Description
- Overview:
- This month, biologists reported that a bacterial infection has run rampant in populations of a major crop pest in the Southwest. The bacterium (called Rickettsia) is a close relative of the species that causes typhus in humans. Its host is the sweet potato whitefly, a tiny bug that can occur in large enough numbers to form visible clouds. Whiteflies suck the sap from plants and spread crop diseases, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in a single season. In just a few years, the percentage of southwestern whiteflies infected with Rickettsia has skyrocketed from 1% to more than 90%. Unfortunately, this is not the boon for local farmers that it might seem.
- Subject:
- Biology
- Level:
- High School, Community College / Lower Division, College / Upper Division
- Material Type:
- Diagram/Illustration, Reading
- Provider:
- University of California Museum of Paleontology
- Provider Set:
- Understanding Evolution
- Date Added:
- 04/01/2011
- License:
- Some Rights Reserved
- Language:
- English
- Media Format:
- Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML
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