Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus Spain Strain Is Not Transmitted by and Is Inefficiently Transmitted by Mediterranean between Zucchini and the Wild Cucurbit .

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) is a bipartite begomovirus (genus , family ) persistently transmitted, as with all other begomoviruses, by whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) of the cryptic species complex. The virus, originally from the Indian subcontinent, was recently introduced in the Mediterranean basin, where it is currently a major concern for protected and open-field horticulture. The Mediterranean ToLCNDV isolates belong to a novel strain named "Spain strain" (ToLCNDV-ES), which infects zucchini and other cucurbit crops but is poorly adapted to tomato. Recently, it has been reported that another whitefly, , is able to transmit an isolate of ToLCNDV from India which infects the chayote plant, a cucurbit. The present work aimed to clarify some aspects of whitefly transmission of ToLCNDV-ES. It was shown that is not able to transmit ToLCNDV-ES between zucchini plants. In addition, may not act as a relevant reservoir for this virus strain in the Mediterranean basin, as Mediterranean (MED), the most prevalent species of the complex in the region, is not an efficient vector of this begomovirus between cultivated zucchini and wild plants.