In Europe, the recently reported plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex affects several wild, ornamental, and cultivated trees causing scorch diseases. In 2018, the sequence type 87 was reported in Tuscany on Mediterranean shrubs and trees. Although spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) were already identified as main vectors of this bacterium in Europe, their role in the transmission of this subspecies has not been ascertained yet. In this study the ability of Philaenus spumarius and Neophilaenus campestris to acquire and transmit Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex sequence type 87 from and to Rhamnus alaternus was evaluated in two-year semi-field experiments. To acquire the bacterium, insects were confined on wild, naturally infected R. alaternus shrubs for 120 h. Then, they were transferred to healthy plants and maintained in cages for 96 h. To follow the infection, plant samples were collected every two months for three times. Tested plants were destroyed at the end of experiments and roots, twigs and leaves were analysed. Philaenus spumarius showed a significantly higher survival rate than N. campestris. The infection status of both insects and plants was assessed through molecular analysis. P. spumarius and N. campestris were able to infect healthy plants although the acquisition rate and the estimated probability of transmission appeared to be low. These findings provide new accounts on the role of two polyphagous insect vectors in spreading a quarantine organism, which is lethal to a huge number of plant species. However, further studies are needed to disclose more specific interactions within this complex pathosystem.

在欧洲，最近报道了植物病原体Xylella fastidiosa subsp。多重影响多种野生、观赏和栽培树木，引起焦枯病。 2018年，在托斯卡纳的地中海灌木和树木上报道了序列类型87。尽管在欧洲，唾液臭虫（半翅目：Aphrophoridae）已被确定为该细菌的主要载体，但它们在该亚种传播中的作用尚未确定。在本研究中，Philaenus spumarius和Neophilaenus Campestris获取和传播木霉 (Xylella fastidiosa)亚种的能力。在为期两年的半田实验中评估了来自和来自aternus aternus的多重序列类型 87 。为了获得这种细菌，昆虫被限制在野生的、自然感染的R. aternus灌木中 120 小时。然后，将它们转移到健康植物中并在笼中维持96小时。为了跟踪感染情况，每两个月采集一次植物样本，共采集 3 次。实验结束时，测试的植物被销毁，并对根、树枝和叶子进行分析。Philaenus spumarius 的存活率显着高于N.campestris。通过分子分析评估昆虫和植物的感染状态。尽管获得率和估计的传播概率似乎较低，但P. spumarius和N. Campestris能够感染健康植物。这些发现为两种多食性昆虫媒介在传播检疫生物中的作用提供了新的解释，这种检疫生物对大量植物物种是致命的。然而，需要进一步的研究来揭示这一复杂病理系统内更具体的相互作用。