A handsome member of the sharpshooter family. Photo from Sayer's
photo gallery of interesting insects Glassy-winged
sharpshooters, long notorious in wine country as an insect
vector for Pierce's disease in grapes, have recently achieved
notice for employing not one but two bacterial endosymbionts to
provide essential nutrients. One provides amino acids while the
other supplies cofactors, especially water-soluble B-family
vitamins. Sharpshooters are sucking insects that feed on xylem
fluid, the nutrient-poor sap that conveys water and salts from
the roots to the rest of the plant. In contrast, aphids and many
other sap-feeding insects tap into the phloem tissues. Phloem
fluid contains more nutrients than the xylem sap but still lacks
some essentials. Most aphids rely on a single endosymbiont,
typically a Buchnera, to supply the needed amino acids in
exchange for simple sugars. Interestingly, two or more
endosymbionts are typically found associated with xylem feeders.
In the case of this sharpshooter, the autho