Investigation of Viruliferous Insect Rate of Planthoppers Captured by Smart Sky Net Trap (SSNT) in Korea during 2015-2017

Abstract

Major viruses infecting rice are transmitted by planthoppers such as small brown planthopper (SBPH), brown planthopper (BPH) and white-backed planthopper (WBPH). In this study, we investigated planthoppers captured during 2015 to 2017 by a smart sky net trap (SSNT) system installed in 40 areas in Korea, which is an automatic, rapid and real-time insect surveillance system. The average rates of captured migration plnathoppers was 27.5%, 17.2%, 15.3% and 10.9% in Chungcheongnamdo, Jeollanamdo, Jeollabukdo and Gyeonggido, orderly. The highly migrated month was July for SBPH, July to August for WBPH and August for BPH. To investigate the viruliferous rates of planthoppers of rice during 2015 to 2017, we performed RT-PCR using specific primers for each rice virus. RBSDV was detected from 0.4% in SBPH, while no viruses were detected in BPH and SBPH. Rice planthoppers exist all around in Asia. They can move long distance by wind from southern countries to Korea. Monitoring the migration of rice planthoppers and their viruliferous rates is important to prevent the outbreaks of rice virus diseases.

Keywords

• Planthopper
• Rice-infecting viruses
• Viruliferus insect