Acquisition of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by psyllid species transiently landing and feeding on Citrus sinensis

Acquisition of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by psyllid species transiently landing and feeding on Citrus sinensis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Acquisition of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by psyllid species transiently landing and feeding on Citrus sinensis Mayerli Tatiana Borbón-Cortés, João Roberto Spotti Lopes This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6968754/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), the prevalent agent associated with Huanglongbing (HLB), poses a severe threat to global citrus production. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of psyllid species (other than Diaphorina citri) landing on citrus trees, evaluate their survival on citrus over optimal acquisition access periods (AAP), assess their ability to acquire CLas, and infer their potential role in pathogen transmission. Field surveys were conducted in Citrus sinensis plants located in backyards and poorly managed groves in two locations of São Paulo State, Brazil. Psyllids from twelve genera were identified, with Isogonoceraia divergipennis and Heteropsylla cubana being among the most constant species, showing greater abundance particularly in late winter and early spring. Controlled acquisition assays demonstrated that I. divergipennis, H. cubana, and Triozoida limbata could acquire CLas following a 72-h AAP, post-acquisition latency of 14 days and a subsequent 72-h post-latency period, with acquisition rates of 8.1%, 3.2%, and 2.4%, respectively, compared to 85.7% in D. citri. Notably, CLas was detected in the 'head-mesothorax' region only in T. limbata and D. citri, suggesting potential bacterial presence in the salivary glands and possible transmission competence. CLas titers were consistently higher in the 'metathorax-abdomen' than in the 'head-mesothorax'. While the data indicate occasional CLas acquisition by psyllids other than D. citri, there is currently no evidence supporting their role as natural vectors. Nonetheless, these species may serve as valuable models for elucidating transmission barriers in non-competent psyllids and highlight the need for further investigation into their epidemiological relevance. Huanglongbing psyllid dispersal psyllid food plants vector competence Full Text Supplementary Files SFig1.png SFig2.jpeg Tab1.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 11 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 01 Jul, 2025 Editor invited by journal 27 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 26 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 24 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6968754","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":478974912,"identity":"3764dc62-0e8d-4a14-ae4f-044181e9df9c","order_by":0,"name":"Mayerli Tatiana 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