Grapevine leafroll associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3) and Grapevine leafroll associated virus-5 (GLRaV-5), two members of the genus Ampelovirus associated with grapevine leafroll disease, were transmitted by the mealybug Planococcus ficus and the soft scale insect Ceroplastes rusci from infected to healthy vines under experimental conditions. The efficiencies of transmission of GLRaV-3 and GLRaV-5 by P. ficus were 23.3 and 8.3%, respectively, and by C. rusci were 3.3 and 1.7%, respectively. Juvenile instars of P. ficus were more efficient in transmission of the viruses than adult females. This is the first report of the ability of C. rusci to transmit these viruses to grapevines.

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Vineyards in western and center regions of Algeria were surveyed for the Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2). Analyses by DAS-ELISA and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) reveal 15, 8% prevalence. The genetic diversity of the GLRaV-2 population was studied by phylogenetic analyses of the HSP70h gene region of seven samples sequenced in this study and other sequences downloaded from GenBank. Results reveal segregation of the GLRav-2 population into six distinct groups. An estimation of the ratio of non-synonymous substitutions per non-synonymous site to synonymous substitutions per synonymous site indicated that HSP70h gene evolve under positive selection. Similarity plot constructed with representative sequence from each group confirmed previous results.  All Algerian isolates belong to group PN. As far as we know, this is the first characterization of GLRaV-2 isolates from Algeria.