Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Ilinois, United States of America
*Corresponding author e-mail: Valeria Trivellone (valeria3@illinois.edu)
Online published on 23 May, 2023.
Ecological fitting is a natural process that may drive new phytoplasma-host associations. Environmental changes across habitat interfaces are one of the most important factors in providing new opportunities for a pathogen to encounter a new host. In this study the contribution of geography and phylogenetic relatedness in explaining the rate of phytoplasma detection in insect vectors was studied. Furthermore, the landscape characteristics of the areas inhabited by the phytoplasma positive insect specimens were evaluated.
Phylogenetic conservatism, Hemiptera, Leafhopper vectors, Phytoplasma diseases
