Transmission of a grapevine leafroll associated closterovirus by the scale insect Pulvinaria vitis L.

Transmission tests from grape to grape with the leaf roll associated closterovirus GLRaVIII were carried out using scale insects of the species Parthenolecanium corni a/id Pulvinaria vitis. Four months after inoculation feeding two out of the five vines inoculated by P. vitis began to show a slight reddening and rolling of some leaves. Hybridisation and PCR tests performed with nucleic acids extracted from the two vines showing symptoms confirmed the presence of GLRaV-III. This seems to be the first report of an experimental virus transmission by scale insects.