New Tool For Studying Insect Plant Warfare

When an insect pierces the surface of a plant to feed, much of the action takes place in the plant’s interior. A device called The Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) is a critical tool for peering into the process.

Now a new type of EPG developed by USDA entomologists is giving scientists the clearest view yet of the wars waged between piercing-sucking insects and the plants they attack.

The EPG was developed by Elaine Backus at the Agricultural Research Service San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, in Parlier, CA, and her late partner, William Bennett from the University of Missouri.

Ideally, a monitor should be capable of studying a variety of insect sizes. As the name implies, the team’s AC-DC monitor incorporates design features from both AC and DC monitors, making it more versatile. Researchers can adjust the settings to the sizes of any insect they are studying. Entomologists will be able to view the feeding process in detail for more insects than ever before. They also will be better able to compare the feeding habits of pathogen-bearing insects with those that are pathogen-free.

For the complete story, go to http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may12/insect0512.htm