Specific association of artichoke Italian latent virus with the odontostyle of its vector, Longidorus attenuatus

Abstract

Longidortls attenuatus Hooper is consistently found in association with outbreaks of Artichoke Italian Latent Virus (AILV) (Majorana and Rana, 1970; Rana and Roca, 1973; Roca, Martelli and Rana, 1975; Roca et al., 1975) occurring in crops of artichokes in Apulia, southern Italy. An isolate of AILV is also the causal agent of chicory chlorotic ringspot and is also transmitted by L. attenuatus (Vovlas and Roca, 1975). In laboratory experiments it has been shown that L. attenuatus is an eiIicient vector of the vi rus with up to 42% infections of tomato bait seedlings occurring in pots to which five nematodes were added, and 67°/b infections with 20 nematodes added (Roca, Martelli and Rana, 1975). It therefore seemed likely that a specific association between the AILV particles and some cuticular part of the feeding apparatus might occur, as seen in L. elongatus with raspberry ringspot and tomato black ring viruses (Taylor and Robertson, 1969), and L. macrosoma and raspberry ringspot (Taylor and Robertson, 1975). This paper describes the results of electron microscopy investigations of AILV-infected L. attenuatus to find the site of virus retention within the nematode.