Abstract: 【Aim】 Rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV) transmitted by the leafhopper Recilia dorsalis has caused severe rice damage in southern China. This study aims to evaluate the effects of RSMV on the growth, reproduction and feeding behavior of the vector R. dorsalis. 【Methods】 The growth and life table parameters of R. dorsalis infected by RSMV were assayed by laboratory breeding experiments, and the feeding behavior of the nonviruliferous and viruliferous R. dorsalis on healthy rice plants was measured by the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique. Finally, the host plant preference of R. dorsalis to RSMV-free and RSMV-infected rice plants was determined with Y-shaped olfactometer. 【Results】 When the R. dorsalis nymphs were infected with RSMV, the nymphal duration of viruliferous R. dorsalis was prolonged, while the nymphal survival rate, adult emergence rate, female fecundity and egg hatching rate were reduced as compared with those of the nonviruliferous R. dorsalis. In addition, the nonviruliferous R. dorsalis adults preferred RSMV-infected rice plants to RSMV-free rice plants, while the viruliferous R. dorsalis adults preferred to select RSMV-free rice plants rather than select RSMV-infected rice plants. The viruliferous R. dorsalis adults fed on RSMV-free rice plants had a higher number and longer duration of waveforms representing stylet puncture, penetration difficulties and salivation, and also exhibited a lower number and lengthened duration of waveforms representing phloem sap ingestion phase and resting behavior as compared to the nonviruliferous leafhoppers. 【Conclusion】 The infection of RSMV lengthens the nymphal duration of viruliferous R. dorsalis compared with nonviruliferous R. dorsalis and is unfavorable to the propagation of viruliferous population. RSMV manipulates the feeding and host selection behavior of R. dorsalis adults to facilitate viral transmission between rice plants.

Key words: Recilia dorsalis; Rice stripe mosaic virus, electrical penetration graph, reproduction, feeding behavior, host selection behavior