Chinese Researchers Find Virus That Causes Infected Victims to Grow Wings

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Remember the post I did about the Cordyceps, also known as the parasitic fungus that takes over insects through mind control and turns them into living ‘zombies.’ It usually grows in tropical forests and spreads by releasing spores that latch onto insects and enter their bodies.

If you missed that post, don’t worry; you can check it out here.

Now, here’s something even weirder: a virus that causes its victims to grow unusual wings.

Yes, you read that right—wings. 

I know it sounds a bit scary, right? But don’t worry—this virus only affects insects.

The virus known as the “rice stripe virus” usually affects insects found in rice fields across Asia, especially in Japan, China, and Korea. 

Infected Rice Plant
Image Credit: William M. Brown Jr., Bugwood.org

This virus specifically targets a species of small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus) that lives in rice paddies. It spreads only through this type of planthopper. 

So, how does this virus infect the planthoppers?

When a planthopper feeds on a plant, it takes in the virus. After entering the insect’s body, the virus travels from the midgut to different parts, such as the salivary glands and the reproductive system, where it builds up in the salivary glands.

Image Credit: CABI Compendium

Then, when the planthopper salivates on a healthy plant, the virus goes into that plant. 

The virus can also be passed to the planthopper’s offspring. It enters the planthopper’s ovaries and moves to the reproductive area. Then, it enters the eggs, which means the young planthoppers are also infected.

Rice stripe virus (RSV) can also survive in infected planthoppers during the winter, which can easily be transmitted to new rice plants in the spring. It’s known as a circulative virus, meaning it spreads inside the insect before infecting plants.

How It Affects

Rice stripe virus (RSV) affects planthoppers that carry it by changing their behavior and reproduction. Specifically, male planthoppers develop longer wings when infected due to the activation of the Encounter gene. 

Why does this happen? The longer wings help the planthoppers spread the virus over greater distances, leading to larger outbreaks. 

Image Credit: ZHU Junjie

The virus can also change the gene activity in the planthoppers’ offspring and influence how they feed on rice plants, which helps them reproduce more successfully.

Rice farmers in Asia have been dealing with this virus for a long time. This virus makes rice plants weak, and fewer rice is produced. 

Now, you might wonder, how do you know if the rice plant is infected with this virus?

Infected rice plants show yellow stripes, blotches, and dead streaks on their leaves. In the worst cases, they can develop grey streaks and even die.

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