Electrical Penetration Graph Recording (Whitefly)

Abstract

Electrical penetration graph (EPG) was first developed by Mclean and Kinsey (1964) and later modified by Tjallingii (1978 and 1985). The EPG system turns a phloem-sucking insects and its host plant into part of an electrical circuit that is completed when the insect’s mouthparts penetrate the plant. The electrical signal is amplified by an amplifier and digitized by a converter. Fluctuations in voltage and electrical resistance are recorded and can be matched to specific feeding events. Current protocol is an efficient use of the EPG system to record whitefly feeding behavior on plants.