Seasonal infectivity of Cacopsylla pruni, vector of European stone fruit yellows phytoplasma

Summary Epidemiology of European stone fruit yellows was studied by focussing on the life cycle and transmission characteristics of the vector Cacopsyllapruni. The proportion of both phytoplasma positive and inoculative insects was determined for the first C. pruni adults back colonising the stone fruit trees in spring and for the new generations of the vector, hatched at the beginning of summer. We showed that in spring, as soon as the insects moved to stone fruit trees from shelter plants, they were infective. After the vector fed on infected stone fruit trees, the proportion of phytoplasma positive insects increased. The new generation colonising Prunus species also acquired the phytoplasma from their hosts although several of these insects completed the latency period on secondary hosts. Results showed that the risk of natural transmission of European stone fruit yellows‐phytoplasma by C. pruni within orchards is high when the vector is present. These results have implications for the control of European stone fruit yellows.