Abstract—Banana Bunchy Top Virus cause very destructive disease on banana. The virus is transmitted by Pentalonia nigronervosa in circulative manner. Plants infected show progressive dwarfing, upright crowded leaves and produce no fruit. Surveys conducted in 2016 in South Sumatra, Indonesia, showed that the disease distribution was affected by human activities and the vector, but the vector was scarcely found in the field, suggested that there must be alternative hosts for the vector. There was a report that the aphid can live on members of zingiberaceous and araceous plants. In this research, 11 zingiberaceous and araceous plants frequently found in banana planting areas were tested for their suitability as alternative host of P. nigronerosa. The infestation of 4 wingless adults of P. nigronervosa on the plants showed that the aphid could live on Alpinia galanga, Kamferia galangal, Curcuma domestica, Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Caladium bicolor and Typhonium flagelliform with different levels of growth rate.
 

Index Terms—banana bunchy top virus, Pentalonia nigronervosa, alternative host

Cite:  Suparman, Bambang Gunawan, Yulia Pujiastuti, Arsi, and Rizky Randal Cameron, "Alternative Hosts of Banana Aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa Coq. (Hemiptera: Aphididae), the Vector Transmitting Banana Bunchy Top Virus," Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 354-359, September 2017. Doi: 10.18178/joaat.4.4.354-359