Phytopathogenic Mollicutes

The origin of grapevine “flavescence doree” (FD) isolated cases detected in Champagne and Alsace was studied. Grapevines, woody plants and auchenorrhynchan insects were sampled in the environments of vineyards. The only perennial plants found infected by 16SrV-C phytoplasmas were alders. Scaphoideus titanus and the known alternative vectors Allygus spp. and Orientus ishidae were infected by FD phytoplasma, map M38 genotype. They are good candidates for the transfer of M38 from alders to grapevine. Lamprotettix nitidulus was also infected by the M38 genotype in Alsace. The origin of M50 and M50 variant detected in some vineyards remains unknown since both plants and insects tested were not infected by these FD phytoplasma genotypes.