A simple method for obtaining rice black-streaked dwarf virus-infected small brown planthopper nymphs

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), an important rice virus, is transmitted by vector small brown planthopper (SBPH) in a persistent manner, but not transovarial transmission. In order to obtain viruliferous SBPH nymphs for relevant research, a simple and reliable method was developed, through allowing SBPH adults laying eggs on RBSDV-infected rice plants. The results showed the hatching nymphs on diseased plants could early acquire virus, and the virus was detected in 2nd-instar nymphs from the spawning method, which was earlier than insect feed on diseased plant. The average viruliferous rate of SBPH from the spawning method was 32.9%, which was not lower than the feeding diseased plant method. The novel method was very easy to operate and time-saving, facilitating the study on the interaction between RBSDV and SBPH nymphs (especially young 2nd-4th instar nymphs), such as, the effect of RBSDV on nymph development, host plant orientation preference of viruliferous nymph, identification of viral interacting protein in nymph, etc.