Insect Vectors of Plant Viruses: Host Interactions, Their Effects, and Future Opportunities

Abstract

Plant viruses are endocellular, and they multiply inside their host plant cells. Outside of the host cells, they are acellular and cannot multiply and move to their hosts for reproduction. Plant virus use insect vectors to transmit and distribute from the infected farm to the next health plant or farms—especially the orders of Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, and Coleoptera are the vectors of plant viruses from infected to healthy plants. For instance, the hemipterans such as aphids, whiteflies, cicadas, spittle bugs, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, stink bugs, lygaeid bugs, and Thysanoptera (e.g., thrips) are the major vectors of plant viruses. Furthermore, the Aleyrodidae, Aphididae, Cicadellidae, and Delphacidae families of Hemiptera, the Chrysomelidae family of Coleoptera, and the Thripidae family of Thysanoptera were the most intriguing families of insects that vector plant viruses due to their behavior, short life cycles, easy interactions with their hosts, reproduction rapidly, and their feeding habits on a wide variety of host plants. The occurrence of these insect vectors in host plants decreased yield and led to malnutrition, reduced income, and reduced the marketability of the crops. Understanding the interactions between insect vectors, plant viruses, and crops is benefiting farmers in general for managing plant viruses and by managing insect vectors at large. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to address the insect vectors of plant viruses, host interactions, their effects, and put forward future opportunities. Finally, this review concluded that managing insect vectors at desirable stages, times, and places by available methods can manage plant viruses.