significant effect of CLas-bacteria on D. citri fecundity was higher than the corresponding non-significant effect on their survivorship when compared to non-vectored psyllids. These results indicate a long-term, stable evolutionary relationship among vector-pathogen and climate change.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of the CLas pathogen on the life history parameters of Diaphorina citri at different temperature regimes. The results showed that temperature had a significant impact on the survival rate, developmental time, and adult longevity of D. citri. Additionally, the CLas pathogen had a greater effect on the fecundity of D. citri at high temperature regimes.